Chapter 24 - Lily becomes afraid of expensive houses

This surprised me.
Not belts.
Not phones.
Mansions.
For months, whenever we visited a large unfamiliar home, Lily became tense.
She associated:
Marble floors.
Glass tables.
Huge rooms.
With Ethan.
We did not force exposure.
Her therapist helped her rebuild associations slowly.
Small visits.
People she chose.
Clear exit plans.
One day we attended a birthday party at a large house.
Lily whispered:
“Can we leave whenever?”
“Yes.”
“Even before cake?”
“Yes.”
She stayed through cake.
May you like
Victory.
No one announced it.