At that moment, the same little girl came running into the room.
She was carrying a toy doctor’s bag.
“Mrs. Elizabeth, look! I spoke in front of everyone for the first time today!”
My mother hugged her.
“I’m so proud of you, Lily.”
The girl turned toward me.
“When I grow up, I’m going to be a doctor. And one day, I’ll take care of your mommy for free!”
We all laughed through our tears.
Eight months have passed since that day.
Now I help at the center too.
My mother and aunt no longer lock themselves away in the bedroom to hide what they’re doing.
Instead, the three of us get together every week to prepare costumes for the children’s performances and organize their educational activities.
One day, I asked my mother:
“What about those red numbers on the photographs?”
She replied:
“Those were the numbers we used to organize the courses for the professions each girl had chosen.”
