Chapter 9 - The Purple Dress
By the time spring arrived, Lily's progress with her speech therapist was nothing short of miraculous. She was speaking in full, confident sentences, her laughter filling our home every single day.
One afternoon, while cleaning out her closet, Lily pulled out the drawing she had made almost a year ago—the purple gown with her name written in uneven glitter letters.
"Daddy," she said, holding it up. "I never got to wear my purple dress."
My heart squeezed. She had never bought a real dress; she had only drawn it.
I knelt down to her level. "How would you like to have a real purple dress, Lily? And we can throw a giant party just for you."
Her eyes went wide. "A party? With dancing?"
"With lots of dancing," I promised.
The next weekend, I took Lily shopping. We found the most beautiful lavender tulle dress with little silver stars scattered across the skirt. When she twirled in front of the mirror, she looked like an absolute angel.
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I coordinated with Mark, his family, and a few of our closest friends. We rented a small, beautifully decorated hall. I even invited Vanessa, who accepted the invitation with tears of gratitude, promising to be on her best behavior.
The theme of the party was simple: A Celebration of Family.
