"Mommy said… she's going to die tomorrow." Mia’s voice cracked. "She told me not to come here anymore, and not to miss her. She told me to live well with you…"
By the end, Mia couldn’t hold it anymore. She burst into loud tears.
I wrapped my arms around her and held tight.
“Mia, this is only goodbye for now. One day, we’ll see Mommy again. Maybe by then, she won’t remember you at first, but you can still run into her arms. And when you do, she’ll remember. She’ll hold you close and whisper, ‘Mia is my little girl.’”
I patted her back, slow and steady.
Death was a topic I couldn’t accept even as an adult. How could a child this small endure so much grief?
"I’ll be your mom from now on, okay?"
Mia sobbed against my chest, soaking my collar with tears.
She struggled out of my arms, st
