Chapter 10: Colors of Wildflowers
As Lily prepared to enter elementary school, her weekly art therapy sessions with Dr. Elena Campbell began to show a miraculous transformation.
In the early days, Lily had drawn exclusively in shades of black and charcoal, always depicting small figures enclosed inside thick black bars. But by the autumn of her seventh year, the sketchbooks were alive with vibrant color.
One afternoon, Dr. Campbell invited Katherine into the studio to view Lily’s final project: a sprawling four-foot canvas painted in brilliant acrylics.
At the center of the canvas stood a towering green tree, its canopy filled with golden sunlight. Beneath the branches sat two figures holding hands—a tall woman in a midnight dress and a little girl in yellow—surrounded by a field of blooming sunflowers and a golden retriever puppy chasing butterflies.
"What is the title of your painting, Lily?" Dr. Campbell asked gently.
May you like
Lily beamed, looking up at her mother with bright, confident eyes. "It's called Where the Sun Always Stays."
Katherine knelt down and wrapped her arms around her daughter, kissing her cheek. The little girl who had once questioned her own right to exist now understood that she was cherished beyond measure.
