The Afternoon Lily Wouldn’t Talk
When Lily returned home, she looked nothing like the cheerful girl I had dropped off that morning.
Her eyes were swollen, and she walked straight past me without saying a word.
A moment later, her bedroom door slammed.
I waited before knocking.
“Sweetheart, what happened? Did Annie like the dress?”
“Please leave me alone, Mom.”
Her voice sounded broken.
I tried again later, offering her something to eat and asking whether she wanted to talk. She refused.
I began imagining all sorts of explanations.
Perhaps Annie had rejected the dress. Perhaps another student had made a cruel comment. Perhaps Lily had been embarrassed by something that happened during the concert.
I wanted to help, but I could not help someone who would not tell me what was wrong.
That night, I went to bed worried.
I believed the worst part of the situation was that my daughter had been hurt after trying to do something good.
