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Jodie and Joyce sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Joyce finally got up from where she sat and went to Terry’s kitchen. There were dry dishes in the sink and leftover food from breakfast still out. She started to clean up. The moment Jodie heard the water turn on her head snapped up.
“What are you doing?”
“Cleaning up!”
“Do not touch any of that Momma.”
“Why not? It’s a mess.”
“It was his last meal. This was all the last things he did before...” She trailed out as tears started to come.
Joyce turned off the sink.
“Oh honey, I’m sorry. I was just feeling useless sitting there doing nothing.”
Joyce went to Jodie and put her arms around her.
“Momma, what am I going to do without him? He was my rock.”
Jodie put her head on Joyce’s shoulder. Joyce reached up and stroked her hair.
“You are going to keep living your life like he’d want you to. I know you feel broken inside, but over time it’ll get a little easier,” Joyce said in hopes her words would help. Jodie wiped her eyes.
“Is that how you feel about Daddy?”
“Yes,” Joyce lied.
For her it didn’t get easier. As the days went by and things happened in her life and with their daughter, she wished Mitch was there to be part of it.
Jodie couldn’t imagine the pain her mother must feel over losing her father. Terry was only her best friend. Their love wasn’t anything other than soulmates. It was the longest and strongest friendship Jodie had. Jodie tilted her head so she could see the kitchen. Her mother was right. It did need cleaning up.
“Let’s clean it up together.”
As they got up, an urn appeared on the coffee table. They didn’t see it. Cleaning the kitchen only took a few minutes. When they came back into the living room, they saw the urn.
“What is this?”
Jodie picked up the urn. Then it hit her. Her mouth made an ‘O’ shape and she set the urn down.
“I guess they found him. I wonder how long it will take them to come back.”
“If they don’t, we have to be ready to get the other book. And send those other demons back to hell.” Joyce’s tone was cold.
Jodie knew her mother was right, but she didn’t want anyone else to get hurt over her. That thought was on a loop in her brain. As Jodie stared at the urn, she felt an odd sensation, like someone else was there in the room with her. Turning her head to see if anyone other than her mother and Boston were there, she saw a vague outline of Mitch.
“Daddy?”
She blinked hard, but she still saw him coming towards her.
Boston had fallen asleep on the bed. Suddenly he felt something weird in Terry’s home. He jolted awake and leaped off the bed. He headed straight for Jodie. As he came into the living room, he saw her staring at something. He couldn’t see anything, but he felt something. What he felt he didn’t like. He started barking. He ran to her and put himself in front of her.
Joyce turned to see what Jodie was looking at. The word ‘daddy’ sparked something in Joyce’s heart. When she turned, she saw nothing but Boston charging towards them. The Great Dane put himself between Jodie and whatever she was looking at.
Mitch’s outline vanished.
“No! Come back,” Jodie cried out as she reached out for her father. Boston growled, and all his fur was standing on end.
“Jodie honey,” Joyce said softly.
“Momma, he was here. I saw him.” Jodie turned back to her mother.
“You saw him, right?”
Joyce shook her head no. Jodie went to the spot where Mitch had been. She felt something and could smell him. It was a mix of old spice, leather, and forest. Her father always smelled like autumn to her. The smell of fall leaves always seemed to come from him. Joyce had never noticed that about him. Maybe it was just some memory Jodie had attached to her father because at a young age the two used to go to Central Park in the fall to see the leaves change.
“Come here...” Jodie held her hand to her mother. Joyce took it as Jodie pulled her beside her.
“Don’t you feel that. Can’t you smell him?” Jodie asked her mother, her eyes full of hope.
Joyce saw and felt nothing. If anything, she was worried about Jodie. Was this how Jodie had felt about her when she put her in the nursing home? With everything Jodie had been through, maybe her sanity was slipping. She wanted to tell Jodie she did, but she couldn’t lie to her.
“I’m sorry honey. Maybe you need to rest. We’ve all been through a lot.”
Jodie threw Joyce’s hand away.
“I am not tired. I’m telling you he was here, goddamn it! Why is okay for you to go around saying crazy shit? And don’t look at me like that. I’m not crazy! If you had taken better care of him Daddy would be here.”
Jodie knew she wasn’t crazy. Mitch had been there. The crystal started to glow from under her shirt. Joyce stepped back. For the first time in her life she was afraid of her own daughter.