Page 78 of All Your Tomorrows

“We planned to take the extra food to a homeless shelter,” Mr. Fletcher added.

“My mom’s the best cook,” Kyler said, eying all the food. “I wish I could eat it.”

“Kyler said you’re the best cook and he wishes he could eat it,” I relayed to his mom.

She laughed through her tears. “He was always buttering me up for something.”

Kyler laughed and I got the feeling she wasn’t lying. He certainly had a way of getting people to do things for him.

“Let’s eat,” Mr. Fletcher said, likely trying to keep the mood light, as he passed me a huge platter of lasagna. “As you know, this is Ky’s favorite.”

I looked to Kyler and he smiled. I placed a cheesy square onto my plate. “Looks delicious.”

“It is. She adds some secret spice that makes it perfect,” Kyler said.

I passed Mrs. Fletcher the lasagna. “He said you add a secret spice.”

Laughter burst out of her, full can’t-catch-your-breath laughter.

I glanced at Kyler.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“He wants to know what’s so funny,” I explained.

Mr. Fletcher joined in on the laughter. “You never told him?” he asked her.

She shook her head through the laughter.

“Told me what?” Kyler asked.

“Told him what?” I asked.

“Mushrooms and onions,” she said. “That’s the secret spice.”

My eyes widened. So did Kyler’s. He hated those foods.

“You didn’t?” Kyler said aghast.

“He’s a bit surprised,” I relayed.

Mrs. Fletcher wiped away the tears caused by her laughing. “He wouldn’t eat them so I thought if I just stuck them in the food processor and threw them into the sauce, he’d never know. He loved my sauce. So, I could never bear to tell him the truth.”

“She’s the devil,” Kyler said, though I could tell he was amused. “Is she even sorry for deceiving me?”

“He wants to know if you’re sorry for deceiving him,” I asked.

“Not even a little bit,” she admitted which caused us all to break into laughter.

The conversation never ran cold during dinner. They asked Kyler questions, he’d answer, and then I’d relay what he said. They even asked me about me, curious about how I was able to talk with spirits.

“Ask about that detective,” Kyler reminded me when we were finishing up.

“Did you speak to the detective yet?” I asked.

They exchanged a look.

“What?” Kyler and I asked at the same time.

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