At that moment, I thought the hardest part of the whole situation was over.
I was very wrong.
Part 2 — “She Understands Kindness”
That evening, my mother-in-law stopped by.
She happened to be standing in our kitchen when Noah proudly carried the garment bag downstairs.
“Grandma, look what I got Lucy!”
At first, she smiled.
Then I explained how he had paid for it.
Her expression changed immediately.
“You skipped your school lunches for that?”
Noah nodded.
She looked at the dress again.
Then she laughed.
“Oh, sweetheart. That was a waste of money.”
The smile vanished from Noah’s face.
I turned towards her.
“What did you just say?”
She shrugged as though she had said something perfectly reasonable.
“Lucy is only two years old.”
Then she lowered her voice slightly.
“And with everything she has going on, does she even understand birthdays?”
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I felt my shoulders stiffen.
