While I was with Maggie, Ben asked me if I could meet him after work. I agreed, excited to see him. Everything had happened so fast the night before we hadn’t had the chance to process it all or even just share a quick hug.
After getting home from Maggie’s, I had a few hours before I had to meet Ben, so I had a nap with Tilly.
The quietness of the house, knowing all of my loved ones were safe, and the sheer exhaustion of the last few weeks, pulled me into a sleep so deep I hadn’t experienced anything like it in months, if not years.
When it was time to wake up, a part of me really didn’t want to move, but I knew that I could rest some more after seeing Ben. So I forced myself out of bed to walk Tilly, then went to meet Ben outside the library. It was glorious, finally being able to enjoy everything again without light or sound causing me pain. Everything seemed so bright after wearing sunglasses for so long, it was like waking up inside a children’s cartoon.
Even though the sun was high and bright, I could enjoy how it illuminated the Christmas penguin wearing a top hat in the market square, a tradition that’d begun a few years ago in place of a Christmas tree. I liked it.
And it seemed silly to have two trees anyway, when there was a perfectly decent tree directly opposite, in front of the local pub. Its multicoloured fairy lights twinkled in the sunset. Everything felt so much lighter and brighter than it had in a long time.
I turned around, noticing the graveyard Thomas had once haunted. It seemed so empty without him there. I imagined him hovering in the gates, waving. Even though we could still talk to him whenever we wanted to, it felt wrong to summon him when he’d stuck around for two hundred years already and spent all of them terrified of Goodfellow and the alchemist. And with nobody to talk to about it. He deserved some peace in his afterlife.
Ben walked out of the Victorian library with a bounce in his step I’d never seen before. He kissed me in greeting, taking his time with me. I melted into him, feeling comfortable and safe in his embrace. It wasn’t often he said hello in such a passionate way, but I was here for it.
Then, without saying anything, he grabbed my hand and began started walking down the road. No, not walking. He was practically running.
‘How’s your headache?’
‘Gone! Finally!’ I said, grinning. ‘It’s heaven. I’ve never enjoyed the sound of car engines and birds singing so much!’
Ben stopped and kissed my cheek. ‘I’m so glad you’re feeling better. Everything is looking up. Your headache has gone, Fadil didn’t pass his germs on to me, and he’s feeling better. I have a freezer full of chicken soup—’
‘Sorry about that.’
‘No, don’t apologise. I don’t have to think about what to cook for a week! And…’
‘And what?’
He started moving again. He was practically jogging while still holding my hand. I could barely keep up as we scurried along the cobbled street. People moved out of our way as we ran past, navigating the bustling street as people did their weekly grocery shops, collected their pensions, or posted a parcel.
We stopped outside the shop Ben had wanted to buy. He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door.
Oh my god. Had he bought it?
Grinning, he held the door open for me. I stepped inside. It was spacious, although it definitely needed a face lift. Or three.
He closed the door. ‘I put an offer in!’
I hugged him, excited at his future business. ‘Congrats, business owner.’
‘It still hasn’t sunk in yet,’ he said. ‘But using my powers to help stop Goodfellow, to save Josh, made me realise I have a way to help the living and the dead. I can turn this into a safe haven for the ghosts and help Gwendoline manage them. So she’s not worried about terrifying the children around the new estate. I’ll never get acclaim or be well-known like some heroes, but I’m OK with that. It’s not about the praise; it’s about knowing I can make a difference to people’s lives. And afterlives. This way, I can stock supernatural books for those who are interested, have somewhere safe for ghosts to hang out as long as they need, and still spend time around books. I might start selling coffee as a way to lure people in, too. And reduce how much money Edie spends in coffee shops.’
I laughed. ‘It’s an expensive vice, but it’s healthier than some.’
Ben grinned. ‘So, what do you think?’
‘What do I think? Are you kidding? It’s amazing! Do you know how you want to decorate it yet?’
‘No. I was hoping you might be able to help. You know more than me about this stuff.’
I kissed him. ‘Of course I’ll help. Whatever you need.’
‘I’ll pay you—’
‘I didn’t ask you to.’
He smiled, kissing my cheek. ‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘With a little help from Edie, Fadil, and you, we can have this place ready in no time.’
‘I have to do DIY, too?’ His expression suggested he hadn’t done very much in comparison to Edie and me.
I chuckled. ‘Yes, you have to do some, too. Don’t worry, I’ll stop you from hammering your finger or drilling into your thumb.’
‘Until you said that, I wasn’t worried about doing either of those things. Now it’s going to be all I can think about.’
I ruffled his hair. ‘Maybe you’d be safer with a paintbrush. Leave the painful objects to the professionals.’
‘Did I ever tell you about the time I dislocated my toe on a can of paint?’
‘So we’ll also move the paint and just give you a tray and a brush…’
‘I think that would be wisest, yes.’ He ran his hands along the dusty, white wall. The paint was starting to peel and half the lights had broken bulbs in them. It would require some work, but that was OK. We were up to the challenge. I’d single handedly turned around far worse locations as a contractor.
‘Seriously, though, thank you. I wouldn’t have decided to do this if it hadn’t been for you. And a couple of supernatural visitors.’
Lindsay must’ve paid him a visit after all, then. Apparently it’d half-worked. And the other half had been because of Goodfellow. Who’d have thought there’d be an upside to a supernatural serial killer? It didn’t bring back the people whose lives had been cut short, but if we only focused on that, it’d consume us. If all the death I’d experienced in my life had taught me anything, it was the importance of looking for a light in the darkness.
‘Yes, they do like to interfere, don’t they?’
Ben nodded. ‘They’re usually right, though.’
‘Annoyingly so.’ I walked over to him, snaking my arms around his waist and pulling him into a kiss. We curled into each other, enjoying each other’s presence, and one of the calmest, happiest moments since we’d met. Finally, it felt like things were improving.
Pulling away from our kiss, I said: ‘I do have one question.’
‘Oh? What’s that?’ Ben asked, resting his hands on my hips.
‘When it comes to doing this place up, where do you want to start?’