« Because she’d look like a princess. »
At the time, I thought it was simply a sweet comment.
I didn’t realize he’d already made up his mind.
Lucy Was Our Little Neighbor
Lucy lived next door with her mother, Hannah.
She was nearly two years old and had Down syndrome.
She had adored Noah for as long as she was old enough to recognize him coming through the gate.
And Noah adored her right back.
He brought her dandelions.
He drew pictures of dogs that barely resembled dogs.
He made ridiculous noises simply because he knew they would make her laugh.
Sometimes he seemed more interested in hearing Lucy giggle than in whatever he’d originally gone outside to do.
Watching them together always made me smile.
There was something wonderfully uncomplicated about their friendship.
Noah didn’t seem to think of Lucy as someone who needed to be treated differently.
She was simply Lucy.
A little girl who enjoyed his attention, laughed at his silly noises, and looked forward to seeing him.
To Noah, that was enough.
Hannah Was Struggling Financially
Hannah had been raising Lucy alone since she was a baby.
Most months, money was tight.
She worked hard to manage the responsibilities of caring for her daughter, but there wasn’t always much left for anything extra.
A few weeks before Lucy’s second birthday, Hannah and I were having coffee while Lucy played nearby.
The little girl was stacking plastic cups on the patio.
Hannah watched her for a moment before mentioning the birthday.
« I’m not really doing a party this year, » she admitted.
