Chapter 27 - FIRST STEPS
A year later, the autumn air was crisp in the backyard.
David was at the grill, turning hot dogs, while Claire set up folding chairs on the patio. Grandpa was there, seated comfortably in his wheelchair, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, smiling at the changing leaves.
The back door opened.
Lily stepped out onto the porch. She was wearing jeans. For the first time in four years, there was no bulky metal silhouette beneath the denim.
She gripped the wooden railing. She took a breath.
David stopped flipping the burgers. Claire put down a stack of paper plates. The entire yard went completely silent.
Lily let go of the railing. She shifted her weight onto her right leg. It trembled slightly, weak but holding. She took a step forward. Then another.
She didn't limp. The stride was slow, deliberate, and entirely her own. She walked across the wooden deck, stepped down onto the grass, and walked straight into her father’s arms.
David buried his face in her shoulder, feeling the solid, unassisted strength of his daughter standing on her own two feet.
“You did it, kiddo,” he whispered, his voice thick with tears.
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“We did it,” she replied, squeezing him back.
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