Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at me, and I could see the mix of emotions in her expression: disbelief, gratitude, and something else—something stronger. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” I said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Just keep going. Keep working. Keep creating. This is your future now, and you’re the one in control of it.”
Over the next several weeks, Lily threw herself into the contest with everything she had. I watched her grow more confident with each passing day. She poured herself into the designs, sketching out ideas, selecting fabric, measuring, cutting, stitching—learning as she went. The new sewing machine was an extension of her ambition, and every time she sat down to work, I saw the fire in her eyes, the same fire that had first started when she saved up for her dream machine. That fire would never be extinguished.