Page 112 of Half Dead

“I like the color.” She took a generous sip. “Mmm. Good.”

“You’ve had your sustenance,” Ray said. “Now get to the good news.”

“Your grandfather is eager to hear your good news,” I translated.

Alicia drank deeply, smacked her lips, and set down an empty glass. “Mom and Dad are getting back together.”

Ray whooped. “I knew it!”

Nana Pratt steepled her hands. “Oh, this is wonderful. I’m so pleased for you all.”

“How do you feel about that?” I asked Alicia.

“I wasn’t sure at first, but I feel good about it now. They seemed so unhappy before, but they’ve agreed to go to marriage counseling. Dad’s been seeing a therapist on his own, and he said now he feels ready to go as a couple.”

“They should have no problem finding a good one in New York,” I said.

Alicia’s face brightened. “Oh, that’s the really big news. Mom got a job offer to work in-house for a company in San Francisco. We’re moving in with my dad.”

Ray clutched his chest. If he wasn’t already a ghost, he might’ve dropped dead of a heart attack right here on the kitchen floor. “I’m sorry, did she just say they’re leaving Fairhaven to live across the country?”

“Wow,” I said. “Thatisbig news.”

“Mom will be able to work remotely a couple days a week. My dad’s already doing that. That way, we can spend more time with each other.”

“But San Francisco is so far away,” Ray said.

“And so expensive,” Nana Pratt added.

Alicia cast a tentative glance in her grandfather’s direction. “Is Grampa still standing upright?”

Ray’s head drooped.

“He’s lost the power of speech,” I said.

The brightness faded from her face. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known you’d take it badly.” Alicia looked at me. “Can you use your ghost whispering power to make him move to our house in San Francisco?”

Ray wore a pained expression. “I’ve never even been to San Francisco. What if I don’t like it? What if they move again? Then I’ll be stuck haunting a house full of strangers who can’t see or hear me.”

Nana Pratt patted his back. “There, there, dear. It’ll be all right.”

“No,” Ray said quietly. “I don’t think it will.” His form dissipated.

Alicia’s brown eyes stared at the empty air. “What did Grampa say?”

“He needs a little time,” I said. “The news took him by surprise.”

“Yeah, I guess I should’ve eased into that second part.” She frowned. “You can command him to come with us, right? We don’t have to leave him behind.”

“I think that’s for Ray to decide. How soon will you leave?”

“The end of the month. We’ll move in with Dad, and Mom’s going to put our house on the market here.”

Nana Pratt’s eyes glazed over. “That’s so fast.”

“You seem upbeat considering you’ve lived in Fairhaven your whole life.”

Alicia shrugged. “Change is a natural part of life, and San Francisco seems cool. I make friends easily, so I’m not too worried about that. And I can FaceTime my friends here. We’ve already got a Discord chat.”

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