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“Jessie Talbot?” I asked. I’d briefly met the old woman in Hewitt’s the day I bought a hose.
Alicia nodded. “She said the crossroads is in the woods and you can summon demons there.”
“That’s not a thing you’d ever want to do,” I said.
Her curious brown eyes focused on me. “Are demons all scary and hideous? Or can they be cuddly like puppies?”
“I’ve never met a demon similar to a puppy. An attack dog, maybe, but not a cuddly puppy.”
“Even attack dogs were cuddly puppies once,” she said, and I’d never felt so schooled by a child.
“Stay away from the crossroads,” I said firmly. “And from demons.”
“How will I know if I meet one? Jessie says they can look like people on purpose, so they blend in.”
“It can be tricky,” I agreed. “Just trust your gut. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, pay attention.”
“That’s what Grampa always told me.” She grinned. “You two are a lot alike. Is that why you let him stay?”
“I don’t know why I let him stay.” A moment of weakness—or temporary insanity. Or both.
“Well, I’m glad you did. It’s nice having family around, even if I can’t see him or hear him. Just knowing he’s around is better than…” She trailed off. “I should get home. My mom will be FaceTiming me soon to ask about my homework.” She grimaced. “I wish she would ask about my day instead of a checklist.”
“Maybe you could try telling her that.”
Alicia blew a raspberry. “You haven’t met my mom. You don’t tell her anything. She tells you, and you’d best listen. I guess your mom wasn’t like that.”
“No, she wasn’t.” I didn’t elaborate. The truth was I had no idea what kind of mother she would’ve been because she died before she got the chance to show me.
“Lucky you.” Alicia surveyed the kitchen. “Is Grampa gonna show up anytime soon? Do you need to light a candle and tell him I’m here?”
“He’s not allowed in the house without permission.”
She carried her empty bowl to the sink. “Why not?”
“Would you like it if ghosts wandered around your house watching your every move?”
She scrunched her nose. “No.”
“Me neither.”
“How’d you get to be able to see them? Is it like Spider-Man? Did you get bit by a ghost?”
I laughed. “I was born this way.”
She planted herself back at the table to finish her water. “Does it run in your family?”
“No,” I said simply. The less she knew, the better.
“Can people learn to do it if they practice?”
“No, it isn’t like the piano.”
“Too bad. I would’ve liked to learn so I can talk to Grampa.”
“Should we see if he’s in the cemetery?”
“Where else would he be?” Alicia asked.
