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“Sometimes I find him lurking around the bridge or the front gate. He likes the view of downtown.”
“It is pretty cool. You’re like a giant in a castle looking down on all of us munchkins.”
“I think the original owner chose this location and style of house for that reason. He felt superior to everybody else and wanted to demonstrate it in the most obvious way possible.”
She looked at me. “Is that why you chose it?”
“No, I chose it for solitude.” Which I seemed to have grossly misjudged.
“Why do you want to be alone all the time? I hate it.”
“I’m never really alone, Alicia. That’s the issue.”
“When I grow up, I’m going to have ten kids. That way I never have to be by myself.”
I smiled. “Or you could just adopt a cuddly puppy.”
“I asked my mom if we could, but she said she wasn’t around enough to take care of it.”
“She’s not around enough for a dog, but never mind the fact that she’s supposed to be raising a child,” Ray grumbled.
I glanced in the older ghost’s direction. “Oh, hey. Your grandfather’s entered the chat.”
Alicia gave me a deadpan look. “Don’t try to be current. It doesn’t land.”
Ray suppressed a laugh.
“How did you know she was here?” I asked him.
“Nana Pratt saw her come into the house and went to find me.” He angled his head toward Alicia. “Tell her I think a dog is a great idea, and she should tell her mother I said so.”
A thought occurred to me. “Alicia, does your mother know you come here to talk to Ray?”
She lowered her gaze. “Mom wouldn’t understand. She’d think I was making it up.”
“Does your mom believe in ghosts or the supernatural world?”
She shook her head. “No freakin’ way. Astrology, manifestation, tarot. She thinks it’s all for suckers.”
“Well, I agree with her about some of those. Where does she think you’re going after school?”
“She has no idea. She doesn’t check in with me until five. That’s when she tells me what time she’ll be home, and whether I need to fix my own dinner or she’s bringing home Chinese.”
It had to be difficult balancing single motherhood with a busy career. Still, my heart went out to Alicia. I remembered those lonely days, especially after I was moved into the foster care system. Even in a house full of other people, I’d felt completely and utterly alone.
“Tell her no Labradors or huskies,” Ray said. “Too energetic. She needs a dog that likes exercise but doesn’t require too much of it. And one that won’t get too big for Alicia to handle.”
I relayed his message to Alicia.
“In other words, no Clifford the Big Red Dog,” Alicia replied. “I don’t think we need to worry about that, Grampa.” Frowning, she looked at me. “Is he in trouble now for breaking the rules?”
I cut a quick glance at Ray. “There’s an exception to the rule when they know a family member is inside the house.”
Alicia straightened her shoulders, appearing pleased by this proclamation. “Thought you’d want to know I tried to practice a new dance routine, but I wasn’t very good at it.”
“The effort is the important part,” Ray said. “The more you put in, the more you’ll get out of it.”
“It takes time to master a skill,” I told her, truncating his words of encouragement.
