it’s been a really long time, and I know you’re probably not very happy to see me, but things are really fucked up right now, and I just … Just wanted…” Molly took a long slow breath, strangled a sob in its crib. It was okay to turn to Ria for comfort. But damned if she’d let herself fall apart. Her voice quavered. “I really need to talk to somebody who knows me, you know?”
The smile that touched Ria’s lips was slippery and wistful as an ice cream cone dropped on a summer sidewalk. “Jesus,” she said. “You look like shit.”
Molly cried and laughed at the same time. Tears ran into her mouth. They tasted like the primordial sea. (How did she know that?) “I feel even worse.”
Ria hopped to her feet; her soles slapped the bare concrete. Molly’s stomach gave a flutter. She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her jacket. Nothing could hold back the tears. Not even an angel’s willpower. Ria came to her.
Molly said, “I’m sorry I just dropped in on you like this. I would have called but—”
Ria went to the lawn chair. She kissed the other woman on the forehead, then sat on her lap.
“Did you hear what I said?” Ria whispered. “I said you look like shit.”
“So do you,” said the other woman. “And you reek to high heaven. Take a shower, you cow.” Ria laughed. They cuddled.
Molly ran her hands through her hair. “Ria! Look at me, goddamn it!”
The couple on the lawn chair started to kiss. Molly loomed over them. She put a hand under Ria’s chin and gave a gentle tug. She’d forgotten how smooth Ria’s skin felt. Even beneath the sweat and dust. Ria jolted upright. They pulled apart.
“What?” said her girlfriend.
Ria shook her head as though clearing it. “Got a little shock.”
“Sparks flying, huh?”
They laughed again.
Molly stepped behind the chair. She leaned over Ria’s girlfriend, laid her hands on Ria’s shoulders, and shook her. “See me!”
“Ooh, you’re shaking, babe. You okay?” The girlfriend rubbed her hands up and down Ria’s arms.
Ria hugged herself. Shrugged. “I dunno. Just had a chill.” She leaned forward again, laid her head on the other’s shoulder. “I’m tired,” she yawned. It came out a little slurred, like a noncommittal yawn.
Molly knelt and stared at Ria’s eyes, concentrating. See me. See me. See me. You must sense me. You have to know I’m here. You knew me so well. Can’t you sense me? You have to see me. Don’t you dare ignore me.
Ria shivered again. She closed her eyes, and slumped more heavily against her girlfriend. The other woman flinched slightly, as though startled by an unexpected touch.
“You drooling on me now?” She shifted her weight.
Ria’s head rolled back. Her nose was bleeding. A long crimson streamer trailed down the other woman’s shoulder and the front of her shirt. Molly and the other woman gasped in unison.
“Ria?” said Molly, her voice sounding like somebody else’s, so weak and querulous.
“Babe?” said the other woman. She tried to sit up, but Ria’s slack body toppled backward. They both tried to catch her, but she tumbled to the floor like a rag doll. Her head clunked on the floor. A wet spot stained the crotch of her cargo pants. Strong odor—Ria had eaten asparagus today.
The girlfriend leaped to her feet, then knelt over Ria. “Ria!” she cried.
Molly started dialing for an ambulance, the earbud having popped into her ear without her consciously summoning it. But she stopped when instead of a connection tone she got the roar of a jet engine and the staticky warble of somebody singing “Que Será, Será” in a thick Scottish brogue. She could call Bayliss, but she didn’t know how to make a call into the real world. And Bayliss hadn’t done a damn thing to help her when she called for help. He showed up after the fact. She was on her own.
She was a ghost, a revenant spirit cursed to witness the death of her old love.
No, something told her. A sickening murmur at
The smile that touched Ria’s lips was slippery and wistful as an ice cream cone dropped on a summer sidewalk. “Jesus,” she said. “You look like shit.”
Molly cried and laughed at the same time. Tears ran into her mouth. They tasted like the primordial sea. (How did she know that?) “I feel even worse.”
Ria hopped to her feet; her soles slapped the bare concrete. Molly’s stomach gave a flutter. She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her jacket. Nothing could hold back the tears. Not even an angel’s willpower. Ria came to her.
Molly said, “I’m sorry I just dropped in on you like this. I would have called but—”
Ria went to the lawn chair. She kissed the other woman on the forehead, then sat on her lap.
“Did you hear what I said?” Ria whispered. “I said you look like shit.”
“So do you,” said the other woman. “And you reek to high heaven. Take a shower, you cow.” Ria laughed. They cuddled.
Molly ran her hands through her hair. “Ria! Look at me, goddamn it!”
The couple on the lawn chair started to kiss. Molly loomed over them. She put a hand under Ria’s chin and gave a gentle tug. She’d forgotten how smooth Ria’s skin felt. Even beneath the sweat and dust. Ria jolted upright. They pulled apart.
“What?” said her girlfriend.
Ria shook her head as though clearing it. “Got a little shock.”
“Sparks flying, huh?”
They laughed again.
Molly stepped behind the chair. She leaned over Ria’s girlfriend, laid her hands on Ria’s shoulders, and shook her. “See me!”
“Ooh, you’re shaking, babe. You okay?” The girlfriend rubbed her hands up and down Ria’s arms.
Ria hugged herself. Shrugged. “I dunno. Just had a chill.” She leaned forward again, laid her head on the other’s shoulder. “I’m tired,” she yawned. It came out a little slurred, like a noncommittal yawn.
Molly knelt and stared at Ria’s eyes, concentrating. See me. See me. See me. You must sense me. You have to know I’m here. You knew me so well. Can’t you sense me? You have to see me. Don’t you dare ignore me.
Ria shivered again. She closed her eyes, and slumped more heavily against her girlfriend. The other woman flinched slightly, as though startled by an unexpected touch.
“You drooling on me now?” She shifted her weight.
Ria’s head rolled back. Her nose was bleeding. A long crimson streamer trailed down the other woman’s shoulder and the front of her shirt. Molly and the other woman gasped in unison.
“Ria?” said Molly, her voice sounding like somebody else’s, so weak and querulous.
“Babe?” said the other woman. She tried to sit up, but Ria’s slack body toppled backward. They both tried to catch her, but she tumbled to the floor like a rag doll. Her head clunked on the floor. A wet spot stained the crotch of her cargo pants. Strong odor—Ria had eaten asparagus today.
The girlfriend leaped to her feet, then knelt over Ria. “Ria!” she cried.
Molly started dialing for an ambulance, the earbud having popped into her ear without her consciously summoning it. But she stopped when instead of a connection tone she got the roar of a jet engine and the staticky warble of somebody singing “Que Será, Será” in a thick Scottish brogue. She could call Bayliss, but she didn’t know how to make a call into the real world. And Bayliss hadn’t done a damn thing to help her when she called for help. He showed up after the fact. She was on her own.
She was a ghost, a revenant spirit cursed to witness the death of her old love.
No, something told her. A sickening murmur at
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