The Diamond Ring

Janie sat on her bed with her head in her hands. A tear fell from her eyes as she remembered times gone by. She remembered picnics, playing in the park, holidays, shopping, baking, being supported with school work, cuddles and kisses. It had been two weeks since her mum had passed away from cancer. The doctors had done their best to try and save her, but she was just too unwell. She picked up her favourite teddy bear bought by her mum for her tenth birthday and allowed her tears to fall into it. She had her dad who was supporting her, but he was wrapped in his own grief. Her dad used to be a happy man, he used to go out with her, play games with her and watch television with her. Now, he came home from work and he didn't want to do any of those things. He just wanted to sit in a dark room and drink coffee all night, then go to bed.

Janie went in to her mum's study. Her note book and pen was exactly where she left it, and there were pictures of them smiling, laughing and cuddling together on the wall. Oh! how she missed her. She couldn't imagine growing up without her mum, and she didn't want to. She wished she could just magic her back, but she knew she couldn't do that and it would be unfair anyway because her mum would be hurting again and she didn't want that. Her mum had been in a lot of pain before she died, and Janie had never seen her in so much pain. The cancer had stolen her strength, made her tired and she could no longer walk. All her energy had been drained. It pained Janie to remember her like that, she wiped a solitary tear from her eyes and tried to think of happier times when her mum was really well.

A smell of lemon drizzle cake wafted from the kitchen. Janie let out a half smile. Her mum loved baking cakes, and she was reminded of how much she loved her mum's lemon drizzle cake. She had missed her mum's baking and cooking more than anything else in the world. Food always tasted better when her mum cooked or baked it, and she really missed it.

She walked into the kitchen to find her dad baking with a recipe book. Her dad wasn't the worlds best baker or cook, but he did try hard to get it right. She smiled and gave him a hug, it was the first time since her mum had passed away that her dad had stepped foot in the kitchen.

"Morning sweetie, " Janie's dad said to her.

"Morning dad," Janie replied with a tear in her eyes.

"I thought I'd attempt to make your mum's favourite cake for you. I know you liked it," Janie's dad carried on with tears in his eyes and a tearful voice.

Janie threw her arms around him and burst into tears. They cried and cried, soaking each other in tears of sadness and loss.

"Mum will always be here in spirit. She is the guiding light from the sun and our Guardian Angel by night. She will never leave us dad, she will always be here, and I love you."

As he said that, a diamond ring fell to the ground. Attached to it was a note that said 'always remember your beautiful, loved and valued.' Janie and her dad smiled, as they realized this was mums note from heaven. From that day on, they realized that mum was always with them, she had never left. She was watching them everyday, shining her love down from the skies above them.