Do You Ever Miss Her?

“Do you ever miss her?” Emily asked.

“Emily,” Dawn said signaling toward Monica, who simply smiled her understanding.

“I do still miss her sometimes,” Stormy said.

“Really?” Emily asked.

“Of course, sometimes when I look at one of you. I see your mom in both of you. And sometimes it’s just a flash of memory.”

“But you love Monica now.”

“That’s true – more than anything except the two of you.” He gave Monica a wink. “You see Em, it’s perfectly okay to be in love, like I am with Monica, and still love someone that’s no longer with us, like your mom.”

Emily thought about this for a moment. “So that means that even though I still love my real mom, it’s okay to love Monica and call her Mom.” Emily looked around her crowded cabin, “Why’s everybody crying?”

Monica gave her a squeeze, “Because we love you, sweetie.”

Stormy wiped his eyes, “Okay, no more stories, it’s slumber time for all little girls and their never-ending questions.” Stormy gave Emily a goodnight tickle and a kiss.

Excerpt from Vanished Tales: our third Salty Tails: A Romantic Cozy Mystery

Eight-year-old Emily is dealing with the loss of her mother and the love she is developing for her new parents; Stormy McGuire and his fiance Monica.