tightened her arms around Lily.

My daughter, completely unaware of the tension, reached toward one of the sparkling ornaments on the tree.

She made a happy little sound.

That sound broke my heart.

Lily had done nothing wrong.

She had not asked to be born early.

She had not chosen her size.

She had not decided how quickly her body would grow.

She was simply a baby enjoying the colors and lights around her.

Yet my mother had turned her into a subject of public criticism.

I thought about the