Several months later, Lily celebrated her seventh birthday surrounded by friends and family who truly respected our boundaries.
She received plenty of stuffed animals, but before hugging each one, she smiled and asked, “Mommy… did you check this one first?”
I hugged her tightly and answered with a smile. “Every single one.”
That frightening birthday taught us something we’ll never forget: the greatest gift we could ever give our daughter wasn’t another toy—it was knowing she would always be safe
