Chapter 3: Invisible Armor
A week passed, and the physical bruises began to fade into dull yellow halos, but the psychological wounds deepened. Lily had changed. The bubbly girl who loved painting sunflowers and singing off-key to pop songs was gone. In her place was a vigilant sentinel. Lily would methodically check the locks on the shelter doors, jump at the sound of a dropped spoon, and refuse to let Leo out of her sight. When a well-meaning social worker tried to offer Lily a teddy bear, the girl politely declined, her eyes scanning the room for exits. Sarah watched from the corner, her heart fracturing. Her child had traded her innocence for survival. That night, holding Lily as she thrashed through a night terror, Sarah made a silent, ironclad vow: she would not let trauma dictate the rest of their lives. She would rebuild their world, brick by brick, until it was safe enough for Lily to be a child again.
