Children sometimes have a difficult time thinking of their parents as anything but the adults who give them care and love. The truth, that their parents were once children much like themselves, creates an even stronger bond between parent and child. In this story, a little girl tells about her mother and the things her mother did when she was a child, such as playing with rocks and pretending that they were other things. This story encourages a child's imagination and offers an opening for adults to discuss their own childhood with their children.

Emma's dad left. One day, he decided he didn't want to live with Emma, her little sister, and her mom. Yeah, it happens, but it never happened to Emma. She doesn't know how to handle it. She's afraid of everything. And, every 'what if' scenario keeps popping into her head. What if we can't manage without Dad? What if Mom gets sick? What if she has to go to work? What if we have to move? WHAT IF? WHAT IF? WHAT IF? And, then there's the 'whys.' Why did Dad leave? Was it something I did? Does he have a girlfriend? WHY? WHY? WHY? What can Emma do? She's afraid to leave Mom and her sister alone....

I'm mad. I'm fuming. I'm 'a volcano in my belly' furious. So, why am I so mad? Well, it's because my dad left. No explanations. Just left me, my mom, and my little sister. The first few days, I was fearful of everything. Now, I'm fighting mad. And, that's exactly what I've been doing. I'm fighting with everyone. And, because of my anger, I accidentally broke my sister's arm. Now, Mom's mad. I can't go on acting so angry. I need help. I'm hoping Grief Monster pops in again and gives some pointers on getting a handle on things.

Okay, if you've been following my story, you know that I've been afraid and I've been fightin' mad since my father left us. Well, now I'm trying hard to pretend nothing's changed. It's not really a big deal. Dad's just away, but he'll eventually come back. Grief Monster said it's 'denial.' I don't care what it's called, it helps. But . . . oh yeah, there's a 'but' . . . Dad has decided he wants me and my little sister to visit him in his 'new' place. He actually has an apartment and intends to look for something more permanent P-E-R-M-A-N-E-N-T, as in never coming home. And, Mom is looking...