"Technically, you're right. His heart is still beating. But when the propeller blade hit his head, it did serious injury to the part of his brain where his thoughts and feelings lived. His soul place. " He fingered the chrysalis again. "This is all that's left of your daddy now, just his shell, because there's no place for his soul anymore.
It flew away, like a beautiful butterfly. "
"Is that how come he can't find his way back to us anymore, 'cause his soul went to heaven?"
Ben glanced up at Chloe, before settling his solemn gaze on the child again. "He isn't your daddy anymore, is he? When you're with him, he doesn't make you feel the way he used to.
That has to mean all the important parts of him—the parts that made him your dad—have flown away like the butterfly to a beautiful place. "
Jeremy's eyes went sparkly with tears. "So he's kind of like dead?"
"Yes, in every way that counts, Jeremy. Only his body is left. Your mom says he was a really good daddy before he got hurt. That he loved you a lot. "
"Well, then, " Ben said softly. "That means he had a good soul—a beautiful one, just like the butterfly. Most people believe that good souls always go to heaven. Judging by that, I'd say that must be where he went. "
Jeremy gulped. "Then I don't have a dad anymore. "
"I didn't say that. " Ben glided his hand through the air. "When we die, a part of us lingers with the people who knew us and loved us. That part of us is called our essence. If you hold on tight to your dad's essence, he'll always be with you. "
"How can I hold on to something I can't see?"
"You do it in your heart. " Ben pressed a fist to the center of his chest. "Make a special place there, just for your dad, and put all your good memories of him in there so you'll have them with you always. When you feel lonesome for him, you can reach inside for a nice memory, and he'll be with you again. "
Book - Only By Your Touch by Catherine Anderson
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