Chapter 12 - Thirty Seconds AgainLily laughed through tears.
“You stole that from me.”
“No. I used it first.”
She looked at his hand.
Then at Dr. Brooks.
“Can I?”
Dr. Brooks nodded.
“With your crutches. Noah does not support your weight.”
Rules.
Safety.
Reality.
Noah stood in front of her.
“Don’t think about the fundraiser.”
“I am thinking about the fundraiser.”
“Stop.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Little bit.”
“Fine.”
He tapped the old rhythm on his knee.
“Right foot.”
Lily moved it.
“Left.”
Moved.
“Again.”
She stood.
Not graceful.
Not magical.
Shaking.
But standing.
Noah stepped backward.
She followed.
One step.
Two.
Three.
At thirty seconds, Dr. Brooks said stop.
Lily sat.
Breathing hard.
Then she smiled.
“Again tomorrow.”
Noah grinned.
The fundraiser arrived.
The ballroom looked almost identical to the night Noah first walked in.
Golden chandeliers.
White marble.
Black tuxedos.
Crystal glasses.
But one thing had changed.
No one looked at Noah’s shoes.
Alexander had offered to buy him an expensive suit.
Noah refused until Teresa found a simple navy jacket on sale.
He wore clean sneakers.
Lily waited outside the ballroom doors.
Wheelchair behind her.
Crutches under her arms.
Alexander stood beside her.
“You don’t have to prove anything.”
“I know.”
“You can change your mind.”
“I know.”
“You can use the chair.”
“I know, Dad.”
He smiled.
“Okay.”
The doors opened.
People stood.
Lily took one step.
Then another.
The room went silent for a completely different reason.
Noah waited near the center of the floor.
Not touching her.
Not rescuing her.
Just there.
She reached him.
Twenty-three steps.
Her longest distance yet.
The applause started.
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
The room quieted.
She looked at the guests.
“Don’t clap because I walked.”
Everyone froze.
She pointed toward Noah.
“Clap because someone believed the truth when it was inconvenient.”
May you like
Then she looked toward an empty chair reserved for Maya Reed.
And the entire ballroom rose.
