Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 43

“What’s this?”

Camila Davis glanced down, puzzled, at what her little girl was handing her.

As her eyes landed on the sheet of paper, she was instantly captivated by what she saw.

She recognized it right away—it was a drawing of her daughter.

But the way Lillian looked in that picture… Camila had never seen her like this before.

The little figure in the sketch had bright, sparkling eyes, full of life, her lips curled into the sweetest smile. Surrounded by sunlight and flowers, she looked like some woodland sprite who’d wandered into the human world—so innocent and lovable it made Camila’s heart ache.

For a moment, Camila felt a lump rise in her throat, her eyes stinging with unexpected emotion.

She’d always thought—apart from herself and Sarah Brown—there wasn’t anyone in this world who could see Lillian and truly appreciate her, just as she was.

Lillian was autistic. She struggled to express her feelings, and most people didn’t really understand her. But Camila, as her mom, could always see the beautiful world inside her daughter.

In Camila’s eyes, Lillian was exactly like the little girl in the drawing.

She was an angel—sweet, darling, and full of color, like a painting just waiting for its final touches.

Camila never imagined anyone else could capture her daughter’s spirit so perfectly, especially in such a unique way.

She was overwhelmed with gratitude—and remembered seeing someone hanging near Lillian earlier.

She knelt down and asked gently, “Sweetheart, who drew this for you?”

Lillian, still with a mouthful of her favorite chocolate milk, replied in her soft voice, “The handsome man… drew it for me…”

“Look, honey, Mommy got you the pink fox you wanted!”

All of Lillian’s attention shifted back to the pink fox balloon. She grabbed its string with delight, hugging it close.

Camila made sure to wrap the string loosely around Lillian’s wrist—just in case, so it wouldn’t float away if she let go.

On their way home, Lillian walked with one hand in her mom’s, the other arm waving as she watched the balloon bounce and bob in the breeze. She looked absolutely thrilled, her lips curled into a shy, precious smile, her steps almost skipping with joy.

Camila watched it all, her heart full.

Later that evening, back at home, Camila found the perfect frame for the drawing and set it inside.

Lillian was smitten. She hugged the framed picture to her chest and didn’t want to let it go—not for dinner, not for bath time, not for anything!