Chapter 4
Lily’s therapist was named Dr. Hannah Reeves.
She specialized in children who had witnessed or experienced family violence.
Naomi did not like the phrase family violence.
It felt too big.
Then she remembered Carla raising the skewer.
Maybe big words were useful when adults tried to minimize ugly things.
Dr. Reeves asked Naomi not to repeatedly question Lily about the barbecue.
“If she volunteers information, listen.”
“What if she says something important?”
“Write it down afterward.”
“Not during?”
“You are her mother first.”
Naomi nodded.
That evening Lily drew the backyard.
Purple swing.
Green grass.
Black grill.
Three stick figures.
One was Naomi.
One was Lily.
One had yellow hair.
Carla.
There was another shape near the grill.
A rectangle.
“What’s that?”
Lily shrugged.
“Grandpa’s phone.”
Naomi stopped.
“His phone?”
“He put it there.”
“Where?”
“On the table thing.”
Naomi caught herself before asking more.
She waited.
Lily continued coloring.
“He said don’t move.”
Naomi’s pulse changed.
“Who did he say that to?”
Lily pointed at the drawing.
“Phone.”
That night Naomi called Maya.
“My father may have been recording.”
Maya immediately requested preservation of Robert’s device and any backyard camera footage.
Robert called an hour later.
“You dragged my phone into this?”
“You were filming.”
“I record family parties.”
“Since when?”
He hesitated.
“Sometimes.”
“What exactly did you record?”
“I don’t know.”
“Send it.”
“Naomi.”
“Send it.”
He finally did.
The video began seventeen seconds before Carla struck Lily.
Robert’s phone had been propped beside the grill.
The angle captured Carla.
Lily.
Part of the swing.
And Naomi approaching from across the yard.
Audio was faint.
The recording showed Carla raising the skewer.
But someone stepped between the phone and Lily at the crucial moment.
Diane.
The actual strike was partly obscured.
Then Diane moved.
The camera clearly captured Naomi kicking Carla.
Carla falling.
Naomi screaming.
Maya watched twice.
“This is useful.”
Naomi stared at her.
“It makes me look violent.”
“It shows context before the kick.”
“Not the impact.”
“No.”
Maya rewound.
“Look at the timing.”
Robert had begun recording before anyone was shouting.
Before Naomi was running.
Before the confrontation became obvious.
Third clue.
Her father had positioned a camera before the incident.
The explanation could still be innocent.
Maybe he really had been recording the party.
But there were no birthday songs.
No children playing.
No food.
Just the swing area.
And Carla.
Naomi whispered:
“He knew something was going to happen.”
Maya did not agree.
May you like
Not yet.
But she did not disagree either.
