Chapter 10

 

Rachel drove home with Thea later that night.

“Are you all right?” Rachel asked as they climbed the steps to the cottage’s deck.

“I’m just tired.” Thea’s headache had come and gone off and on during the day. Probably stress. Joshua and Hannah had come to Annabel’s later in the evening with the roast and vegetables that Thea started in the crock pot before she left home. They’d stayed to eat supper with everyone. For a man who enjoyed people as much as Josh did, he was certainly lonely, Thea thought, watching him. He cared about people, but remained distant somehow. Of course, with Hannah around, there were never too many long moments of silence, anyway.

Josh promised Hannah ice cream on their way home, so it would be a while before they got back. Thea sank onto the leather sofa in the living room and pressed her head against its cushions. It had been a long day. She promised herself that she’d get busy on Josh’s life map in the morning.

“Want some aspirin?” Rachel asked, coming from the basement, where she’d changed into a sleeveless T-shirt and elastic-waisted pants--her choice of PJ’s. She plopped on a leather chair opposite Thea.

“I’ll take a couple at bedtime,” Thea said. “I’ll be all right once I relax.”

“It went better than I thought it would,” Rachel said. They sat and talked about the day until dark clouds rumbled in the distance. “Looks like rain. I’ve got to get to bed. I promised Isak I’d meet him at the bakery tomorrow morning.”

“At four-thirty?” Thea asked. When Rachel nodded, she said, “It must be love. I got out of bed for babies, but that’s about it.”

Rachel leaned and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Love ya, Mom.”

“Happy dreams.” It was their standard goodnight. Thea sat and watched lightning bounce across the sky until Josh and Hannah returned. Both of them looked happy.

“It was fun seeing Grandma and Grandpa again,” Josh said. “They invited me to visit them in California sometime.”

“That’s not a bad idea. You should take them up on it.”

“And leave here?”

“Why not?”

“What about me?” Hannah asked. “Do they want me to come, too?”

Josh tousled her hair. “You could be my date.”

“We’ll worry about all of that later,” Thea said. “It’s getting late. Time for jet setters to hit the sack.”

After she tucked Hannah into bed, she climbed upstairs to a quiet house. She had no idea where Josh was, probably out in his workshop, so she went to the porch and took a book with her. It lay, untouched, while she watched the storm. It took her a while to notice that Gabe was sitting in the porch chair beside hers, enjoying the thunder and lightning with her.

“I tried to join everyone at Grandma’s house,” he said, “but no one saw me, not even you. I’m thinking that I’m not supposed to do group gatherings.”

“Nancy couldn’t see you, either,” Thea said.

“There seems to be a lot of rules to ghosting. I wanted to visit the kids, too, but the only one who can see me is Hannah, and she doesn’t count. She can see every ghost.” He reached across the space between them and placed a hand on top of hers.

A comforting coolness brushed Thea’s skin. “How are you doing?” she asked. “You chose to stay. How does that work? Are you doing okay? Is it boring?” She knew how she was with nothing to do. It drove her crazy.

“Happier than I’ve been in years,” he said. “And you?”

She considered. “Happier than I’ve been in years, too.”

“Rachel and Isak are going to be fine, you know.”

“You think so?”

“Her bookmark’s pretty clear sailing.”

“You looked?”

“Hey, I couldn’t help myself.”

“Every soul comes here for a reason,” Thea said.

“Rachel came to help others. I asked your mom. She said that Rachel’s a caretaker. She sees an aura and knows how to adjust the colors. Your mom said that every Patek is here to serve mankind in one way or another.”

“That makes me feel better, knowing.” Thea hesitated. “I forgot to tell you that Melissa brought flowers when she read that you were dead. She wanted us to call a truce.”

“Right! She’s hated both of us ever since you kicked me out and I didn’t run to her. She cursed me when I packed my things and left town.”

“I’m sorry that she hates you. I didn’t know that.”

“No one said cheating was easy,” Gabe said. “At least, it wasn’t easy for me.”

“That’s because you’re a good man.” Thea wished that she could hold him, wrap him in her love, touch him somehow. “I love you, Gabe.”

They sat for a while in comfortable silence. Finally, Thea asked, “Did you try to visit me earlier, before you died?”

“Come again? How would I do that?”

“I felt an energy that was sort of like yours, only lots more unstable, a week before you died. I don’t know what it was.”

“How many kinds of energy are there?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I only feel spirit energy, and before you came, I only felt it before a baby was born. This is a first.”

“Could a person focus enough energy to make something happen?” Gabe asked. “If he practiced, could he send his energy into your studio?”

“I don’t know. I hope not.”

“I never want to let you down again,” Gabe said. “I’d rather die first.” He was a silent a minute, then started to laugh. “Oops, already did that.” He started to fade. “Damn, every time I laugh, I fade. Gotta work on that.”

The next instant, he was gone.