The small piece of cardboard slipped out from the puzzle box and landed in my hand. The little cutout barely reached the size of my thumb.

Someone had carefully trimmed the edges into a heart. Lily loved shapes like that more than anything.

On her third birthday, I gave her a pair of safety scissors as a gift. She sat at the table and cut out heart after heart, then stuck them everywhere she could reach. At one point Michael laughed and said, "At this rate, our house is turning into a heart factory."

Across the cardboard, a flower appeared in thick red crayon. The petals spread wide and nearly filled the entire space.

Under the drawing, a row of uneven block letters had been written by a child's hand. "R_S_."

My breathing stopped for a moment.

It was a word puzzle.

Lily and I were the only two people who understood those little games.

Memories rose up all at once. Many nights passed like that in our bedroom. Warm light filled the room while Lily curled against me in her star patterned pajamas. The scent of her bath still lingered in her hair.

I would whisper small riddles to her. She would lift her head, think for a second, and then shout the answer with bright excitement before earning a kiss on her forehead.

"Mama, give me another one!" she would beg while gripping the corner of my shirt. "Make the next one harder!"

Whenever she said that, I would pull her into a hug. My heart always filled with pride. Lily was quick, thoughtful, and curious.

But now... Where was she?

My fingers tightened around the small piece of cardboard.

The red crayon looked slightly faded. It clearly wasn't something she had drawn recently.

When did she hide this inside the puzzle box? Did she write it when she felt scared? Or when she missed me?

Two letters were missing from the word. The second and fourth spaces remained blank.

"ROSE?"

The answer appeared in my mind without warning. Another memory followed right after. The last time I walked Lily to her preschool.

She held hands with a blonde girl while they ran up to me. "Mama," Lily said happily, "this is my new friend, Rose Lloyd! She shares cookies with me, and she draws really pretty flowers!"

Rose raised her hand and waved at me. Lily stood beside her and quickly showed me what they had made together. She held up two drawings done with crayons. Each drawing showed a flower. One flower was red, and the other one was yellow.

Rose spoke in a quiet voice. "Lily said you like flowers, so we drew some for you."

I crouched down and hugged both girls. Seeing Lily make a friend brought warmth to my heart. Even with everything happening in my life, moments like that made me happy.

So the missing word could be "ROSE."

That thought cut through the darkness in my heart.

Lily had been trying to leave me a message.

Perhaps she sensed danger coming. Within the limits of what she could do, she used the puzzle language we shared to leave me a clue.

She believed I would come back and understand.

My vision blurred with tears.

Suddenly I sat up, and my heart began racing.

Cold anger and grief rushed through me. My body began to tremble.

That night, I barely slept.

Outside the window, the sky slowly changed from black to blue and then to the pale light of dawn.

Birds began to chirp in the distance. A new day had arrived. A new day in a world without Lily.

I stood up and walked to the window. The fountain outside caught the morning light, and the gardener was already working.

Everything outside looked calm. Inside me, nothing was calm.

When I looked in the mirror, the face staring back felt unfamiliar. My eyes were red and swollen. My face looked pale, and shadows lay beneath my eyes.

When I went downstairs, Bale was already eating breakfast in the dining room.

Elegant silverware lined the long table, and the smell of fruit and toasted bread filled the room.

Across from me sat Bale. A crisp shirt and wool vest gave him the calm appearance of a father.

He lowered his newspaper and studied my face. "Good morning, Anna," he said. "You didn't sleep much last night, did you?"

I took the seat opposite him. A maid stepped forward and placed hot coffee and breakfast in front of me.

"My daughter left something behind," I said, my voice rough from the sleepless night. "I found a cardboard piece from her puzzle box. It points to a girl named Rose, a friend from her preschool. I want to go to the preschool today."

Approval showed in Bale's eyes as he listened. "You noticed the clue quickly," he said. "Lily's death hasn't crushed you. It seems to have given you strength instead." After a short pause, he continued, "Should I arrange a car for you? Or would you like someone to go with you?"

"I think it would be better if someone came with me," I answered honestly. "If I go by myself, I might lose control of my emotions. It could draw attention."

"That can be arranged." Bale wiped his mouth with a napkin and pressed the bell beside the dining table. A few minutes later, a woman in her early thirties entered the room. Her suit fit neatly, and her manner was calm and efficient.

Bale spoke first. "Katherine, this is Anna Brown." Then he looked toward me. "Anna, this is Katherine Morris, my assistant. She will go with you today and help with anything you need."

Katherine greeted me with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you, Anna. Mr. Smith already explained your situation to me. I will do everything I can to assist you."

Her eyes held no pity. What I saw instead was respect and understanding.

A small sense of relief settled in me.

By nine that morning, Katherine had already brought the car around. She drove a black sedan and took me toward Sunshine Preschool.

The vehicle moved through the streets of Kregan at a steady pace. Christmas had already spread across the city. Store windows displayed decorations. Strings of colored lights stretched across the streets. People walked past carrying shopping bags, their faces bright with holiday excitement.

Each scene struck my heart painfully.

Last year around this same time, I made a Christmas card for Lily while I was still in prison.

On that card I drew a Christmas tree. I also drew the three of us together. Beneath the picture I wrote a long message about how much I missed her.

Even now, I still didn't know whether she ever received it. Michael never said a word about that card.

Katherine's voice broke the silence. She glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "Are you holding up alright?"

My eyes remained fixed on the streets outside.

"I keep wondering about Lily's Christmas last year," I said quietly. "Did she have a tree? Did she open any presents? Did anyone read The Night Before Christmas to her?"

For a moment, Katherine didn't respond.

Then she spoke in a calm voice. "When you find out what really happened, you'll be able to do something for her. You can honor her in your own way."

The car eventually pulled to a halt in front of a vibrant building located beside the park.

A cheerful sign that read Sunshine Preschool displayed drawings of a sun and a rainbow. Near the entrance, children ran around the small playground while their teachers watched over them.

The air rang with laughter, playful shouting, and cheerful children's songs. Those same sounds used to bring me joy, yet now they only stirred a quiet pain inside my chest.

Lily's voice would never be heard among them again.

Emotion closed around my throat until breathing felt difficult.

Katherine reached over and softly tapped my arm.

I took a breath to steady myself, nodded, and stepped forward into the preschool.

Inside, the room felt cozy and bright, and the walls were filled with artwork made by the children.

Christmas decorations covered nearly every corner. Handmade reindeer, paper snowflakes, and tiny stockings with each child's name hung around the room.

Without thinking, my eyes moved around the space. Had Lily left anything behind?

At the far end of the hallway stood the office of the preschool director.

Helen Jones, a gentle woman in her fifties, served as the director.

When Katherine and I appeared, surprise crossed her face. "Mrs. Rivera, we're truly sorry for your loss. Lily was a wonderful child..."

"I appreciate that. I came here today to meet Lily's friend Rose. Lily might have left something with her."

For a brief moment, Helen hesitated, then she gave a small nod. "Yes, of course. Rose really was Lily's closest friend. She felt deep pain for a long time after Lily passed away."

She let out a quiet breath. "Please wait here. I'll bring her over."

While those minutes passed, I remained seated in the office chair as though time itself had slowed.

A large painting created by the class hung on the wall with the title "Our Preschool."

Among the many names written across it, Lily's signature finally caught my eye.

Tears blurred my vision again.

A little girl came in as Helen stepped through the open door.

Clutching a worn plush rabbit, a blonde girl with pretty eyes walked inside. It was Rose.

She looked older than the last time I saw her, yet she was still the same sweet little girl.

"Rose, this is Lily's mom," Helen said in a gentle voice. "She wants to ask you a few things about Lily. Is that alright?"

Rose reacted at once, her eyes growing wide.

With a bright voice, she asked, "Are you really Lily's mom? Lily told me you went somewhere far for work. She said you'd come back someday."

Hearing that hit me straight in the chest.

I held back the tears and lowered myself until my eyes met hers.

"Yes, sweetheart. That's right." Taking a slow breath, I continued, "Did Lily ever talk about me?"

After giving a nod, Rose searched through her backpack, then slowly opened a crumpled sheet of drawing paper.

The picture showed three figures drawn with crayons. Two were tall, and one was small, and all of them were holding hands.

The shapes looked simple and childlike, yet the drawing had clearly been made with care.

Beside the smallest figure, uneven crayon letters were written. They said, "Mommy, Daddy, and Lily."

"Lily made that," Rose explained quietly. "Whenever she missed you, she would draw that picture."

She paused for a moment before continuing, and her voice softened, "But Lily also said her dad wouldn't let her talk about you. She told me it had to stay a secret."

A secret.

Even though Lily missed me, she wasn't allowed to say it out loud.

My voice shook as I spoke again. "Rose, did Lily ever ask you to keep something safe for her? Maybe a box, or maybe a letter?"

Rose blinked, and a moment later her eyes brightened as though she had just remembered something.

"She did!" Rose cried out, and she immediately began searching through her backpack again.

This time, she reached deeper and finally pulled out a tiny box wrapped in colorful paper from the very bottom.

My chest jolted the moment I saw it.

Smaller than my palm, the box fit easily in my hand. Cartoon stickers covered its surface, stars, unicorns, and rainbows, all favorites of Lily.

A small plastic combination lock with four digits sat on top of it. Even though it was plastic, it looked fairly solid.

The paper around the box had a pattern filled with stars. It was the same wrapping paper I had chosen for Lily's fifth birthday.

She once told me she liked stars because they watched over me at night the same way she did.

"If you ever came to see me, Lily told me I should give this to you," Rose explained while carefully placing the box into my hands, her small fingers steady.

"She said it was supposed to be your Christmas present, but..." Her voice faded and grew tight with emotion. "After that, she stopped coming to preschool. My dad said she got sick. Later, the teacher told us she went to heaven."

At that point, I couldn't stop the tears anymore. They slipped down my face as I accepted the box, my hands trembling so much I struggled to keep hold of it.

Although the box weighed almost nothing, it felt unbearably heavy in my hands. This was the final message Lily had left for me.

"Thank you, Rose," I said, trying to steady my voice even though it shook. "Thank you for staying by Lily's side as her friend. And thank you for keeping this safe for her. I truly appreciate it."

In a soft voice, Rose replied, "Lily was my best friend." Tears filled her eyes. "I miss her a lot. My mom says real friends never truly disappear. They turn into stars."

Then she lifted her gaze toward me. "Did Lily become a star too?"

I wrapped my arms around her. Holding her small, warm body reminded me of all the times I used to carry Lily.

"Yes, sweetheart," I said through my tears. "Lily became a bright star. Every night she watches over us."

When I finally left the preschool, my hands held the box tightly as though nothing else mattered more.

Katherine stayed silent out of consideration and focused on driving.

Sunlight poured through the car window and landed on my hands. The stickers on the box caught the light and sparkled.

In a gentle tone, Katherine asked, "Should we go straight home?"

"Yes, please." I closed my eyes and held the box tightly against my chest.

The gift Lily prepared for me was finally in my hands.

I arrived too late, yet I had still made it here in the end.

At last, I could find out what she had wanted to tell me.

No matter what it was, I would hear it.

Everything that needed to be done for her would be done.

I promise.

After returning to Maple Villa Complex, I rushed straight to my room while gripping the box tightly in my hand.

Beyond the window, the carefully maintained garden still looked vibrant despite the winter season. Sunlight struck the fountain, and its droplets glittered like scattered diamonds.

Even so, the beauty and calm around me held no meaning.

My attention stayed fixed on the small box I carried. Though it barely weighed anything, it pressed heavily against my thoughts.

This was the Christmas present Lily had prepared for me.

Parts of the star-patterned wrapping paper had worn thin, and the edges had started to fray. It showed how carefully Rose must've protected it all this time.

The surface was covered with stickers. There were shiny stars, round little unicorns, and colorful rainbows. I could almost see Lily smiling while placing them there. In my mind, she leaned close to her work with full concentration, her tongue peeking out slightly as she pressed every corner down.

A four-digit lock secured the box. I wondered what number she had chosen. Perhaps it was her birthday, or maybe mine. It could also be a date that meant something special to us.

After drawing in a slow breath, I entered my birthday into the lock: 0316.

A quiet click sounded as the latch released.

The answer felt so obvious that I could almost imagine Lily whispering beside me, "Of course it's Mommy's birthday. That's a very important day."

My hands shook while I carefully raised the lid.

Only a small booklet rested inside.

The cover showed a drawing Lily had made with crayons. Three stick figures stood together while holding hands in front of a small house. A crooked tree stood beside it.

Stars of many sizes filled the sky above them.

Under the drawing, she had written a title in pencil. Some letters were reversed, yet the words were still clear. "Lily's Heartfelt Words."

I gently ran my fingers across the uneven handwriting. Despair mixed with a painful sense of anticipation until it nearly overwhelmed me.

Before opening to the first page, I paused and took several deep breaths to calm myself.

The entry showed a date written in uneven numbers. It was about a week after I was taken to prison.

"Today, Sofia started living with us. Dad said Mom is in prison and won't come back for a long time. Sofia is here to look after me. But I don't like her smell. It is unpleasant and makes my nose itch. I miss Mom's smell. Hers smells like jasmine. Dad and Sofia keep drinking in the living room. They make so much noise that I can't sleep. I want to hear the stories Mom used to tell me. I hold the scarf Mom left behind. It still smells like her."

Each page marked another passing day and showed how Lily's happiness slowly disappeared.

"Today is my birthday. I'm five years old now! Dad forgot about it. Sofia laughed and said kids don't need birthdays. There wasn't a cake or any presents. When Mom was here, she made a princess cake and gave me a puzzle box. I hid the puzzle box so Sofia wouldn't find it. Mom, when will you come back and celebrate my birthday?"

My chest tightened with pain, making it hard for me to breathe.

While I sat in prison last year, I imagined her waiting happily for her birthday. I survived those long nights by picturing her smiling as she blew out the candles.

In reality, she had nothing.

"Christmas came today. My teacher said Santa gives presents to every child. But I only want a Christmas card from Mom. I drew many pictures for her, but Dad said they can't be mailed. Did Mom send me a card for Christmas? I check the mailbox every day, but nothing is there. Rose said she wants to see my mom's card, too. Mom, did you really send one?"

I sent one, Lily.

At that time, I sat at the cold desk inside my prison cell. I kept rewriting the card and drawing pictures on it again and again while begging the guard to make sure it was mailed.

Michael and Sofia had even cut off the fragile connection between Lily and me.

The entries that came after grew even more painful to read.

"Today I heard Dad and Sofia fighting in the garage. They were arguing about money. I tried to be brave and asked Dad if he could take me to see Mom because I miss her a lot. Dad got angry right away and said I was annoying. Sofia stared at me and said Mom caused all the trouble. They hit me and locked me in the garage. It was cold and dark. For a long while, I kept crying. Mom, when are you coming back?"

My dear child, everything happened because of my mistake. I trusted people who never deserved it.

If I hadn't been so blind, if I had understood what Michael was truly like, and if I hadn't taken the blame for him... Would Lily have grown up safely beside me, living a happy life?

Tears poured from my eyes and dropped onto the diary, smearing the childish writing.

I quickly tried to wipe the pages dry, yet each attempt only made the letters blur even more.

The final page of the diary already looked smeared. Compared to the earlier pages, the handwriting appeared weak and uneven, as though Lily had struggled to write every word.

"My head is spinning. I feel so hot. Dad, I do not feel well... Sofia, please take me to the hospital... I'm cold... Mom, where are you? I miss you..."

That was where the writing ended. Several uneven marks stained the page after something had dried. Were they tears? Or drops of sweat from her fever?

My mind could hardly face the thought of Lily's last moments. She must've lain there burning with fever inside a dark and freezing room. Again and again, she must've called for me, while the two adults who should've protected her ignored her weak cries.

Without thinking, I pulled the diary against my chest and collapsed onto the carpet. My body curled inward as my shoulders shook and tears streamed down my face without control.

Oh Lily, my poor girl.

Once I was sent to prison, her short life had been filled with neglect, cruel words, and violent abuse.

The birthday gift she had wished for, the Christmas card she had been waiting for, and the hug she had wanted from me... None of it came to her.

In the end, they even took away her right to live.

Michael and Sofia showed no mercy. They were nothing but monsters.

A fierce hatred began growing inside me faster than ever before.

Those two traitors were the ones who had sent Lily to an early grave.

I raised my head at once and brushed away the tears that clouded my sight.

In the mirror, I saw red, swollen eyes and a pale face. The pain was gone. What remained in my eyes was vengeance.