Page 99 of Ghost of a Chance
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Jasper’s mom and Victor were in the living room while Dan was in the dining room editing more footage.He’d captured more of the energetic figure moving around the room at 6:00 a.m.
“Why are you here?”
“On the eve of your birth, where else would I be?”his mom said.“I was in labor for six hours.”
“That’s not too bad, right?”Jasper said.Like he hadn’t heard this story every year of his life.But he was understanding of her need to relive and reframe it.This was a hard time for his mom.She’d lost his dad at the same time he was born.
“Dude, that’s not cool.Your mom went through a lot to bring you into the world,” Victor said.
“I’m grateful, Mommy, you know that,” he said, her resulting smile lighting up her face.She loved hearing the childish term of endearment, and it was his way of letting her know he loved her without having to say it.She blew him a kiss.
“So what’s all this about a haunted textbook?”she asked.
“Victor told you?”
“It came up when I mentioned you called me.Which was a total shock to both of us,” Victor said.
“It was,” his mom agreed.“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, Mom.I’m fine.The book… I think it was Paul’s.We were working on Dad’s short story trying to finish figuring out the fictional quantum transference.Paul was doing the physics and I was working on the last few pages for you.So it would be complete.”
“Ah, that’s sweet,” she said tears in her voice.“Dad was excited about his writing.He wanted to find a way to stop working at the hotel for extra money.Make teaching and writing his full-time gigs once he graduated.He always said…” she came over to him and touched his cheek.“That he wanted you to know making a living wasn’t the only thing to life.You should go after your dreams.”
Hugging his mom, he put his head on the top of hers.“I needed to hear that.”
“Did Paul figure it out?”she asked.
“The theory isn’t provable,” Jasper said.“But since the night Paul died, actually when I got my own place in Chicago crazy stuff started happening.Lights going on and off in the kitchen and every day the TV comes on tuned toJudge Judy.”
“Your ghost you talked about.You thought it was Paul?”
“Who else could it be?”Though he wasn’t sure anymore.Professor Hillerman would have been a solid plan B but his wife was positive he wasn’t hanging around.
They heard a car drive up.A zing went through him as he realized that Kirsty was back.Victor and his mom looked over at him.
“Kirsty and Gia.”
Chewie got up when he heard the front door and Jasper went to the hall wanting to warn Kirsty about his mom.Not that he was embarrassed for either woman to meet the other, but his mom was his biggest fan and often talked about him in a way that was too oversharing.Plus, he didn’t want her to think of her as one of those cringey “boy mom” types.
“My mom and Victor are here,” he said.“What’s that?”
“A treat for later.I can’t wait to meet your mom.”
He pulled her against his side and kissed her.Gia just smirked at them as she walked into the living room to introduce herself.
“Missed you,” he said against her lips.Now that he’d told her how he felt, there was no holding back.He didn’t have to pretend that he didn’t want to be around her all the time.
“Me too.”
Holding her hand, he led her into the living room.“Mom, this is Kirsty.Kirsty, this is Tina, my mom.”
“Nice to meet you.You’re the psychic helping Jaz with the book?”she asked.
“Uh, yeah.I mean I’m an author with maybe some psychic ability.He brought his book to the interview and we ended up here.”
“Wow, that must have been a lot.What book is it?”his mom asked.
