When Mia first told me that her late mother had been visiting her at school, I dismissed it as a child’s way of coping with grief. But when she started coming home with chocolates I hadn’t packed and drawing pictures of her mother with uncanny accuracy, I realized something far beyond my understanding was happening.
It had been two years since Elizabeth passed, but her absence still haunted us. Every so often, I’d catch myself expecting to see her walk through the door. Losing her to cancer was a blow that neither Mia nor I could fully recover from. Elizabeth was everything—a loving wife and an incredible mother. She shared a magical bond with Mia, the kind that made them inseparable. Without her, our home felt hollow.
Mia, my five-year-old daughter, had been adjusting to life without her mother in her own quiet way until one evening, she confidently announced, “Mommy visits me at school.” She held up a drawing of her mother. “She gave me chocolate today.”
I felt my heart stop. Elizabeth had been gone for two years. “Sweetie, Mommy’s gone,” I gently reminded her. “She can’t—”
“She can!” Mia interrupted, stubbornly holding her chin up. “She talks to me after recess. She watches me play, Daddy.”
At first, I thought it was just Mia’s way of coping, her imagination filling the void. But then, the drawings kept coming. Each one showed Mia and her mom, holding hands in the schoolyard or sitting on swings. And they weren’t just simple stick figures. The drawings captured Elizabeth in incredible detail—her chestnut hair, her soft eyes, and even the blue dress she used to wear.
Then there were the chocolates. Neatly wrapped, they appeared in Mia’s backpack every few days, even though I hadn’t packed them, and the school had no idea where they came from.
The situation began to weigh heavily on me. Sleepless nights became my routine, my mind spinning with questions. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. I called Mia’s school.
“Is there someone interacting with Mia?” I asked her teacher, my voice trembling.
Mrs. Blake hesitated. “Mr. Carter, I wasn’t sure how to bring this up, but yes… there’s a woman who’s been speaking with Mia at school. And when classes end, she’s there too.”
My heart pounded in my chest. “What does she look like?”
There was a long pause. “She looks like your wife, Elizabeth. I’ve tried approaching her, but she always disappears before I can get close.”
The next day, I decided to see for myself. I arrived early and hid near the playground, my heart racing. Mia played with her friends, laughing as she ran toward the swings. And then, I saw her—a woman by the fence, watching Mia intently. She wore a long coat and a wide-brimmed hat that shielded her face, but the resemblance was undeniable.
I stepped forward, my breath catching in my throat. As soon as she saw me, she turned and ran. But I was ready. I chased her down, cornering her near the back of the schoolyard.
“Who are you?” I demanded, out of breath and shaking. “Why are you doing this?”
The woman turned slowly, and when her face came into view, I froze. She looked exactly like Elizabeth—only older.
“I’m not who you think I am,” she said, her voice trembling. “My name is Angelina.”
Confusion flooded my mind. “Angelina? Elizabeth never mentioned—”
“She didn’t know,” Angelina said softly, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m her twin sister.”
Stunned, I took a step back. “Impossible. Elizabeth didn’t have a sister.”
Continue reading on next page…