whispers of shade

ther's shuffling footsteps echoed faintly from the living room, punctuated by the clink of t

he hardware store, back when routines had meaning. Back when the

doing. Another thing Emily wanted to rip down, repaint, renovate. "It's ti

if she meant the w

zed. A messag

d his checkup again. We have t

er been one for soft landings. She came back from Boston once a month, sta

embered what day it was. She played along when he thought he was still twenty-five, still cour

es cracked. She was too

ather looked up. His smil

your mother? She's supposed t

"She left early. Said

ied, and returned

it was nearly ten. She opened late and didn'

and unlocked the register, bu

or opened again-an

he looked up

. "I thought maybe you

at him. "You

er the cup. "I remembe

gers brushed his. Warm

-for yesterday. I didn

the tremble in her chest. "You didn't ambush me. I just d

That ghost was wondering if

"Lunch? Already? You

a fraction of a second. "I d

his tone ga

l noon. I've got books to shelve and a

dded. "I'

otography book in hand, Clara felt the knot

ng a trench coat, clipboard in hand, and a lo

can't keep

linch. "Good t

Grove Memory Center. They have an opening. It's not permanen

ate every m

n station thinking Mom was coming back from choir. What happe

way, blinking

t failing him. You're trying to ke

lowly. But the

l rang again. Julian stepped forward

d. "Didn't mean

her eyes. "Is t

, disarming. "

ow. You look... e

throat. "We were

p, knowing-and said, "Call me ton

er, Julian tilted his head.

. "No. You were the

let's go remind y

followed someone who made the future feel le