Happy Birthday to me :)

Since today is my birthday, I thought I would give you all a little present. The following is a scene from book 19, and it’s just a glimpse into what’s coming…

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Jack was reading in the family room while Tessa was watching TV. Stephanie and Bee went to Julie’s for a little while and Tessa’s stomach was bothering her, so Jack stayed with her. He smiled when he heard her snore and he hoped that meant he could change the channel soon.

“No!” she screamed and Jack almost had a heart attack. She crawled onto his lap and cried and Jack rubbed her back.

“It’s okay,” he said softly. “You just had a bad dream. Daddy’s here and you’re safe,” he kissed her head and felt her body shake.

“Daddy, we have to find him,” she said after she sat back and wiped her eyes.

“Find who?” he handed her a tissue.

“Uncle Mike. He isn’t dead and he needs our help,” she sobbed. “I don’t know how, but I just feel it in here,” she touched her chest. “I think I’m crazy.”

Jack tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.

“You aren’t crazy, Tessie. You have always been very sensitive with certain things, so it’s not surprising you feel this way.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know mommy told you about the time you were with her in the snow, right?”

“Yeah. She said I was frozen to her.”

Jack sighed and nodded.

“Yeah, but after you were both back home, well a little while later, a man came to the house that you had never met. You were only a year old and there was no way you could have known anything, but you immediately disliked him. You got really upset and clung to mommy whenever the man came near. It turned out that the man had a secret and had done some things to hurt mommy.”

“And I knew it?” she asked him.

“You did. I don’t know how, but you felt it. Since then, mommy and I never doubt your feelings, Tess. If you think Uncle Mike needs help, then he may, but you also need to think of the way he may need help.”

She was mesmerized by his words.

“I don’t understand.”

“Well, Uncle Mike’s spirit might be talking to you to let you now he wants to come home. He wants to be laid to rest and he misses his family. It’s not necessarily a sign that he is alive, but just that he is reaching out to what is familiar and comforting to him.”

“Because I am sensitive, maybe I feel it more?” she asked.

He felt his eyes fill with tears.

“Yeah, I think so.”

She sighed and nodded.

“Okay, I’ll buy that,” she said and he laughed.

“Good.”

She snuggled against him and smiled.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Jack looked at her.

“For what?”

“For being my daddy,” she said and closed her eyes.

Jack felt like his heart could burst with love for his daughter.

He just wished she could believe in herself like they all believed in her.