Saying Goodbye

I wonder at times if other authors feel as I do when they have to say "goodbye" to a character. Today as I finished my second book I had to do just that. Tears poured down my face as I wrote, putting the final touches on my story. I never thought I would feel so much emotion, but I did. Some of these characters have been a part of the story from inception. I created them in my imagination, and they are totally fictional characters, and yet they are a part of me. I hope that my readers "feel" the emotion that I do...I hope that they connect with each character and see something- anything within their lives that mirrors what they read. To do so would be an amazing feat.