Page 25 of The Spirit Key
“So have I.” She chuckled. “An unidentified flying object is called that because you don’t know what it is. There have been plenty of things I saw that I had no clue what they were, so they would qualify.”
I groaned, knowing she was trying to lighten the mood. “No, like if I said I saw a flying saucer. Would you believe me?”
“I would think you believed it, and that would be enough for me.” She paused a moment. “Did you see a flying saucer?”
“No.” I wanted to tell her, but I knew it would be too weird. “It’s just that I told Tim something and I thought he believed me, but it turns out he didn’t. And now that he’s experienced it for himself, he’s confused.”
“And you’re angry.”
“Yes! He didn’t believe me.”
“Oh, Scotty…. If I said I saw Elvis, what would you say?”
“He’s dead, Mom.” Which meant I had a better chance of seeing him than she did.
“Are you sure? What if he really did just drop off the grid? Would you think I was crazy if I said I saw him?”
A young man in the diner was standing near a table talking to a family sitting in the booth, a big smile on his face. He looked up, saw me, and waved. I returned the gesture, though not sure why.
“You’re not answering.”
I wasn’t answering because I knew what she meant.
“Honey, we live in a world where we can only believe in things we’ve seen with our own eyes. Unless you’re in politics, then anything you say is suspect. But ifyoutold me you saw Elvis, I would say I believe what you think you saw.”
And that was the same thing Tim had been trying to say. Ghosts were real, and I’d known that my whole life. Could I really blame Tim for not believing me? Would I believe him if the shoe was on the other foot? I wanted to say yes, but….
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Do you still want Ryan’s address?”
I thought about it, but then a better idea came to me. “How about his phone number? I’ll invite him out for coffee. Maybe neutral ground is what we need.”
“And maybe you need to call Tim and have him come along. Might not hurt to have a referee. Besides, it sounds like you need to clear the air with him too.”
It made sense, even if I didn’t want to admit it. I had no right being angry with Tim for being dubious about my claims. Even if what I saw was the weirdest thing ever, he couldn’t know for sure until he experienced it himself.
Besides, that would give me yet another thing to lord over him.
“Thanks, Mom. Listen, you’re welcome to come for coffee too. I might even spring for a croissant.”
That got a snort out of her. “I would love nothing more, but I’m manning the switchboard today for my group. We answer the phones and talk to the people, tell them our stories, and offer them a variety of places they can go for help with the drinking or drugs. It feels good to give back.”
My family consisted of way better people than I deserved, and that included Tim. Maybe it was time I earned my spot with them instead of being so invested in myself. After all, the ghost did come through Tim. Had it been there all along? Was it something I brought with me? Here I was, again, thinking of myself when Tim’s life could be in jeopardy.
“Okay, but we’ll make it a date for another time, right?”
“Absolutely. I want to catch up with you in the worst way. I… I missed you a lot. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t think about you.”
“Every day I thought about you too. I even thought about Ryan—who, it turns out, is a good man, and I’m hoping one day to earn his forgiveness.”
She clucked her tongue. “Honey, he’s angry and hurt, but he still loves you. Give him a chance but be prepared to grovel like you never have before.”
I owed it to him. My entire life growing up, I’d been a dick to him because of some slight as a child. “I promise, I will.”
“Good. Now call your brother and your man.”
Wait. “What?”
