Page 122 of Chasing Your Ghost

Edith nodded, her eyes closing for several beats before she opened them and set her shiny gaze on her daughter. “I know. I am so angry that you and Noah put yourselves in that situation, but I’m also so unbelievably proud that you saved that boy.”

“What?” Riley was sure she must have misheard.

“I never wanted this life for you. Seeing ghosts. Hearing about the awful things that happened to them and being responsible for helping them because nobody else can. But what you did to help Asher…it’s amazing. Dangerous and reckless,” she added, her lips pressing together in displeasure before her face softened again. “But amazing. So, yes, I’m incredibly mad at you for going to that house, and I’m furious that Noah got hurt, but there’s also no doubt that I’m very, very proud of you.”

“I—” The words Riley couldn’t find in her mind got stuck in her throat. “What?” she asked again, unable to come up with anything better.

“I’m proud of you, Riley. You have a gift, and instead of hiding from it as I would have, you use it because you know you can help people. You’re so much braver than I could ever be.”

Riley stared at the woman in front of her, a mixture of astonishment and relief warming her chest. “Thank you, E—” she began. “Mom,” she corrected herself.

It wasn’t her forgiving her mother. It was simply her way of saying there was room for them to talk, to maybe even fix their relationship. It wasn’t her saying everything would be okay between them now, but it was a promise that she was open in a way she hadn’t been before.

Edith blinked back tears, the word affecting her more than Riley had expected it to, and Riley suddenly found herself wrapped in a tight hug. “I love you.”

Riley didn’t say it back, but her mother didn’t seem to mind, and she eventually relaxed into the hug.

“I was thinking,” Edith said after pulling away. “As you know, I didn’t tell Hugh about your ability because I wasn’t sure he’d believe me. He’s surprisingly skeptical about those kinds of things. But if it’s alright with you, I’d like to share it with him now. Maybe after all this, he’ll be more open to the idea.”

“You want to tell Hugh that I can see ghosts?” Riley asked slowly.

“Only if you’re alright with it.”

Riley frowned. Her ability was something she’d been determined to keep to herself for so long, but now Asher, Noah, Ella, and Chris all knew what she could do. Noah and Chris had needed a bit more convincing, but they’d come around remarkably quickly.

Would Hugh believe Edith? Or would he think she was crazy? Worse, would he believe Edith and look at Riley differently because of it?

No, Riley knew that Hugh would be the last to treat her differently because of something she couldn’t control. Noah had told her as such, and she’d seen it in the way that he’d treated her with nothing but kindness even though she was Edith’s first child. Some people might have resented her for it. But not Hugh.

“Okay,” she finally agreed, adding, “But what about Olivia?”

Edith pressed her lips together in thought. After several seconds had passed, she shook her head. “If you want to tell her, you should, but I would recommend waiting until she’s a bit older. Teenagers aren’t usually the best secret keepers.”

Riley didn’t like the thought of leaving Olivia out, but she knew Edith was right. Teenagers didn’t always make the best decisions, and if her half-sister let it slip that Riley could see ghosts, she hated to even think about how people would react.

“Alright, we can tell her when she’s older.”

Edith nodded. “Do you want to be there with Hugh when I tell him?”

“No, that’s okay.” She knew there would be a lot of doubt and denial at first, and she’d rather not be there for that part.

“Okay. I’ll tell him tonight after we get home. Speaking of which, we should get back to Noah. He should be discharged soon.”

“I wanted to go check on Asher first,” Riley said.

“Of course. I’ll come to find you if you’re not back by the time Noah is ready to go.”

“Thanks. I’ll try not to be too long.” Riley knew it was a lie as soon as she’d said it. She would spend the next twelve hours with Asher if she could—but she didn’t correct herself before making her way toward his room, only needing to pass several closed doors before she was standing at Asher’s open one.

He was talking to his parents, his words too soft for Riley to hear, but when he saw her standing in the doorway, he stopped mid-sentence. A smile spread across his lips, and his mother and father turned to see what had caught his attention. Riley shifted on her feet, suddenly feeling unsure about coming there. They’d just gotten their son back. They didn’t need her interrupting their reunion.

She sent Asher’s parents an awkward smile that was more of a grimace than a grin. “Sorry, I can come back later.”

“No. Stay,” Asher asked, shifting to sit up straighter in the bed. An IV was attached at the crook of his elbow, and he winced as his movement tugged on it. “Mom, Dad, this is Riley, the one I was telling you about.”

Riley swallowed her nerves and stepped further into the room. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is ours,” his mom replied.

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