Chapter 5 - The Children Who Stopped SleepingJustice moved slowly.
Healing moved even slower.
Lily began having nightmares.
She woke screaming that Grandma was coming back.
She refused to enter the kitchen alone.
She apologized whenever she made a mistake.
“I can do it myself, Daddy.”
“I’m big enough.”
Those words broke Daniel's heart.
She was seven.
She was supposed to worry about cartoons and homework.
Not carrying an infant until her arms went numb.
Noah changed too.
He stopped babbling.
He stopped crawling.
He flinched when strangers approached.
Daniel took both children to Dr. Hale, a trauma therapist.
After Lily's first session, Dr. Hale pulled Daniel aside.
“She thinks this was her fault.”
Daniel stared at the floor.
“She thinks she should have carried the baby better.”
His jaw tightened.
“She needs to hear one thing over and over.”
Dr. Hale looked him directly in the eyes.
“She is a child.”
So Daniel told Lily every day.
“You don't have to be the grown-up anymore.”
“You don't have to protect everyone.”
“You didn't do anything wrong.”
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Slowly, her laughter returned.
And for the first time since that night, Daniel allowed himself to believe they might survive this.
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