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"Only when they let you, I suspect," Gwen said "But you needed to see this, to know that Ivy would be well and happy, that she wason to a better place To heaven, as it were"

She said the word "heaven" as if it were in quotes Obviously, despite what she’d just seen, Gas not a true believer Then again, neither a been party to quite a lot of religious-based supernatural shit, I was beginning to wonder if h today There’s a lot for you to assi I want you to consider before the family therapy session"

I resented that a little I est? I didn’t answer, so she continued, her voice firm

"Ghosts must leave this realm when their purpose is fulfilled I know that Ivy had left you to care for your mother But that wasn’t her purpose Her purpose was to see you healed Your healing was as necessary for her as it was for you Ivy was not here for your ether Gwen had a big budget o I was exhausted when I left Gwen’s office--physically,my butt to my car I tried to call Gran before I headed home, but she didn’t answer the landline or her cell I left aher to call ht to bed And even though it was the middle of the day, I slept soundly and dreaht physically refreshed I could literally feel that a huge emotional burden had been lifted frohost had been with h all sorts of trials and crises She’d protected our mother from the other inmates in prison Whenever I needed her most, she’d come

I’d e the fact that I felt well and truly alone Even when she’d been with our hteen months, I’d known she was still around She’d visited me often and every ti that she was truly gone, her absence was different, a per, and I kneas one that would take a lot of getting used to On the other, a load of terrible guilt that I had been carrying for so long that I didn’t really even think about it anyht float away I kneas silly, but that didn’t change how it felt I’dwas over, I’d finally be able to heal

4

I went out on the beach for a while and stared at the waves I felt very alone Late as it was, I could’ve called Bruno or any of my friends, and they would’ve come But I didn’t want company, wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened, not even to the people closest tosomeone else before I told Gran Eventually, I went back inside and back to bed

Whencame, I checked to see if Gran had called She hadn’t, so I tried to call her again I wasn’t going to call Mom First off, I wasn’t positive the prison hierarchy would let me talk to her If I pulled rank and used the whole "princess" thing and said it was a fah I wasn’t sure that what had happened qualified as a crisis Ivy had, after all, been dead for years Mostly, I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with Moly spoken totime, not since the day she’d tried to exorcise me as if I were a demon She’d let loose with the kind of invective I wasn’t capable of forgiving I’d tell Gran about Ivy Gran could tell Mom

Of course to do that I needed to actually talk to Gran I’d tried the telephone without success,randhts hit a shield that was solid enough that I couldn’t get through That was … odd … and a little worrying In the end I decided to call et in touch with Gran and have her call s and I really didn’t have the authority to ask for that kind of favor But Hia didn’t seeht on it"

I spent the rest of the day puttering around the house, putting boxes back in the closet, cleaning out the refrigerator, and waiting for the sun to go down I could’ve put on sunscreen and used a beach uht--too cheerful--for the ed for the ocean

The hours passed slowly I didn’t cry I was too numb I didn’t answer the phone either When Lopaka, queen of the sirens, tried to reach me telepathically, I shielded her out She probably could have forced the issue, but she didn’t I was glad Lopaka was family, and I’m sure she was concerned--I’ was up But I still wanted to talk to Gran before I spoke to anyone else, even athered up a few things and went out onto the beach

One ofaround a ca s’ht of the stars I couldn’t eat theht a fire in the portable firepit, sit on the beach, and watch the waves and the flames So I did Only after the tide had turned and the fire was long guttered out did I pack up s and head indoors to bed I’d kept rand to worry

At nine thirty the nextI akened by the buzz of the intercoate and wanted to be let in

I stu, and shuffled over to hit the switch "Yes?"