Three months into therapy, Kassie was sitting in Dr. Chen’s office talking about Emma’s latest milestone when she realized something had fundamentally shifted in how she viewed her life.
“She’s started asking about other families,” Kassie said, settling into the chair that had become as familiar as her own living room. “Yesterday we were at the park and she saw a dad pushing his daughter on the swing. Emma asked me, ‘Where’s my daddy?’ Just like that, completely matter-of-fact.”
Dr. Chen leaned forward slightly. “How did you respond?”
“I told her that some families have mommies and daddies, some have just mommies or just daddies, and some have grandparents or aunts and uncles. That our family is me and her and Lee and Aaron and Marie, and that’s exactly right for us.” Kassie paused, rem
