What if she had seen something truly horrible? Against my better judgment, I drove back to Lily’s apartment, determined to find out. Lily greeted me at the door, surprised to see me again.
I made a clumsy excuse about wanting to try the old console, and she waved me toward her room. My heart pounded as I approached the closet. Slowly, I slid the door open.
Inside, four Halloween masks stared back at me—gaudy, rubbery, and harmless. Relief washed over me, followed quickly by guilt. Chloe’s fear had been so real, and I hadn’t been able to reassure her.
I returned to the kitchen, where Lily handed me a cup of coffee. “What’s going on?” she asked, sensing my unease. I told her about Chloe’s reaction, her fear of the “heads” in the closet.
Lily’s initial shock turned to laughter as she realized the misunderstanding, but her amusement faded when she understood how deeply Chloe had been affected. The next day, Lily came to my mom’s house with a bag of Halloween masks. “Chloe,” she said gently, kneeling down, “can I show you something?”
Chloe clung to me, still wary, but nodded.
Lily pulled out a mask and slipped it on. “See? It’s not a head.
It’s just for fun.”
Chloe’s fear gave way to curiosity. She hesitantly touched the mask, then laughed when she realized it was squishy. Lily encouraged her to try it on, and soon, Chloe was giggling, her earlier terror forgotten.
Over the months that followed, Chloe and Lily grew closer. Chloe started calling her “Mommy Lily,” and their bond became undeniable. That night could have driven a wedge between us, but instead, it brought us together.
Through honesty, trust, and a little creativity, we overcame Chloe’s fear. Sometimes, the most unexpected challenges lead to the strongest connections.
