That was when I finally understood.

The problem was not that she failed to recognize how much her words hurt.

The problem was that she believed she had the right to say them anyway.

For years, I had absorbed her comments because I thought I was strong enough to handle them.

But Lily was not a shield I could use to keep the peace.

She was my responsibility.

And I had a choice to make.

I could smile, change the subject, and spend the rest of the afternoon pretending nothing