One evening, Mia spoke up and insisted that her late mother had been paying her a visit at school. I dismissed her statement, assuming it was just a child’s way of letting go. However, I sensed something was wrong that I could not explain when she started bringing home chocolates I had not packed and her paintings of her mother started to look uncannily like her. Even though Elizabeth passed away two years ago, there are still days when I half expect to see her arrive at the door. so is typical, I suppose, when you lose someone you love so deeply. However, I had no idea what would happen to Mia. How, after all, could I?
For us, Elizabeth was everything: a devoted wife and a fantastic mother. She and Mia shared a special link that made them inseparable; they were like two parts of the same heart, always laughing and playing together. It is been difficult every day without Mom, but I have made an effort to keep going for Mia even when the emptiness is too great. My five-year-old daughter and I were gradually adjusting to life after her death until one day, she confidently declared, “Mommy visits me at school,” which caught me completely off guard.
She held a painting in her tiny hands and glanced up at me, her wide eyes filled with assurance. “Today, she handed me chocolate. “My heart skipped a beat. My wife Elizabeth, who was also Mia’s mother, had passed away two years prior. It was cancer and it happened quickly. Too quickly. Mia seemed too young, in my opinion, to truly comprehend. However, after hearing her say that, I was at a loss for words. I tried to remain calm as I whispered, “Sweetheart, Mommy’s gone.” “She is unable to—” Mia interrupted me with a determined little chin that stuck out, “She can.” “She speaks with me following recess. Daddy, she observes me playing.”
I initially assumed it was just her coping mechanism, you know? Imagining what was missing and filling it in. However, the drawings began to arrive at home. Mia and her mother are shown in image after picture cuddling, having fun on the playground, and enjoying the swings. She did not just draw stick figures however; Elizabeth had this strange detail. Elizabeth’s lovely eyes, her long chestnut hair, and her blue clothing from before all come to mind. The chocolates came next. Every few days, Mia would pack her backpack and return home with these tiny, perfectly wrapped chocolates. When I verified with the school, they did not know either that I had not packed them.
I began to have sleep problems. Attempting to make sense of everything, I would lie awake every night and stare at the ceiling. I finally came to the conclusion that I had to stop ignoring it. I gave Mia’s school a call. “Has anyone been chatting with Mia lately?” Shaking my voice, I questioned. Her teacher, Mrs. Blake, paused at the other end. I was not sure how to bring this up, Mr. Carter, but yeah. At school, Mia has been conversing with a woman. And when school is out, outside.”