The School Project
Chapter 14 - The School Project
Lily’s class assignment was called “Where I Come From.”
Each student had to build a family timeline.
Lily hated it.
Her teacher called Daniel after Lily refused to participate.
That evening, Daniel found her sitting on the floor surrounded by photographs.
Emily.
Thomas.
Baby pictures.
School pictures.
And one empty section where Daniel should have been.
“I don’t know what to put,” Lily said.
Daniel sat beside her.
“The truth.”
“The truth is messy.”
“Most families are.”
She looked at him.
“Other kids don’t have a grandpa who lied about their dad.”
Daniel winced.
“No. But other families have different mistakes.”
Lily picked up a photograph from the funeral.
“Can I put this one?”
It showed Daniel standing several feet behind her at Emily’s grave.
Their first picture together.
Daniel’s throat tightened.
“Yes.”
For the timeline, Lily wrote:
Age 10 — I met my father.
Then below it:
He was late, but it wasn’t his fault.
Daniel had to leave the room for a moment.
At school, Lily presented the project.
Thomas attended.
So did Daniel.
Rebecca sat in the back.
Lily stood before the class and said something none of them expected.
“My family made mistakes before I was old enough to understand them. I used to think that meant something was wrong with my family.”
She paused.
“Now I think a family is also what people do after the mistake.”
Thomas lowered his head.
May you like
Daniel reached over and placed one hand on his shoulder.
It was the first public gesture of forgiveness between them.
