Author's parents tear up after seeing who he dedicated his first novel to: '44 years ago...'

The grief of losing someone never fully goes away, and for many families, that kind of loss stays with them, even if they don’t talk about it all the time. One author chose to acknowledge that pain in a way his parents didn’t see coming — by dedicating his first book to someone they lost. In a video shared by Emile Mosseri (@twerkinthedirt) on Instagram, he gave his parents a freshly printed copy of his debut book, "All Humans Outside." His mother turned to the first few pages while her husband watched. As she opened the dedication page, her son gently asked, "Who do you think it’s dedicated to, before you look?" She paused, unsure, and replied, "I don’t know."

She scanned the first few words, saying, "I just saw 'In loving memory,' but I didn’t see the name," she said. Her voice shook as she looked again, this time moving her hands slowly as she read the full line and realized who it was for. Almost 44 years ago, the couple lost their first child, Tara Nicole Corey, to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) when she was only five months old. As per NICHD, it is the leading cause of death in children between the ages of one month and one year. The author, Tommy, never met his sister, but as he shared in the caption, her absence shaped him deeply. "I have thought about her every day since I can remember, wondering what she would be like, if we would be close, and sometimes yearning for her in these big life moments," he wrote.

The dedication was simple and heartfelt, "In loving memory of my big sister, Tara — Though time has kept us apart, I imagined your hand holding mine as I made this book, as I have throughout my life. I hope one day we are reunited, running through Deadfall Meadow. Love, Tommy." The gesture moved his parents to tears; his father held the book close as he read the page aloud, visibly emotional. Tommy explained that dedicating the book to Tara was not just a tribute to her, but to everything his parents had carried since that loss. "As I’ve grown, I’ve learned the weight of her loss never left my parents, they just found ways to live with it. Even more so, I learned that love doesn’t stop just because someone is gone," he wrote.

He added that, like many authors, he was offered a blank page to dedicate his first published work, and he could only think of his sister. "I chose my big sister in hopes her name can live on just a little bit longer than my parents and myself," he said. Through Tara, he acknowledged the strength of his parents, the grief they rarely voiced, and the love they still showed every day.

The post drew strong reactions from viewers who connected with the gesture and the family’s love for someone they lost so long ago. @ursula_arrr wrote, "Oh your dad’s chest shaking as he cries — what a beautiful tribute to your sister." @lewann.babler commented, "What a beautiful way to honor big sis! I love this for your whole family! Thank you for sharing!" @beccainbend added, "Here I am on a Friday morning with my coffee and tears. That is a beautiful tribute to your sister, and your parents are the cutest." @stuuueee noted, "I'm CRYING, Twerk, this is so sweet. Tara lives on. Congratulations, you deserve it."

You can follow Emile Mosseri (@twerkinthedirt) on Instagram to learn more about his book.