Meera didn't let up. She introduced little bits of happiness into Ananya's life every day. She drew silly pictures and taped them to the fridge. She pulled Ananya to the park and forced her to watch the sunset.

But the ultimate fight was when Meera heard her father badmouthing Ananya. "You're useless, Ananya. You do nothing all day."

That evening, Meera got onto Ananya's bed and asked, "Amma, do you think him?"

Ananya turned away. "I don't know anymore."

Meera clasped her mother's hands and held them against her own tiny heart. "You are my Amma. The strongest person I know. If you are useless, then how did you make me?"