I swore under my breath as I ran for the tent, cursing and muttering the same thing over and over again\u2014\u201cIt\u2019s too early, it\u2019s too early.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ghost at my side eventually made an annoyed sound as I neared the flap.\u00a0 \u201cStop your fretting,\u201d she said sternly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not too soon and you knew full well that your calculations were likely off regarding when she conceived.\u00a0 You know that all will be well, so just stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow dare you speak to\u2014\u201d I rounded on her and stopped dead in my tracks, suddenly realizing that for the first time, I could see her clear as day, as clearly as I might see Thom or Jacqueline or J.T. standing next to me.\u00a0 Before today, before this moment, I\u2019d only caught fleeting glimpses, only been able to hear her voice or see her as a wavering shadow or a faint and fading outline, an eye, a smile, then nothing.\u00a0 She stared back at me, her fine-boned jaw set stubbornly, a fire in her ghostly eyes that felt achingly familiar.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeak to who?\u201d She whispered.\u00a0 \u201cTo my mother?\u00a0 To you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I rocked back a step, feeling sick.\u00a0 I knew what I had been to her in a life long gone, but I didn\u2019t always like to be reminded of that past life.\u00a0 My soul\u2019s residence in the body of a strong-willed chieftain of ancient Ireland had certainly made a small difference in my continued survival, played some small role in my relationships with the people around me, but it didn\u2019t define me.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a low blow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut one truly struck,\u201d she said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cYou remind me of her so greatly\u2014right down to the fretting over things that are well beyond your ability to control.\u201d\u00a0 The ghost stepped closer to me.\u00a0 \u201cShe will be fine and you know that in your heart, in your gut\u2014your visions have shown you that, haven\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not always right,\u201d I whispered, giving voice to the awful truth that I avoided as eagerly as I occasionally embraced it.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re not always right.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I swore under my breath as I ran for the tent, cursing and muttering the same thing over and over again\u2014\u201cIt\u2019s too early, it\u2019s too early.\u201d The ghost at my side eventually made an annoyed sound as I neared the … Continue reading