The idea for Shattered Reflections came to me in an unexpected and deeply emotional way—through a dream. It was one of those rare dreams that lingers, refusing to fade even after waking.

In the dream, I was running a race alongside a man I know in real life—someone who had recently lost his son. As we ran, I noticed he was pushing a stroller. At the finish line, I asked him about it, and he told me he was pushing his son. But I knew the heartbreaking truth—his son was gone. I had to gently help him come to terms with the reality that his child was no longer there. The devastation on his face was overwhelming.

When I woke up, the dream haunted me. It carried an emotional weight that I couldn’t shake. But beyond the sorrow, I found myself wondering—could such an experience happen in real life? As I researched, I discovered a condition called complicated grief (prolonged grief disorder), where a person struggles to fully accept the loss of a loved one, sometimes even believing they are still present.

This revelation fascinated me, and I began shaping a story around the concept. I worked through the idea until it felt real, until it made sense. And finally, I returned to writing. My hope is that Shattered Reflections will resonate with readers just as deeply as the dream did with me—immersing them in an emotional journey that lingers long after the final page.