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Talking to a ghost, she thought, but since she talked to Clover routinely now, it didn’t seem all that strange.
“Sometimes I get caught up in work and forget he needs some playtime. I know he has fun with you. Honestly, I just wanted to say thanks.”
“Who are you talking to?” Cleo asked.
Sonya jolted so hard she nearly stumbled back and fell on her ass.
“Jesus! Make some noise! I saw him.”
“Saw who?”
“The boy. I knew it was a boy. Playing with Yoda, opening the cabinets. I saw him, Cleo.”
“Here?” Cleo looked around. “Do you still see him?”
“No, and not here. In the main hall. I heard the ball bouncing and Yoda chasing it, so I tried to sort of sneak downstairs. But he heard me and took off. I caught a glimpse though.”
She grabbed a paper towel and a pencil, began to sketch.
“I’m going to say eight, nine, maybe ten. In there. Short-ish brown hair. About my color, I’d say. I didn’t really see his face, just a quick snapshot of his profile. He was wearing like—what do they call them—knickers? Brown pants that stopped below the knee, a white shirt.”
She set the pencil down. “That’s all I’ve got.”
“But you actually saw him, Son. When you were wide awake. That’s progress.”
“Is it? He ran. I actually chased him. I don’t have any idea what I intended to do if I caught up to him.”
“Have a conversation, like you were trying to do when I came in.”
“He’s so sweet with Yoda, I just wanted to… Oh well. Why did you come in?”
“Need my midday boost.” Turning to the fridge, Cleo got out a carton of yogurt.
“I don’t understand the correlation between yogurt and a boost. I wonder who he was,” Sonya murmured. “And what happened to him. Just a kid.”
“I don’t know when kids wore knickers. It might help to get a ballpark on when he lived here. He must’ve lived here.”
“He sure as hell died here. I’m taking Yoda out for a walk. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Are you talking to me or ghost boy?”
“Either or both.”
“I’m just here for the boost, then it’s back to the drawing board. Literally. See you at dinner.”
Sonya didn’t know if the boy joined them, but he didn’t make himself known. The walk convinced her despite the snow shower April meant business. Those brave bulbs poked up higher; the sun spread just a bit warmer.
The days, she thought, were getting noticeably longer.
And she was more than halfway through what she’d considered her three-month trial.
“I’m not going anywhere.” She glanced up at the third floor as she spoke. “I’m sticking.”
When she went in through the mudroom, Yoda’s box of treats stood on the kitchen island.
“You should give him one. I’ll go back up to work, and you give him one.”
Since Yoda didn’t follow her, she decided the boy made himself known there at least. By the time she settled back down to work, she heard the ball bouncing.
