That was so touching Renee...I have tears dripping down my cheeks even as I type. My daughter is 15 so those days are not far off for me. I hope that I will be able to be half as gracious and sane as Elizabeth was with her Emily!
A daughter of 15! That is such a lovely age! Sometimes I wish I could travel back in time, just like Claire in Outlander!
Indeed time does fly and I often think back of all those years. My daughter is a history student and in her 4th year now. She just returned from a semester in Berlin. She's doing so well, and I'm so proud of her. I'm happy to still have my 19 year old son at homen, but it won't be long before he will spread his wings too... Good reason for another mother/child story!
On going through the Forum, I found this story and something just pushed me into reading it again.
It touched my heart as much as the first time I read it, so warm and meaningful... and being a mother of two daughters about that age, it was as if I was reviewing some of my own experiences, and preparing for the upcoming ones...
Very beautiful, Renée.
Do we get to read more of your own stories????
The Emily in this story is working on her masters in history at the Free University of Amsterdam at the moment. She has come a long way, but we didn't expect anything else. In real life her name is Simone, has changed the students' house for a flat of her own, and is still in a relationship with the young man described in the story.
This story is indeed very close to my heart. Simone liked it herself very much too.
My other stories are posted on my own pages but I don't expect to write anything new soon. Got a wip in the pipeline, but RL won't let me work on it at the moment. We'll see what happens in the near future.
You wrote: "Got a wip in the pipeline, but RL won't let me work on it at the moment."
I'm sorry to read this. I hope your health (as well as that of your family) is fine and the reason for this delay is due to fun stuff (not anything bad).
Well, it's partly work, partly health. Due to a very persistent eye problem I cannot allow myself to be in front of the screen so long anymore (I even wear sunglasses nowadays haha) and have to prioritize. Work first, then the maintenance of this site and eventually my writing. I do have quite a few chapters for The Grand Tour, but I simply daren't post out of fear to not finish it or too long intervals between chapters.
Renée that was beautiful, I had tears in my eyes, almost all the way through.
You have captured, with compassion and eloquence, the feelings of mothers, the world over, when faced with the same situation.
You writing is wonderful, thank you so much for sharing.