"Mommy, do you love me?" 5-year-old Miranda Hutchinson asked her mother one day as they were having a picnic.
"Of course I love you, Randa baby." Ms. Hutchinson said distractedly, as she tried to pick up the picnic supplies. She was already half an hour late for her job at CX Assoc. the biggest business in the small town of Westfield, IL.
"Mommy? Am I going to die soon?" Miranda asked. She looked at her mother with wide innocent blue eyes.
Her mother stopped. "No, no of course not, baby. Your cancer is in remission, remember?" Miranda had a particularly serious type of cancer that was very vicious. Most victims didn't live much longer after being diagnosed. The doctors predicted Miranda wouldn't live more than a month. Tori Hutchinson didn't want to think about that. It was too painful to see her baby, all that was left in the world for her, being taken away. Tori and her husband had divorced two months before Miranda was diagnosed with cancer. The same day she found out that Miranda had cancer, she found out her husband had been murdered in his apartment in West Bloomfield. It had been a very terrible day for Tori and her 5 year old daughter.
"Can we play catch, Mommy?" Miranda's little voice interrupted Tori's gloomy thoughts.
"No, darling. Mommy needs to go home and get ready for work. Maybe the housekeeper will play catch with you." Tori quickly got up and started to fold up the picnic blanket. "Besides, you look pretty worn out. Are you going to nap in the car, Randa?"
"Yes." Miranda sighed. Tori's eyebrows lifted. The subject of a nap was always one Miranda resisted. She never willingly took a nap during the day.
Tori picked up the picnic basket and they hurried across the meadow to the car.
As Tori and Miranda drove home, Miranda was silent. When they pulled into the driveway, Tori glanced over at Miranda. She was fast asleep. She didn't seem to have as much energy these days. Tori got out of the car and went to open Miranda's door.
"Miranda. Miranda honey. We're home." Tori gently shook Miranda. "Randa, Randa wake up. C'mon sweetie. Let's go inside." As a mother, Tori was worried. Miranda wasn't waking up. Tori felt her daughter's forehead. She was burning hot! A voice echoed through her head.
"When she has a fever, or any other cold symptoms, bring her in immediately." Miranda's pediatrician had told Tori. Oh no, Tori thought. She ran around her sports car and got in her door. She had to take her baby to the hospital as fast as possible..
***
"I'm sorry, Ms. Hutchinson. I wish I had better news. Miranda is dying. Her symptoms show she's in very poor shape. She might only have a few hours left." Tori sank into a chair in the waiting room. Dr. Tanner had just told Tori the worst news of her life.
"Can-can I see her?" Tori whispered.
"Of course. She's sleeping right now, but you can visit. When she wakes up, she'll be happy to know you're there." Dr. T. held open Miranda's door. Tori tiptoed to her bedside and collapsed in to the bedside chair.
"Oh, Miranda. You can't leave me now. Don't leave me all alone in this world. I need you baby. More than I ever have before. Oh, Miranda." Tori let a lone tear roll down her cheek. She brushed back a strand of her auburn hair, and reached down to brush her fingers through her daughter's fair blonde hair. After whispering to her daughter who was beyond hearing, Tori fell asleep.
***
Miranda died that night, her mother holding one hand, God holding the other. At her funeral, her mother wore all black and cried bitterly. Two funerals in 2 months was too much for Tori. She couldn't understand why God would do a thing like that.
When she got home from the funeral, Tori sadly slumped into the house. Pots and pans full of food lined the counter-top, gifts from well-meaning church members. As she walked down the hall to her bedroom, Tori tripped over Miranda's favorite stuffed bear. She picked it up and hugged it to her chest. On auto-pilot, Tori pushed open Miranda's bedroom door and gently placed the bear on the bed. A lump in the dust ruffle on the bottom drew Tori's attention. She kneeled down and lifted the lace bed cover. Lying there was a box, brightly decorated. Puzzled, Tori pulled it out. A single word was scrawled across the top of the shoebox.
"Momy"
Tori lifted the lid. Her hand groped inside for a minute. Other than an envelope, the box was empty. Tori opened the bright envelope. The note read:
"Momy, I will mis u wen I am gone and u will mis me. So heer is a box of kises and huggs for u to hav wen I am all gon. I love u, momy. From, Randa."
Tears came to Tori's eyes. Her sweet, darling five year old daughter hadn't really understood that she was dying, but she knew her mommy would miss her dearly. Slumping to the floor, Tori realized her mistake. She had been bitter about Miranda's death instead of celebrating her life. Miranda HAD died too young, but Tori realized that she should be happy for all Miranda lived for.
Two years later, Tori remarried and moved into a new house. In all the craziness of her move, she never once lost the treasured box of kisses. It sat by her bedside for the rest of her life and always reminded her of the precious life she treasured. Whenever she was unhappy or lonely, Tori reached into that box and pulled out a "kiss" from her darling daughter. She knew she could treasure the feeling of God and Miranda's presence washing over her.
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This is a story that I wrote a LONG time ago and recently re-edited. It was originally published on www.kidpub.com under my former pen name, Alyssa Kathleen. I think I got this idea from a very vague poem that I read and turned it into a story. It's not my greatest work, but I didn't feel like totally rewriting it. Hope you enjoyed it.