It builds who we are after it almost destroys us. I ve had people ask me while I would write a story about death for kids and teens. The theory is that if you don t talk about it, death won t be real. That kids can be protected. But it s just a lie.
Death is real.
Stories like this one are needed, so that readers going through grief will feel less alone. It s about healing. After the first two chapters, the story picks up in a third titled Six Months Later. Essentially, Galen s sudden death reconnects Rain to her grief over the loss of Mama. The challenge from a writing standpoint is that even though the story begins six months after Galen s death and several years after Mama s, both of these characters still play a role in Rain s story.