Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 330

Lillian was absolutely beaming, her smile all soft and sweet, her voice gentle as marshmallow fluff. “As long as you like it, Uncle Dennis,” she chirped, her eyes shining.

Once the gift was safely delivered, the little one scampered back to her mom’s side.

Camila Davis ordered her a mini cheesecake, making sure Lillian was settled before finally turning to Dennis Williams. She couldn’t help a playful grumble, “So, this autumn leaf keepsake—only you get one, Mr. Williams. Even I don’t have one!”

A hint of mock jealousy colored her words.

Dennis grinned, the corners of his mouth quirking up. “Really? Well, I guess that makes me pretty special, especially with you keeping tabs on me, Camila!”

Camila rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t truly upset.

She knew just how much Lillian adored Dennis Williams.

Whether it was his gentle encouragement, his everyday kindness, or the way he always noticed the little things, he’d made a huge difference in her daughter’s life.

So really, the gift made perfect sense.

Camila pushed aside her twinge of envy and moved onto more serious matters. “So, about the second phase of Lillian’s therapy—how do we start?”

Dennis tucked the gift away and turned serious. “Lillian’s progress has been better than I expected. I’m guessing you and your family have spent a lot of time with her lately, which is great. Getting her involved in hands-on stuff, like making keepsakes, is exactly the right approach.

The first phase was all about helping her open up, getting her used to new people and places, letting her senses explore.

Now, we need to help her adapt to all sorts of different environments.

Her autism doesn’t show much at the moment, but that’s largely because she feels safe—either with familiar people around, or in familiar places.

But as she grows, she’ll end up in all kinds of new situations. There’s always the risk she’ll react to something unexpected.

So, to get ahead of that, this next phase will focus on building her adaptability…”

She couldn’t help but ask, “I mean, I’ll do anything if it helps Lillian get better, but Mr. Williams, aren’t you super busy? Won’t this take up too much of your time?”

Dennis seemed to have expected the question. He shook his head with an easy smile. “Not at all. My workload’s lighter this year, so I’ve got plenty of time.

Plus, Lillian’s case is still a work in progress—I need more data for my research, so it’s important for me to be involved from start to finish.

Really, Camila, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Camila listened, but something about the whole thing made her pause. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but…

Still, having Dennis around made her feel strangely comforted, like whatever came up, he’d know what to do.

She nodded quickly, her relief obvious. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”

Dennis met her gaze, his voice soft but sincere. “It’s no trouble at all.”