James Van Der Beek’s widow celebrated their daughter Emilia’s birthday Thursday by sharing a photo of the 10-year-old and the late actor.
“Missing you my love,” Kimberly Van Der Beek wrote of the sweet Instagram Story snap, taken “just a few heavenly months ago.”
In the throwback shot, the “Dawson’s Creek” alum leaned into a hug from the little one while sitting outside bundled in a fur-lined jacket.
Emilia sported an oversized sweatshirt in the outdoor pic, resting her arms on her dad’s shoulders and her head atop his.
Kimberly and James welcomed five more kids — Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4 — prior to the “Pose” alum losing his cancer battle in February.
On what would have been James’ 49th birthday earlier this month, Emilia shared a heartbreaking Instagram video about navigating her grief.
“I’m just going to tell you little tips or anything that helps you getting through anybody you love passing,” the preteen said while wearing James’ hat, reminding those watching “to talk to [the deceased] and let your emotions out.
“If you miss them, you can cry,” she continued. “You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. … I just tell him about my day, how I’m feeling and I tell my family how I’m doing. And I know he can hear me, but I can’t hear him.”
Elsewhere in the video, the 10-year-old noted that her late father is “in a good place” and he’s “not in pain anymore, he’s in heaven.”
Emilia concluded by declaring she “still has to believe in miracles.”
She also thanked those who donated to her family’s GoFundMe created by her mom’s friends.
“I know that he was a good man. A lot of people loved him and people prayed for him, and he was loved by … many, many people,” Emilia gushed.
James died on Feb. 11 at age 48 following an almost three-year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
“He met his final days with courage, faith and grace,” Kimberly, who married James in 2010, announced at the time. “There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come.”
The “Varsity Blues” star was diagnosed in the summer of 2023, waiting until November 2024 to go public with the news.
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