Seventh Year

Seven years after I died, my daughter, Lily, appeared on a children's TV show. The producers called the number in my old phone.

A cold, dismissive voice on the other end said, "Listen, Sarah, I told you it was over. Stop bothering me. I'm with someone else now, and I'm happy. Don't try to mess that up."

The studio went silent. Lily, bless her heart, told everyone that number hadn't been answered in nine years!

Clutching the phone, she said softly, "Daddy, is that you?"

There was a stunned pause, and then, "Who is this? Why are you calling me 'Daddy'?"

Lily's voice wavered, "It's Lily, Daddy. I'm nine. Mommy said I could call you, but you never answered…"

1.

I watched Lily grow up, day by day, into this incredible nine-year-old.

She was so smart and pretty, inheriting everything good about me. Today, she stood on that stage with such confidence. The only thing was, I couldn’t be there beside her as her mom. I was just a spirit, a ghost watching her grow.

"Okay, everyone, let's give a big round of applause for Lily Carter from Maplewood Elementary! She's the first-place winner of the state-wide young writers' competition. Her essay, 'My Mom,' was incredibly touching. It’s hard to believe someone so young could write something so powerful. Lily, tell us about the inspiration behind your essay…"

"Hi, everyone, I'm Lily..."

I floated beside her, so proud. She was amazing, yet, she’d never had a truly happy childhood. It was all my fault.

"My mom passed away when I was two," Lily explained to the camera, her voice steady. "I didn't really understand what 'passed away' meant back then. My grandma told me she went to Heaven. Grandma has taken care of me ever since. I don't know a lot about my mom, only stories my grandma tells me, and her journal. I read about her and my dad, and that's where I got the idea for my essay."

"So, your dad must be so proud of you now, right? You're so talented..."

Lily shook her head slightly, "Dad? I’ve never met my dad."

The audience gasped. The host looked taken aback, struggling to find the right words.

Even my spirit trembled. The memories flooded back, and tears stung my eyes. I wanted to hug my daughter, tell her everything would be okay. But I couldn't. My hands passed right through her. She couldn't feel me, and I couldn’t feel her.

Maybe if her dad, Jake, knew about her, he'd want to find her. Or maybe, I was just being hopeful. He tossed me aside so easily, why would he care about a daughter he didn't know existed?

2.

“Lily, is your dad…?” The host hesitated, trying to choose her words carefully.

Lily shook her head. "Mom's journal says he was handsome, like the handsomest guy ever. But he and Mom had a fight, and he left.”

The room fell silent.

After a beat, the host asked, "Do you know how to get in touch with him?"

Lily pulled out my old phone. It was ancient, but still had his number stored. "Yeah, here's his number, but he never answers."

Watching my sweet girl’s face, my heart was lik...