The Night I Died, She Chose Him

ched. That's

eight years old, st

s mother's hand.

s small, tight with fear. "Daddy's not b

nd away. Irritation

voice sharp. "Your father is

what Julian Van

hool flame, back in her

poison, convinced her I wa

am, to tell Finn

no voice

... this

purse on her shoulder. She was g

have plans," Laura said, m

Even as a spirit, I felt the

tack had hit

me for a month, ever sin

t me stealing his busine

ad some rare, expensiv

charmed, had bel

ings. Money for my workshop

n's fake

ers, the nebulizer treatments...

eved I was truly

ear that I was "overdramatiz

bedroom, I

useless observer, t

now, his small s

really sick! Pl

a sound of p

for this, Finn. J

ed the f

eamed, a raw, d

her, but he tripped ov

is chin smacking the

y of pain

d to. My spectral form p

Utterly

ack, her expres

seeking. Just li

and closed the

ck was the loudest

rld.

le squeeze in my chest

strange

pain, but not fr

ifted toward

scrambling to his feet

open the b

the bed. Stil

" he wh

de, his small hand

Mom left. She d

ice cr

hest, listening for a he

... pl

sob, deep, bod

't know I was right there with him, my spi

emergency smartwa

clumsy with panic,

all went to

wering. She wa

e up on

bed, curling up be

ying softly, his smal

addy," he whispered into

y brave,

ad father, betray

tch. A ghost in my own home, wit

grew colder. Or ma

all body

orter up, trying t

ing to kee

one, would have shatter

to sleep, his face tear-stre

silent sentinel, w

stretched

ano

idn't c

umbling in his

I wanted to tell h

ay. I knew that with

just the

son. And Laura had dru

cent Finn, was ca

was quiet.

t breathing, a fragile rhythm

own still fac

That's what

the man who could fix a

lect. Killed

the woma

a cold, hard

It was the only thing keeping my spir

had to see what

stroyed what