The mother hesitated, looking at her son. \u201cDo you remember their names?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAva and Mia,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re in my class. Miss Carson calls them.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped. Miss Carson\u2014the teacher my daughters would have had.<\/p>\n
Was this coincidence, or something more? I had to know. We exchanged numbers, and days later, Miss Carson called.<\/p>\n
At a caf\u00e9, she spoke carefully. \u201cI\u2019ve had them in my class this past year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is that possible?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren have imaginary friends,\u201d she said. \u201cBut Ava and Mia\u2026 are different. The whole class knows them. I even find their names on assignments.\u201d<\/p>\n
I left with more questions than answers\u2014but also a strange peace.<\/p>\n
My daughters were gone\u2026 yet somehow, they still lived on\u2014in a classroom, in children\u2019s hearts, in ways I couldn\u2019t explain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The mother hesitated, looking at her son. \u201cDo you remember their names?\u201d \u201cAva and Mia,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re in my class. Miss Carson calls them.\u201d My heart stopped. Miss Carson\u2014the teacher my daughters would have had. Was this coincidence, or something more? I had to know. We exchanged numbers, and days later, Miss Carson called….<\/p>\n