Ally never imagined how drastically her life would change when she learned of her daughter Emily’s tragic passing—or so she believed. Five years ago, Ally and Matt had embraced parenthood by adopting Emily, a seven-year-old with bright eyes and a shy smile that immediately captured Ally’s heart. After enduring repeated heartbreak and fertility struggles, Ally finally felt complete with Emily’s arrival.
A year later, against all odds, Ally became pregnant and gave birth to Ben. The siblings formed an instant bond; Emily relished her role as an older sister, guiding Ben through play and adventure. Their home was filled with laughter—until the day it all came crashing down.
The news of Emily’s accident struck Ally like a bolt of lightning. Matt told her that a car had hit their daughter on her way home from school. Overwhelmed by grief and disbelief, Ally sank into despair while Matt took care of the cremation and the somber details that followed. Every once in a while, Ally swore she could still hear her daughter’s steps on the stairs, a hint of Emily’s laughter in the hall.
Then, two weeks after the funeral, as Ally tucked Ben into bed, he looked at her with wide eyes and said, “Mommy, Emily waves goodnight to me from the house across the street.” Startled, Ally chalked it up to his way of coping—until that night, when Ben pointed toward the window and insisted she look.
Across the road, in an otherwise dark upstairs window, Ally glimpsed a silhouette. Against all logic, it appeared to be Emily—her features unmistakable, her hand raised in the same wave she had once given every morning before school. Heart hammering in her chest, Ally hurried outside, determination and fear mingling in her veins.
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