“Who’s that?” Lily asked, tapping Elena’s picture.
“That’s Elena,” I said. “She’s your Great Aunt Elena, kind of. She’s family.”
Lily blinked. “Why is she fancy?”
I laughed. “She’s fancy because she likes beautiful things. But she’s also kind. That’s the important part.”
Lily turned the page and pointed at Margaret. “Grandma Margaret looks… different.”
“She was different,” I said honestly.
Lily frowned. “Was she mean?”
I hesitated, then chose the truth Lily could hold.
“She didn’t understand people very well back then,” I said. “She thought labels mattered more than hearts.”
Lily stared at my wedding photo again. “What’s a label?”
I smiled softly. “It’s a name stitched into something, like a tag in your shirt. Some people think labels tell you what something is worth.”
Lily looked down at her own shirt and pulled the tag, squinting. “Mine says cotton.”
I laughed. “Exactly.”
Lily tilted her head. “Did Grandma Margaret think your dress made you worth more?”
I took a breath. The easy answer would have been yes. The fuller answer was more complicated.