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air. He raised his hand and tenderly cupped her cheek. Her

eyes filled up with tears, even though she didn’t want to let

them spill because she knew it would only upset him. They

fell anyway, dripping onto the white sheets tucked around her

dad’s shrunken form. “Leaving you alone is the last thing I

want to do, but I’m ready. Your mother was the love of my life

and I’ve missed her terribly. I just hope she’s out there, and

that I can find her again. That my energy will know her

energy.”

Coralyn wasn’t sure what she believed. They weren’t

religious. She wasn’t aware of her father going down any

spiritual path, but then, those things were personal. He was an

artist who had created stunning pieces of jewellery in his life.

Jewellery that would outlast him and probably many

generations to come. Of course he had a searching heart, a

keen mind, a desire to want to believe in something.

“You’ll find it,” she said, sounding more confident than she

felt. Like every other human who had come before her and

would come after, she wished that she knew for sure.

“Your mother wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone.”

She shook her head. “No, Dad. I’m okay. I’m sorry.” She

bowed her head, so her tears ran off her cheeks. “I’m just a

wreck. I’m trying to be brave and it’s not really working out.”

“That’s okay.” His hand rested on the crown of her head.

“Sometimes being brave looks like that.”

“I’m scared for you.” She looked into her dad’s face, but the

rest of whatever she was going to say died when she saw the

smile on his lips. Peace. That’s what was waiting for him. An

end to the pain he was in, and God, it had to be horrible.

“Don’t be. I’m not afraid for me.”