Free Starlight in Her Eyes by Joann Durgin

was more in terms of wishful thinking instead of sadness and the occasional brief bout of tears.
    “I’m sure he would if he could.” After nearly ten years of marriage, Serena had learned not to expect much from Graham in terms of being a devoted husband, but without fail, he’d been a dedicated father. When he was home, he’d always tucked his daughter in bed, and Serena had often heard him reading to her or telling her stories.
    Thank you, Lord, that Graham shared his tender side with Lily.
    Their child had inherited her blue eyes, but Lily’s dark curls and fearless spirit were from Graham. In her earlier years, Serena had considered herself independent, and Lily was decidedly that. Decidedly. She’d never thought twice about that word until Colin entered her life.
    She startled when Lily giggled. “What’s funny?”
    “Evie told me I could borrow her daddy sometime,” Lily said. “His name is Bruce, and he’s really big and tall. Almost like a giant. Evie’s mom calls him Bruce Spruce, like the tree. Isn’t that funny?”
    She giggled again and Serena couldn’t help but smile.
    “Mommy, can we call him to come help us with the Christmas tree?”
    If only it were that simple. “We’ll figure out something. Go brush your teeth and then get into your coat. Be sure and put on your hat and gloves. It’s colder now that the sun has gone down, and you need to stay warm.” The boots went without saying, and Lily was used to the routine. Serena almost didn’t want to take her out in the cold since she’d been sick only a few days ago, but a promise was a promise. Keeping promises was most important where her daughter was concerned.
    After Lily dashed out of the kitchen, Serena cleared the table of their dinner plates. She rinsed their dishes and stacked them in the dishwasher.
    A few snowflakes continued their airy dance outside the window but no further accumulation was expected tonight. Neither was the temperature expected to dip below freezing. The snow totals had already piled up for the season, and the early forecasts for the New Year promised it would be a long and bitter winter.
    Serena shivered at the thought.
    As she worked to clean the table and kitchen counter, Serena’s mind swirled. With Graham gone, there had been no real reason to stay in Philadelphia. Lily was still young enough that Serena wouldn’t feel like a terrible parent if she uprooted and moved them elsewhere. But where? She didn’t particularly want to move back home to Virginia. She loved her parents, but she also liked a bit of distance between them which made their visits more special.
    She started the light cycle on the dishwasher and headed into the living room to retrieve her outerwear. Had she kept her job at the television station as a way to try to hold onto Graham’s memory? No, that wasn’t it. She viewed it more as a way to maintain a sense of normalcy and stability for both of them, especially for Lily.
    A number of her friends had called lately, asking her to meet them for dinner. She hadn’t been a very good friend, but she also knew they understood.
    Since Graham’s passing, Serena had kept mostly to herself. Her life had fallen into a practiced routine of going through the motions, participating in life yet also oddly detached. Her position at the television station had served as an anchor, of sorts, and she could lose herself in the daily details of Wake Up, Philadelphia! She’d never been one to make resolutions, but after the New Year, she’d make a concerted effort to return calls and make arrangements to reconnect with friends.
    As Serena pulled out her down jacket and snow boots from the front hall closet, another vision of Colin popped into her mind. The tall, handsome Brit was never far from her thoughts. In fact, he’d become a welcome diversion from her worries, and envisioning him always made her smile.
    Earlier that day, they’d worked two back-to-back, one-hour shifts together in the