to see her like that,” he continued. “She said she was afraid people would look at her and only see someone who was sick.”
He lifted his eyes to mine.
“I wanted her to know she’s still Lily. Hair or no hair. And I didn’t want her to feel as if she had to go through that part alone.”
His voice was calm, as though shaving his head had been the most obvious decision in the world.
“So I told her that if she had to lose hers, she wouldn’t be the only one.”
For a moment, I could not speak.
I had spent seventeen years trying to teach Aaron about kindness, courage, and empathy. Yet standing before me was a young man who understood those things more deeply than I had realized.
I blinked back tears.
“You are a remarkable person.”
He shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with the praise.
“It’s
