The world tilted sideways.
“Mark had given this to my son the week before he died.” Eddie held out the bird. “He said it was for Lily’s 10th birthday. He said if anything happened to him, Tommy should make sure she got it. And make sure you both know the truth.”
My knees gave out. I sank to the floor, still holding Lily.
“I didn’t know how to find you at first,” Eddie continued. “I was grieving my son, trying to understand what happened. Then I lost my job and my apartment. I’ve been living rough for months. A few weeks ago, I saw Lily after school. She was wearing a jacket with a little wooden bird pin on it… one of Mark’s carvings. And I just knew.”
He looked at Lily with such gentleness. “I didn’t mean to involve her like this. The first day, I just said hello. Asked if her dad had made that pin. She said yes, and I told her I’d known him. That I had stories. She asked if she could hear them.”
“I wanted to know about Dad,” Lily whispered. “Nobody talks about him anymore. Everyone acts like if they mention him, I’ll break. But I just wanted to remember.”
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