Finding Love (A Mill Creek Crossing Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

didn't want to pry.
     
    “I guess you're wondering what this is,” he said holding up the book as if he’d just read her mind.
     
    “Not really. I don't like to pry into other people’s business,” she said.
     
    “Well, the way I figure it, we're going to be friends just for the benefit of my children, so I think you should probably know what this is.”
     
    “Okay…” Amelia said slowly sitting down on the step beside him.
     
    “This is a book my wife created before she died. It has a lot of life lessons and things she wants the kids to experience.” He handed her the brown leather notebook, and she slowly accepted it.
     
    “You want me to read it?” Clay nodded, and Amelia opened it.
     
    As Amelia looked at the notebook, she was struck first by Molly’s handwriting. It was wistful and free, unlike anything she would have expected from a very ill person. Still, she could tell it was a mother’s handwriting and that Molly had spent a lot of time and energy making the notebook for her kids. After all, it was all that they would have of their mother in the way of life direction.
     
    She noticed a variety of different things and life lessons that Molly wanted her kids to learn. She had specific notes about various things that had happened in her own life that she wanted to use as illustrations for her children. She’d obviously taken a lot of time to figure out exactly what each of her children would need to learn until they were adults themselves. The thought of it tugged at Amelia's heart strings. She looked at some of the wisdom that Molly had left for her kids.
     
    You control your fears. They cannot live inside of you unless you let them.
     
    Always become the person you know you’re meant to be. Don’t live up to anyone else’s dreams for you. Have dreams and goals for yourself, and then go achieve them.
     
    You can’t love someone who doesn’t love themself.
     
    Your journey on this planet is what you make of it. Make it GREAT.
     
    "Pretty in-depth, isn't it?" Clay said, interrupting Amelia’s reading. She could tell he was torn himself between wanting to start over and have a new life with his children alone, and keeping their mother's memory alive.
     
    "Yes, she took a lot of time on this. It must've been so difficult for her being so sick and all," Amelia said.
     
    "Yes, she was sick for nine months. It was very difficult on all of us with her treatments and such. I don't really know when she found the time to do this, but I found it in her old hope chest after she died."
     
    "I'll be glad to try to impart some of this wisdom to your children, but I have a feeling Molly wanted you to do that."
     
    "I know. But I can't do this alone. There’s something to be said for a child to have a mother. I guess they need that feminine touch, and I'm not sure I'm up to the task of doing all of the things their mother would do. That's one of the reasons why I pursued you so hard to keep my children. I've heard nothing but good things about you mothering other children, even though they weren’t really your children to mother."
     
    "Thank you. I can't wait to start keeping your kids, actually. Truth be told, I'm feeling a little bit like an empty nester at only thirty years old. I've had kids in my house, even teenagers, for the last twelve years. It's been really difficult to adjust to not being any child’s parent. I haven't even heard from my brother, Ian, since he left for college. I can only imagine the fun he's having," Amelia said with a smile.
     
    "Well, good. I'm glad you're looking forward to it, and I know Sophia and Riley are looking forward to it too."
     
    "Thanks for sharing this notebook with me, Clay. I know it can't be easy to share such private information with a stranger."
     
    "Amelia, for some reason I don't feel like you're a stranger. I've never felt such an instant connection of friendship with someone, and I'm glad that you're the one who will be taking care of my