My heart tightened. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to carry the whole world on your shoulders. You’ve already proven more than enough.”
She shook her head, her eyes bright with the struggle to hold it all together. “But I promised myself I would make it. I promised I would prove everyone wrong. I don’t want to let anyone down.”
“You’ve already proved so much, Lily,” I said, sitting down beside her. “You’ve done things that most people only dream of. But you don’t have to do it alone. You’re allowed to lean on others. And you’re allowed to take a step back when you need it.”
Lily looked at me for a long moment, the exhaustion in her eyes evident. “I’m scared, Mom. What if I fail? What if everything I’ve worked for just falls apart?”
“You won’t fail, Lily,” I said softly, my voice steady. “You’ve already succeeded in ways that no one could have imagined. And no matter what happens, I’ll be right here. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be you.”