Page 19 of A Love Like That

“Oh. Oh. Maybe it’s like the Beast’s library.”

“FromBeauty and the Beast? She’d love that!”

“And a garden.” He was growing excited now, and it made me happy.

“Yes!” I gave him a squeeze. “Maybe she’s in a castle with a beautiful garden and stone walls. Do you see her?”

When I glanced over at him, his eyes were still closed, a smile playing at his lips. Slowly, he nodded. And something in my heart eased. I couldn’t bring back his mom, but I could be there for Maddox. Most importantly, I could remind him of all the things Tessa had loved. I could ensure that he knew how much she loved him.

“You can talk to her too,” I said.

He furrowed his brow. “I can?”

I nodded. “Anytime you miss her, you can close your eyes and meet her in the castle library and talk to her. She may not say much, but she was always a good listener.”

His shoulders slumped, and I hugged him to me as he cried. I wondered if I’d done something wrong. But then he said, “I’m afraid I’ll forget her face.”

“Then look at her picture,” I said. “Or look in the mirror. You look a lot like her.”

He straightened. “I do?”

I nodded. “You do. I see her smile and her eyes in yours.”

“Savannah’s nose looks like Mommy’s.”

I smiled. “See?”

“You look like her too sometimes,” Savannah said, joining us. She pushed off the doorframe, and I wondered how long she’d been standing there.

“Do I?” I asked.

She settled on her bed and crossed her legs. “Yep. Something about your face. Though your eyes are more purple. Do you wear colored contacts?”

“Sometimes.” I laughed. “But the violet color is all me.”

“It’s really cool. I wish my eyes were that purple.”

“Yeah, but yours are cool because they change color. Sometimes they’re more greenish blue, and other times, they’re more of a pure blue.”

“What about me?” Maddox asked, bouncing on the mattress next to me. “Do me. Do me.”

I laughed. “Your eyes are more like the sky. They don’t change colors, but they remind me of a beautiful spring day. Of happiness and sunshine.”

He ran over to the mirror and peered at himself. “You can see all that in my eyes? Cool!”

“All right,” I said, glancing at my watch. “Time to get in bed.”

“Aw, man,” Maddox said, flopping down on the mattress.

“I thought you were excited to readIvy + Bean?”

He curled up into a ball, knees clutched to his chest. “Scared.” His teeth chattered, body shaking dramatically.

“Of what?” I asked.

He whispered, “Ghost,” then quickly ducked his head beneath his arms.

I tried not to laugh as Savannah rolled her eyes. “It’s not a ghost. There’s no such thing.”

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