Page 7 of All Your Tomorrows

I winced. I may have spoken to spirits, but I’d never spent significant time around them. I guess I never considered what they were doing when I wasn’t around.

“Aren’t you worried about her?” he asked.

“She’s a traveling nurse. She’s gone for a couple of months at a time. This time she’s in California.”

“You could’ve told me that before I paced the floor waiting for her.”

“You did not,” I challenged.

“I did not,” he admitted.

I smiled, realizing he wasn’t just a good-looking guy; he also had a great personality and was fun to be around. “I’m gonna shower and then I’ll be ready to head to your parents’ house. Do we have a plan?”

“You tell me. You do this sort of thing all the time, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but I don’t usually seek people out. They come to me.”

“Oh, right.”

“How about you think about it while I’m in the shower, and then we’ll strategize on our way there?”

“Deal,” he said with a reassuring smile.

“Do you need anything?”

“No. Just some good luck.”

I nodded. “No luck needed. I’ll talk to them.”

* * *

By the time I pulled open my car door, Kyler had already appeared in the passenger seat. I’d never get used to the way spirits traveled. “Tell me about your family,” I said once I’d slipped into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“Well, I was their favorite,” he said as I backed out of the driveway.

“Why aren’t I shocked that you think that?” I said.

“What?” He smiled. “I’m serious.”

I drove through town, passing the café and shops, as well as the sidewalks packed with shoppers.

“Okay. Truth?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m an only child. So, I kinda had to be their favorite.”

I laughed until the truth silenced me. These poor people lost their only child. Hopefully, whatever I was able to tell them would bring them some peace. “I’m an only child too,” I admitted.

“Were you spoiled?”

I pursed my lips as I considered it. “A little.”

He laughed. “See? You were your parents’ favorite, too.”

I shrugged, reluctant to unload all my own stuff on him. Hewasthe spirit. My responsibility was to helphim.

“So, what’s the plan? Who should I say I am? A friend? Or, do you think being straightforward about what I can do would be better?”