After apologizing to the woman, Michael took Hannah’s hand and led her aside. “Hannah, this isn’t your mom. I know it’s hard to lose her, but your mom is in a better place now and is always watching over you,” he said softly.

“I know this isn’t Mom! I’m not blind,” Hannah said, her eyes filling with tears. “But she was here. I swear, I saw her.”

“Okay,” Michael sighed heavily, feeling the weight of her words.

“You don’t believe me!” Hannah shouted, her voice echoing in the hallway. “Mom always believed me!” She turned and ran away from Michael.“Hannah!” he called after her, but she kept running, her small figure disappearing down the hall.

Michael returned to his car, feeling a deep sense of guilt. He knew Hannah and Simone had a special bond. He realized he could never replace her mother, but he would try his best to be there for his daughter.

Michael took time off work and scheduled an appointment with a psychologist for Hannah that very day after school. He picked her up and explained, “We’re going to see a lady you can talk to about anything. She’s here to help.”

Hannah crossed her arms and frowned, still angry with Michael. “I don’t want to talk to anyone,” she muttered.

“I know you’re upset, but this might help,” Michael said gently as they drove to the psychologist’s office.

When they arrived, the psychologist greeted them warmly. “Hi, Hannah. I’m Dr. Stevens. Would you like to come with me?” she asked with a kind smile.

Hannah glanced at Michael, then reluctantly followed Dr. Stevens.

After an hour, Dr. Stevens came out to talk to Michael. She looked thoughtful and serious.

“How did it go?” Michael asked, his voice filled with concern.

Dr. Stevens smiled reassuringly. “I don’t see any signs of psychological issues. I don’t think she’s lying. Hannah genuinely believes she sees her mother at school.”

Michael frowned. “But that’s impossible. Her mother is dead.”

“I understand,” Dr. Stevens said, nodding. “But everyone grieves in their own way. Hannah might not be ready to let go of her mother. She could be seeing her in others.”

“What should I do?” Michael asked, feeling lost.

“Support her. Believe her,” Dr. Stevens advised. “She’s not lying to you. This is her reality right now.”

Michael nodded, taking a deep breath. “Okay, thank you.”

He picked up Hannah, and they headed home. On the way, he glanced at her, noticing she seemed a bit calmer, less angry. He hoped this was a step in the right direction.

The next day, Michael took Hannah to school again. As they arrived, her teacher approached his car. “I have some of Hannah’s drawings to show you,” the teacher said.

Michael got out of the car, curious. “Sure, let’s see them,” he replied, following the teacher.

The teacher handed him a stack of drawings. Michael flipped through them, astonished. “These are amazing. I didn’t know Hannah could draw like this,” he said, feeling a swell of pride.

“She has real talent,” the teacher agreed.

Michael thanked the teacher and continued to look at the drawings as he walked into the hallway. He was so absorbed that he almost didn’t notice what was in front of him.

When he looked up, his heart nearly stopped. Standing there was Simone. Michael felt like he had forgotten how to breathe; his heart raced, and he couldn’t move.

Just then, Hannah ran out of her classroom, her face lighting up when she saw the woman.

“Mom!” Hannah shouted, running towards the woman who looked exactly like her late mother. She turned to Michael with a triumphant smile. “I told you I was telling the truth.”

Michael stood frozen, his mind reeling. “Uh-huh,” he mumbled, unable to form any other words.

The teacher called Hannah back, and she reluctantly returned to her classroom. Michael, still in shock, slowly approached the woman. “Simone?” he asked, his voice shaking.

The woman looked at him, clearly confused. “Excuse me?” she said.

“Simone, is it really you?” Michael asked again, his heart pounding.

“I’m sorry, sir, but my name is Evelyn,” the woman replied firmly.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” Evelyn said, still looking puzzled

How is this possible? How did you end up here?” Michael asked.

“Sir, I really don’t understand what you’re talking about. I’ve never seen you before in my life. I think you must be mistaking me for someone else. I need to get back to work,” Evelyn said, turning to leave.

“You have a tattoo on your shoulder!” Michael shouted, desperate. Evelyn stopped in her tracks, frozen. “A chrysanthemum,” he added.

Evelyn turned around slowly, her eyes wide with surprise. “How do you know that?”

“You got it when Hannah was born. Hannah Chrysanthemum, that’s the name of the flower on your shoulder. You joked that even if Hannah grew up and forgot about you, the flower would always be with you,” Michael explained.

“Listen, this is very strange, and it’s scaring me,” she said, her eyes darting around nervously.