Chapter 7
I saw Abby. She wasn’t wearing a dress, and her small body was covered in bruises.
“Does it hurt, baby?” I asked, my heart aching.
“No, Mommy,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I took her hand, wanting to pull her away from this place, this in–between, but an angel blocked our path.
“You can go back. Your time isn’t up yet. But this little one… her journey is over.”
I pulled Abby behind me, pleading with the angel. “Please, let me take her. I can’t leave her
here. Please…”
But the angel shook his head. There was no bargaining with fate.
We were staying.
Abby had been here for what felt like days, her spirit growing weaker, fading with each passing moment.
“Are you scared, Abby?” I asked, holding her close, my spectral arms a comfort she couldn’t
feel.
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
My tears fell, a silent rain of grief.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. Mommy’s here. Mommy will always be with you.”
She looked up at me, her big brown eyes filled with a question that shattered my already
broken heart.
“Mommy, where’s Daddy?”
“Will he come to get us?”
f
“Daddy promised he’d always come for us, no matter what,‘
She was remembering a day, over a year ago, when we were driving back from visiting my mother’s grave. A sudden storm had forced us to take shelter in a supermarket. Abby, impatient and bored, had used my phone to call Ethan.
He had promised to come, and he had, driving for an hour through the pouring rain to rescue us. Abby, snuggled in the backseat beside me, had complained about how long it took him, her childish impatience a stark contrast to the storm raging outside.
Ethan, glancing at her through the rearview mirror, had smiled. “Don’t worry, kiddo. I’ll always come for you and Mommy, no matter what.”
It was a casual promise, spoken without much thought, but Abby had treasured it, clung to
- it.
I tried to pull the blanket higher on her, to shield her from the chill of the afterlife, but my hand passed through the fabric, as insubstantial as a ghost.
We had driven home, Abby chattering excitedly about surprising her daddy. “He’s gonna be so happy to see me! He must miss me a lot.”
The door to our apartment was unlocked. Abby ran inside, her laughter echoing in the hallway.
Ethan was standing in the living room, his phone pressed to his ear, his brow furrowed. Abby, her face lit with joy, ran towards him, her arms outstretched, but her spectral form passed right through him.
My gaze drifted past Ethan, and I saw her. Serena, wearing my robe, descending the stairs. She handed him a glass of water. “He must have left his phone at work. Come on, Ethan.
Let’s get you to bed.”
Ethan gently pushed her away, the water splashing onto her robe. He looked at the wet fabric, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. “Sorry, Serena. Didn’t mean to do that. Go on up to
your room, okay?”
Abby followed Ethan to his study. I followed them both, my confusion growing, my heart
twisting with a new ache.
13:12 Fri, 13 Dec MO.
Serena was already living here? Why was he still pretending?
“Mommy, who’s that lady?” Abby asked, her little brow furrowed, her eyes darting between
Ethan and me.
“Just a friend of Daddy’s, honey,” I replied, my voice flat, emotionless.
“But why’s she wearing Mommy’s clothes?”
Maybe she forgot hers,” I said, unable to explain the truth, the betrayal that was now so painfully obvious.
A wave of exhaustion washed over me, a weariness that went beyond the limitations of my spectral form. I felt a longing for rest, for oblivion.
I walked to our bedroom, but as I opened the door, I saw Serena lying on the bed.
She was wearing lingerie.
The truth was as stark as the red silk against her pale skin.
I watched them, Ethan and Serena, a bitter laugh escaping my lips.
They were already living together.
All that was left was for my death to be officially confirmed, and they would be free.
The realization was a blow to my already shattered heart. It was over. Truly over.
