“Would you mind helping me?” I ask my pedicurist, earning a pinched look from Lanie. “I’m so indecisive today.”
The woman nods, stands, and makes her way toward me. When we’re out of earshot, I turn to the ghost girl, ready for her to speak her request. She doesn’t waste time, diving right in.
“Please remind Tasha that she promised me not to mope. This new brooding attitude is for the birds. She knew I was dying, and we lived those last few months in a way I hadn’t ever dreamed. She’s supposed to be hunting. Carpe all day.”
I pull a face. “Hunting what? And do you mean carpe diem?”
“What?” Tasha asks, assuming I’m talking to her.
“It’s an inside joke. She’ll get it,” the ghost explains. “Make her believe I’m here.”
“Tasha,” I say, and she looks over at me with narrowed eyes.
She’s not wearing a name tag and she never gave me her name. I’m sure she is wondering how I know it. Especially since I was informed that they use aliases here. There were too many employees with the same name, and it became a scheduling nightmare.
“I have someone named...” I glance at the girl.
“Savanna.”
Meeting Tasha’s eyes, I continue, “Savanna here with us. She wants you to be hunting?”
Her breath hitches and she stumbles backward. “W-what did you say?”
I rush on. “You’re supposed to stop moping and get to hunting. Carpe all day.”
She blinks several times as tears well in her eyes. “Savanna?”she whispers into the air, searching the area for her invisible sister. The upside is she appears to believe me.
“You can’t see her, but I can,” I explain. “She looks happy. Healthy.”
I’m not sure why I feel the need to stress this. Maybe because it’s something I’d want to know. Especially if I lost someone to illness, which is what Savanna heavily implied.
“Tell her I’m hanging with Grandpa Jerry.” She smiles, looking at Tasha with fondness.
“She wants you to know she’s with Grandpa Jerry.”
Tasha bobs her head several times but remains silent.
“Explain to her that I can hear anything she wants to say,” Savanna instructs. “That should do the trick, and I’ll be on my way.”
I relay the message and Tasha swallows. “She’s really here?”
“Yes, and no offense to you or your sister, but I’d like to get back to my pamper day. Can you say what you need to say, so she can go to the light?”
She sucks her top lip into her mouth, shoulders slumping. “Is that what she wants? To leave?”
“Yes.” It’s Savanna who speaks, but Tasha doesn’t hear.
I nod in confirmation and the pink-haired girl sighs heavily, eyes closing.
“I slept with Ryker the Rake two years ago. I regret it every day.”
Savanna gasps, hands flying to cover her mouth. “She didn’t. Good lort.”
“She says good lort.”
Tasha snorts, eyes lifting skyward. “Please tell her to lose that word in the afterlife.”
The ghost girl chuckles, moving to her sister’s side. “Noted.”
