Page 101 of Ghost of a Chance
“How did you not know that?”Kirsty asked Jasper.
“I never saw the book.Mom…did Dad likeJudge Judy?”he asked her.Right now he wasn’t entirely sure what to think.Could it be his dad in the book?
“Yeah.We watched it to wind down when we were cooking dinner.I used to TiVo it.That’s what we had to do if we wanted to watch something before streaming,” she said, wiping away her lingering tears.“Back in the old days.”
Jasper walked over to his mom.“This was Dad’s?”
She flipped the book open and fanned the pages, stopping to one midway through that they’d never stopped on before.There were notes in pencil.
Only geniuses understand this.
Only hot girls love geniuses.
“What is this?”
“Me and your dad flirting in class.”
That was sweet.He touched the pencil marks and looked at his mom.“How did Paul get the book?”
“It must have been in the box of stuff I gave to you both.I asked Paul to help you finish Dad’s story for you, not me.It was time for you to start your own life.The sci-fi short story was the last thing that your dad didn’t get to do with you,” she said.
She blinked a few times and he hugged her close to him.Kirsty came over and put her hand on the book.Victor did the same.
They both closed their eyes.The pages fluttered and the lights in the room flared brighter for a moment.
Gia came over next to them and Dan kept filming.Jasper felt something strong like a warmth coming into the room even though there wasn’t a fire in the fireplace.
A breeze stirred around them and the pages fluttered again.
Kirsty slipped her hand in his.“Put the book on the coffee table and then everyone kneel around it.”
His mom set the book down open to the page she’d shown him.His mom on one side, Kirsty on the other side, then Victor, Gia and even Dan came over.Once they were all in position Kirsty looked at him.
“What was your dad’s name?”Kirsty asked.
“Jasper Marcus but everyone called him Marc,” Tina said.
“Marc, we call on your spirit.You are in a safe place.Your wife and son are here with me,” Kirsty said.
Sparks of light emitted from the book and started moving upward from it.They all kept holding hands and Jasper felt the energy pulling in toward the light that slowly formed into the faint outline of a body and then a face.His mom’s hand tightened around his.
“Marc?”
The being was hazy and he could just make out the hair that was so like his own.His dad?Was this his dad?
“Dad?”
A hand reached toward him, he felt something cold brush his cheek.Then the ghost—his father—touched his mom’s face.
The sparks continued moving up as another breeze swept through the room.The candles on the cake flickered back to life.
“Happy birthday, son.”The voice, distant but clear, reverberated around the room.The candles went back out as wind swirled around them, and his dad disappeared.
Jasper blinked to keep his tears back but when he looked at his mom and she was crying and hugging him it was impossible.Kirsty’s hand was on his back and then she was hugging them too.
He felt Gia and Victor join them and Dan awkwardly patted them all on the back.Then he pulled back.
“Let me check the playback.”
