Page 36 of Inbetweeners
“Heaven is what you want it to be.” Emmett walked over to ghost-Malcolm. “Time passes in a moment, but whatever age you want to be, you’ll be. So will Tricia when she comes to you. You have to move on. You can’t stay on this side. It’s not…healthy. Your love for each other will never die. Hold onto that. You’ll be together again one day.”
“What if Tricia meets someone else?” Malcolm asked.
Emmett didn’t repeat that. “Don’t you want her to be happy?” He dropped his voice. “Wouldn’t you want your children to have a father if you can’t be with them?”
Malcolm moved his gaze from his wife to Emmett. “Does Tricia want me to go?”
Emmett turned to her. “He wants your permission to leave.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Malcolm, I love you, honey, but you need to leave. I want you to be at peace.”
Ghost-Malcolm moved to the bed and tried to touch his wife’s face. When his fingers disappeared, he yanked his hand back. “How does this work?”
“Close your eyes,” Emmett said. “Think about your wife and children. Imagine them happy. Wish them happy and…take a step.”Please let that work.
“Emmett! You need to hold his hand,” Phoenix said.
Emmett took Malcolm’s hand.
“I love you,” his wife said.
“I love you all.” And a single sigh and a step later, Malcolm disappeared.
Emmett doubled over, swamped again by the draining sensation.Shit! Don’t throw up.
“You okay?” Phoenix asked.
Emmett pulled himself together. “Yes.” He turned to Tricia. “He’s gone. His last words were that he loves you all.”
She broke out into a fresh bout of sobbing.
“Who can you call?” Phoenix asked.
“My mother.”
“Contact her.”
Tricia picked up her phone and made the call but couldn’t speak for crying. Emmett took over.
“Hello. I’m sorry to have to tell you that Malcolm has died. Your daughter needs you. Please come to their house.”
“What? Who are you?”
“A friend. How long before you get here? The children need looking after.”
“Thirty minutes. Oh God, let me talk to Tricia.”
“Just come. Thank you.” Emmett ended the call.
Emmett shepherded Tricia downstairs and into the room with her children, then beckoned Harry out.
“Don’t we need to stay?” Harry asked. “I was just getting into that episode of Paw Patrol.”
“No. She can see her kids need her now. Her mother is on the way. Her husband has moved on, as others should do.” Phoenix glared at Harry.
“But you need me.”
“To move on.”
