My Special Girl

My Special Girl

A loving accepting child is what Jill needs, especially when her first son, Daniel, becomes more attached to his father than to Jill.  An unexpected development occurs. I need Amber to advance my novel in a number of areas.

          At Daniel’s eight-birthday party, when Jill is putting Amber down for her afternoon nap, she shows Amber is very important to her.

Amber’s yawn reminds Jill that her daughter hasn’t had her afternoon nap. “Help yourself to the cider or tea,” says Jill, to the guests. “I’m going to put Amber down to sleep for a while.” Jill enters Amber’s room and whispers. “Don’t worry Amber. You’re my special girl. On your birthday I’ll make a party for my very special girl. Yeh. That’s right.”

Since Jill home schools Amber, she builds a strong relationship with her daughter. Jill nurtures Amber’s creative spirit and teaches her to bake and garden. Amber’s trust and admiration of her mother is shown in Amber copying Jill’s phrase, I appreciate it, and tapping her feet when she is angry like Jill. She defends her mother from some of Daniel’s criticisms.

Amber is my special girl too!

Amber’s interest in painting draws her close to her mother, but her love of horseback riding bonds her to her father, Joseph. While Amber rides with her brother and Joseph, she starts riding with Eve, a girl a little older than her. Through his sister Daniel gets to know Eve, a girl he later marries. At Daniel’s wedding Jill’s actions deliver a crippling blow to her marriage. Amber’s sharp tongue challenges her mother’s treatment of Bill, Jill’s friend and a patron of Amber’s painting.

Amber’s love of Hoss, her horse, provides the basis from which she blasts her father. Acting on the vet’s advice, Joseph authorizes putting Hoss down. Amber’s painful outburst below, strikes a blow from which Joseph doesn’t recover.

“He was my horse, my horse. Do you hear? I loved him.” Tears pour freely. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She stamps her foot in anger, like her mother.

Joseph gets up to give Amber a hug.

“Don’t touch me,” warns Amber. She steps back. “You don’t love me. You don’t love anybody. All you care about is your work. Just like Mom says. Money is all that is important to you.”

A child’s love is a treasure. Their biting words cut deep. How true is that?

Julie, Jill’s second cousin, is a vital element in Jill’s healing process. The next blog on Baggage burdens. explores Julie’s connection to Jill’s past.