Noah noticed her.
“Grandma.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
He pointed toward Lucy.
“See?”
She frowned.
“See what?”
“She understood.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
At first, I thought Noah meant that Lucy understood what birthdays were.
Then I realized that wasn’t what he meant at all.
He meant she understood joy.
She understood being loved.
She understood that Noah had come carrying something beautiful just for her.
My mother-in-law looked at Lucy again.
Her expression changed.
She gave Noah the smallest nod.
But it was enough.
For illustrative purposes only
Part 5 — What Hannah Had Forgotten
Hannah stood beside me, twisting a tissue between her fingers.
“The money really has been tight,” she said softly.
“I know.”
“But that wasn’t the only reason I kept her birthday small.”
I turned toward her.
She watched Lucy playing across the room.
“So much of my life is about what Lucy needs.”
