But now I see it every day. I see her empty face looking at me among the women I pass in the street. Now I realize she couldn't stop what happened to her. This is the place that did it. I feel like this happens to me every day. I feel the darkness closing in as it becomes harder and harder to find a reason to smile. The only happiness I get these days comes from the innocent little girl upstairs. I'm my mother, but I won't let Lily be me. The next morning, I wake Lily up as soon as I hear James slam the door behind him on his way to work. I watch him wander through the dirty streets of the big brown factories. I help Lily wash her hair and tie her golden curls with her green ribbon while she puts on her favorite white summer dress. I grab her jacket as we reach the bottom of the stairs, tying it around her body as she puts on her shoes. “Where are we going?” she asks me, rubbing her sleep-filled eyes. “On an adventure,” I whisper in his ear. She laughs excitedly as I grab the bag from next to the door. Lily grabs my hand as we walk through the quiet city streets. When we finally reach the station and step out onto the deserted platform, I see the questions in Lily's message.