“Oh my God, no.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I know you must be thinking who is this guy and what gives him the right to ask such a thing, but I’m trying to get to know you.”
“Trying to figure what you’re in for?” I offered. “I know it’s unfair for you to be stuck with a teen out of nowhere…”
“Now stop,” he commanded. “I am not stuck with you. You’re family. You belong with us. It’s a damn shame how this all came about, but I don’t want you to think for one second that I’m not thrilled to have you. Understood?”
He said it with such certainty that it was impossible to doubt him. I simply nodded and looked ahead.
“Bristol, we have a long road ahead of us,” Uncle Mark continued. “You’ve been through a lot and…”
“I’m fine,” I said.
He gave me a sad smile. “Sweetheart, I don’t believe that for a second. You may believe it, but I know better. It’ll hit you hard, and then just as you get up, it’ll hit you again. Something like this is supposed to be hard.”
“Really,” I insisted. “I’m fine.”
“Right,” Uncle Mark said as he tapped the steering wheel to somebody called Dwight Yoakum, who was making me miss George Strait. After hearing about the back of old Dwight’s hand, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
* * * *
When I opened my eyes, it took me a moment to realize I was still asleep but dreaming. The first clue was it was very bright outside, even though it had been dusk. The second clue was my uncle’s country music was gone. So were my uncle and his two sons.
But I wasn’t alone in the car. Sitting in the driver’s seat next to me was a woman I’d never seen before. She had long, blond hair, which fell down loosely over her slim shoulders. Extremely beautiful, everything from her eyes to her face bore a striking resemblance to Simon and Zack. It wasn’t hard to figure out who this was.
“Hi, you must be Aunt Eve.”
“I am.” She smiled. “And you must be my niece. It’s nice to meet you finally, Bristol. I’m sorry it had to be like this.”
“I’ve been hearing that a lot,” I murmured.
She laughed. “I’m glad you’re going to live with my boys. Sorry for the reason for it, but glad you’ll be with them.”
She glanced at the back seat, where I saw Uncle Mark between Simon and Zack. They were all asleep, the children with their heads against their father. Zack was drooling.
“For some time now, I’ve been worried about my boys being without me,” Aunt Eve said. “All three of them, really. They could use a woman’s influence.”
“Been awhile for them, I guess,” I said. “I suppose I should expect to find the toilet seat up more than down, huh?”
Aunt Eve laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile. Her laughter was almost as beautiful as she was. “Mark has done a great job with them. Most times, you leave men alone together, and you’re lucky if they don’t think of ketchup as a vegetable.”
“You mean it’s not?” I asked.
When Aunt Eve glanced over at me, amusement danced in her eyes. I could see instantly why Uncle Mark fell for her.
“Do you plan on telling Mark about your gift?” she asked.
“Have you thought about how that conversation might go? Hey, Uncle Mark, guess what? I’m a wee bit on the psychic side. No biggie, but your late wife said to say hi, put the seat down, and eat a salad every now and then.” I rolled my eyes.
“I’d love to see that.” She smiled. “How do you think Mark would react to finding out about your gifts?”
I shrugged. The thought of anyone knowing about me was terrifying.
“Bristol, he would understand,” she said. “I know my husband. He would never hurt you like you think he would.”
“You know,” I replied, “I already feel close to them. I want to fit in. I don’t think I could take it if they looked at me with fear or disgust in their eyes. I just…” I shook my head as the image of her two little boys glaring at me with scorn filled my head.
Aunt Eve gave me a sympathetic smile and gazed at me with eyes filled with understanding. “That won’t happen. I promise. You’ll tell them when you’re ready. It’ll be all right.”
I nodded and looked silently out at the road.
“How about some auntly advice?” she asked. “With Simon, the more techno talk you hear, the more nervous he is. Unless he goes into what Zack likes to call geek overdrive. Simon is sweet and loyal and always eager to help.”
Her description matched what I thought of Simon already.
“My little Zack,” Aunt Eve continued. “Now, he can be a handful, but he will make you laugh. Just don’t insult the Giants.”
“Is that a band or something?”
“Oh Lord, you’re in for it,” Aunt Eve said. “The New York Giants?”
I continued to stare.
“Just trust me on that,” Aunt Eve instructed. “He’ll go over the entire team roster if you let him.”
“God no,” I said.
“Zack was very young when I was taken away,” Aunt Eve continued. “He has problems remembering me. He may feel guilty about getting close to you. There’s no need for him to.”
“How did you die?” I asked.
My aunt’s face grew cold and angry. “I was murdered. They never caught the killer. It’s something that still haunts Mark. He hasn’t moved on. He hasn’t dated or even looked at another woman. As far as he’s concerned, he’s still married to me. I don’t think that will ever change. I know he blames himself. I wish he could understand how much I loved him. I was the luckiest girl in the world when he married me.”
I wondered if I might ever find someone to love in the way Aunt Eve was describing. But how could I? There could be no secrets between people who loved each other.
“I would really love it if I could get to know you a whole lot better, but I can’t. I don’t have time.”
“Why?” I asked. “Is something about to happen?”
“Yeah, you’re almost home, and my husband will want you to wake up before you get there,” she said. Her eyes grew intense as she held my gaze. “Listen, you’re going to have to deal with my father-in-law. He moved in a few years ago. He can be…well.” She hesitated. “He has a unique and challenging personality. Try not to get offended. He means well, I think. Hopefully, his time living with my boys made him a little nicer. Or, at the very least, it shouldn’t have made him any meaner.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” she said. “Last but not least, remember now that you’re in Spirit, things aren’t always what they seem.”
“Oh? And what are they?” I asked, picturing the worst and getting a little sick to my stomach.
“Complicated,” she answered. “You can trust my husband. And you’re not alone. I’ve never subscribed to how your grandfather sees things, but you’ll have to make up your mind for yourself. There is plenty of guilt to go around.”
“Guilt?” I echoed. “Guilt about what? Aunt Eve, what happened to you?”
But it was too late. She was gone, and I was being gently woken up by Uncle Mark.
“Hey, Bristol, you there?” He nudged my arm.
I nodded groggily and stretched out in my seat. It was dark now, and we were off the highway. I tried to take in where I was, but it was hard to make out any details.
“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to conk out. Where are we?”
“Not too far from home,” Uncle Mark answered. “You must have been really tired. You’ve been out for three hours. Looked like you were having a heck of a dream.”
“Must have been,” I mumbled.
“Look, there’s something I should tell you before we arrive,” Uncle Mark said. Was this the part where I would be told that I would be living in the barn and rooming with Harry the horse or Patty the pig? “My father, your grandfather, lives with us. He’s old and his house burned down some time ago so…”
“Let me guess,” I said. “He has a difficult and challenging personality?”
“Uh, yeah, that’s one way of putting it,” Uncle Mark said. “In fact, that is exactly how my wife used to describe him. Wow.”
“I don’t suppose you care to expand?” I asked.
Uncle Mark considered it. “I could, but I don’t want to scare you. Besides, he’s not all that bad. Not really. If you take him with a grain of salt, he can be kind of amusing.”
“Uh-huh,” Simon said. “So amusing, I heard you laughing at the top of your lungs just last week.”
“You heard that, huh?” Uncle Mark said. “Listen Bristol, your grandpa can be difficult and challenging, but he does mean well and he loves his family. I know better than anyone. On the outside he’s grumpy and wacky, but inside of him is a kind and gentle man.” He looked at Simon’s reflection in the mirror. “Right?”
“Absolutely,” Simon agreed. “Grandpa probably ate him for breakfast.”
Zack hooted with laughter. “Yeah, with a side of bacon!”
“No, oatmeal,” Simon amended. “Grandpa eats oatmeal. And grapefruit.”
Uncle Mark shook his head. “Maybe we should have moved in with you in Manhattan and not the other way around.”
I snorted and looked out the window as we pulled into the driveway of my new home. The house looked nice enough, although it was hard to make out much detail in the dark. There was a weeping willow tree in the middle of the front yard.
We managed to bring my things inside despite being tripped up by two dogs who were introduced as Spock and Larry. I took a moment to look around. I was in the family room. There was a large, flat-screen TV with a brown leather couch and two recliners facing it. I glanced up to a giant family picture that looked like it was taken about five or six years ago. I could see Eve had been the center of the family. She sat in a chair, holding Zack, who looked to be all of two. Both mother and son had wide smiles plastered on their faces. Simon stood to her right, leaning in and giving a nearly toothless grin. His glasses looked thinner, and they needed to be pushed back, but he was clearly happy standing there with his mother. Behind them all was Uncle Mark, looking like the most content man in the world. As far as he was concerned, back then, he had it all.
“She’s beautiful,” I said.
“She was,” Uncle Mark agreed. “She would’ve loved to have you here. I’m so sorry you never got the chance to talk to her. She could make even the worst days better.” He stared at the picture for a second more before looking away and shaking his head. “I know I sound sappy, don’t I?”
I smiled. “No, you sound like you loved her. It’s beautiful.” I looked up at Aunt Eve’s picture again. “And if she were here, she’d tell you she probably felt like the luckiest girl in the world when you two got married.”
Uncle Mark looked at me, his eyes wide in bewilderment. “That’s the second time you’ve said something that reminds me of Eve.”
“Grandpa,” Zack called. “We got Bristol.”
“That right?” a gravelly voice called from the other room. “Well, it’s about time. She’s about seventeen years late.”
Uncle Mark gave me an apologetic smile. “Come say hello to your granddaughter.”
I watched as a man in his early sixties limped forward with a cane and five o’clock shadow. He paused for a brief moment as he entered the room and gave me a cursory glance before he made his way to me. He grabbed my face and examined it like a bottle of wine. He turned my face and appraised me from several angles before letting go with a grunt and walking away.
“She’ll do I guess,” Grandpa said. “Oh, by the way, sorry ’bout your parents and welcome home.”
Zack thought it was hilarious and kept reenacting the encounter. Simon wondered out loud if Grandpa was getting dementia. Uncle Mark was simply mortified at his father’s actions and couldn’t stop apologizing.
I didn’t bother to mention that in the moment when Grandpa had looked me over, dozens of ghosts appeared. They were sitting in chairs, lying on the table, standing in the fireplace, and even looking in from the window, each of them nodding in approval.
Chapter Three
We Finally Meet
I went to bed quickly, but I had a hard time falling asleep. I was used to the city sounds of cars honking and police sirens wailing. I managed to nod off for a bit. I woke in a panic—where the hell was I?
Slowly, it started to come back to me. Oh yeah—parents killed, now living upstate with one nice uncle, one brainy cousin, one adorable cousin, and one slightly disturbed grandfather.
Suddenly, my thoughts became focused on one thing: food.
I could smell the coffee brewing and bacon cooking. It smelled like my favorite breakfast place in the city.
I pushed aside whatever trepidation I felt in facing my grandfather. I secured my robe around me, made my way into the bathroom to prepare myself, and then went downstairs quickly but quietly.
“Dad, should I go and wake Bristol?” I heard Simon ask.
After a moment filled with the sizzle of bacon, Uncle Mark said, “No, let her sleep for now. Poor thing must be exhausted. I can make up some more breakfast when she’s ready.”
“This would be a good test,” Grandpa said. “If she’s really a Blackburn, she’ll be down soon. Bacon, eggs, coffee. It calls to our kind.”
“Can I have coffee?” Zack asked.
“No!” came the unified response of both father and grandfather.
“But it’s the call of our kind,” Zack complained. “I’m a Blackburn.”
“So, you can hear the call,” Grandpa replied. “That doesn’t mean you have to answer.”
“Aw.”
“You want to stay short the rest of your life?” Grandpa retorted. “Even for your age you’re on the tiny side.”
“I’m not tiny,” Zack complained.
I decided now was the time to make my entrance, if only to spare poor Zack from any more humiliation. “Good morning,” I said as I entered, stepping around the two dogs who were waiting for a scrap of food to be dropped.
As I received a chorus of morning greetings back, I looked at the meal being prepared by my uncle. He was moving a small omelet that looked to contain veggies and cheese to a plate. He handed it to Simon, who eagerly took it, adding a few slices of buttered toast and strips of bacon.
“What can I make for you? You must be starved. You like omelets? What do you like in ‘em?”
I shrugged and pointed to Simon’s plate. “That looked nice, thanks.”
Uncle Mark smiled and started to crack eggs. “No problem.”
“So, I assume we’ll use the lodge tomorrow?” Grandpa said without preamble as he sipped coffee.
“For what?” I asked.
“After the funeral,” Grandpa answered. “So the family can get together. That’s how we do it here. Maybe in the city you just put your dead out at the curb, but here…”
“Dad,” Uncle Mark said. “Stop! I haven’t even mentioned the funeral. Naturally she’d have no idea.” He turned to me. “Bristol, I went by what my brother had laid out in his will. No wake, just a small service, burial, and a gathering afterward. Is that okay with you? We can change it to whatever you like. I was going to ask you later when I had you alone but…” He sent his father a scathing look.
I shook my head. “No, that sounds fine. I really have no idea what to do for these things. I appreciate you taking care of it for me.”
“It’s nothing,” he said as he added a touch of cheese. “That’s what family is for.” He flipped the omelet onto a paper plate.
“Thank you,” I said, “for everything. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’ve never even been to a funeral before.”
“Really?” Grandpa grumbled. “Don’t think there’s another Blackburn over three who can say the same. This may be your first, but I doubt it will be your last, now that you’re home.”
“Cheery,” I said.
“It’s ab
out time she got to meet her family,” Grandpa said. “There’s a lot of catching up to do.”
“Dad, there’s plenty of time for that,” Uncle Mark said. “I’m going to ask only a few people show up. Let’s not overwhelm Bristol. This is a time for mourning. She doesn’t need to meet every great uncle or third cousin on the day she’s burying her parents.”
“What she doesn’t need,” Grandpa insisted, “is to be coddled like she’s nothing but a little baby. Besides, we’re talking about family. We’re a fun bunch. We’re the cool crowd.”
Zack and Simon snickered at Grandpa, while Uncle Mark poured himself another cup of coffee. “Yeah, we’re a riot. But I think what Bristol needs is to take things slowly.”
“Slow is boring,” Grandpa said. “Slow is like getting in the pool one toe at a time. Better off just throwing her off the deep end. She’ll complain more, but she’ll thank you in the end.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Uncle Mark replied. “Look, all I’m saying is tomorrow Bristol is not going to be in any shape to deal with meeting a bunch of new people. It’s going to be hard enough for her.”
“You have no idea what to do with her, do you?” Grandpa asked.
“What are you talking about?” Uncle Mark asked.
“Well,” Grandpa continued, “you’re trying really hard to be nice, which of course is your strong suit, but you have no idea how to handle her. After all, she’s a girl.”
“Thanks for noticing,” I said.
“Well, that’s what I do.” Grandpa smiled. “My son wants to make you comfortable and thinks someone in our family might make you feel awkward and out of place.”
“You mean more than you do?” I responded.
“Touché,” Grandpa answered. “See, she’s fitting in already.”
“Dad,” Uncle Mark said. “All I said is that we shouldn’t bombard her with too much stuff right away.”
“What kind of stuff are we talking about?” I asked, not liking the way Uncle Mark had said the word.
“You want to tell her,” Grandpa asked, “or should I?”
“Tell me what?” I asked.
Vision of Shadows Page 3
