her eyes briefly.
“Of course you asked.”
“I didn’t want her to feel trapped.”
Diane squeezed his hands.
“You have been very good to her.”
Aaron shook his head.
“I love her.”
The simple certainty in his voice broke something open in Diane.
She pulled him into an embrace.
Aaron hesitated before hugging her back.
I looked toward Lily.
She was watching them with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.
In that moment, I realized Aaron had done more than organize a gesture of support.
He had brought all of us back together.
Fear had isolated Diane.
Helplessness had made her suspicious.
Grief had made each of us believe we needed to carry our emotions privately.
Aaron had reminded us that love was not a limited resource. Lily did not have to choose between her mother and her boyfriend. Diane did not have to be the
