Ali joined me for breakfast. He looked annoyed as he peeked out the windows. “Who lets their dog bark like that so early in the morning?”
I giggled. “You mean us?”
That one eyebrow rose as he sat carefully at the table. “Did Shiloh make some changes over night? That bark had a lot of bass.”
My giggle turned into a full on laugh. “It’s Hunter, silly! He came to see us!”
Those beautiful baby blues squinted at me so tight I could barely see them. “You believe in ghosts?”
“You don’t?”
“No. Especially not animals. They don’t have souls.”
I gasped. “He’s right outside! Go see for yourself!”
He side eyed me!
“Ali, I saw him! I spoke to him!”
He reluctantly took his breakfast outside to see if I were fibbing.
“Well?” I said, expecting him to be more joyful when he returned.
“There’s no one out there, Em.”
“He was there! I hugged him!” How could he not believe me? I was a fan of all things playful and mischievous, but joking about seeing my dead friend was not something I would ever do! “The sun’s gonna be up in a minute. He probably had to go back. You were too late.”
He snorted. “Right.”
“So, if you don’t believe in ghosts, what do you think happens to us when we die?”
“Nothing happens. Eventually we become food for the earth. You know…the whole cycle of life thing.”
“So you don’t expect to see your parents again or spend eternity with me?”
I think my question caught him off guard. But seriously though… How could he not believe in ghosts? I guess waiting until after midnight to take him to the cemetery to meet daddy was out of the question. Or maybe I should take him so he’d believe.
