Chapter 14 - Lily Went Back to Walmart
Eleven months later, Anna emailed me.
Lily wants to go back.
I knew exactly where.
Walmart.
Her therapist had been helping with avoidance.
For months Lily could not enter large stores.
Too many exits.
Too many polo shirts.
Too many strangers walking quickly behind her.
Nobody forced exposure.
Eventually she chose it.
Anna asked if I would be willing to meet them there.
“Only if Lily specifically wants me.”
She did.
So one Saturday morning, I stood in Automotive holding two bottles of motor oil exactly where the whole thing had started.
Lily appeared at the far end.
Yellow hoodie again.
New one.
She stopped.
Looked around.
Then walked toward me.
Not ran.
Walked.
I signed:
HELLO.
She replied:
YOUR SIGNING STILL LOOKS WEIRD.
I stared.
Anna burst out laughing.
Apparently Ava had been teaching her insults.
We walked through Sporting Goods.
Lily became tense near the doors.
Anna asked:
STOP?
Lily shook her head.
They continued.
Outside, she looked across the parking lot toward the place Evan’s van had been.
Then took a slow breath.
Nothing happened.
That was the victory.
No dramatic speech.
No police.
No chase.
A mother and daughter walked through a store and bought sidewalk chalk.
Before leaving, Lily signed to me:
WHY DIDN’T YOU GET SCARED?
I thought about the answer.
Then signed:
I WAS SCARED.
She frowned.
YOU LOOKED MAD.
BOTH.
She considered that.
Then:
ME TOO.
I nodded.
Courage explained without a speech.
May you like
Fear plus action.
That was enough.
