Chapter 15 - Little Lily Tells Her Father What Grandpa Really Said
Back at the restored mansion, afternoon sunlight poured peacefully through the tall leaded windows of the conservatory.
Little Lily sat at a small oak table, coloring pictures of golden retrievers while her father brewed hot cocoa nearby.
“Daddy, do you remember what Grandpa told me right before he let stepmother push me near the stairs?” Lily asked softly.
Arthur froze mid-motion, his mug hovering over the kitchen counter as a cold shiver ran down his spine.
He walked over slowly, kneeling down beside his daughter’s chair and taking her small, paint-stained hands in his.
“No, sweetheart, you don't have to talk about it if it makes you sad,” Arthur said gently, stroking her hair.
“Grandpa said that bloodlines are like old trees, and sometimes the rotten branches have to be cut off so the strong ones grow,” Lily repeated.
Arthur swallowed hard, recognizing the cold, calculating philosophy that had governed his family for generations.
“Grandpa was wrong, Lily,” Arthur whispered fiercely, looking straight into her innocent, trusting eyes.
“A strong tree doesn't cut off its branches; it protects them through every storm, no matter how hard the wind blows.”
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Lily smiled brightly, wrapping her small arms around her father's neck and kissing his weathered cheek.
***
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