Chapter 4: The Empty Hook
I pulled Eli into my arms.
“Your dad would be proud of you,” I whispered.
He stayed very still.
“Are you?”
That nearly finished me.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m proud of you too.”
I got him into dry clothes and made hot cocoa with too many marshmallows. He sat at the kitchen table, both hands wrapped around the mug.
“Do you think she’ll bring it back?” he asked. “I told her where we live.”
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” I said. “Maybe she’ll surprise us.”
Later that night, after Eli went to bed, I stood by the empty hook near the door.
That hook used to hold Darren’s keys. Then his cap. Then his coat. After he died, it held Eli’s blue umbrella. Continue Reading ⬇️
