only person capable of comforting her daughter. And none of us had to endure the uncertainty alone.
Part Seven: Six Weeks Later
Six weeks later, Diane called me again.
This time, the sound of her voice told me everything before she spoke.
“The scans look better,” she said.
I gripped the phone.
“How much better?”
“The doctors say the treatment is working.”
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
Then we both began crying.
The news did not erase everything Lily had endured. It did not guarantee that the road ahead would be easy. More appointments, treatments, and difficult days still waited for her.
But it gave us hope.
That evening, Diane came to my house.
We sat on the porch with cups of tea while the sun lowered behind the trees.
For the first time in months, we talked without constantly checking our phones.
Aaron’s hair had begun
