Jade looked around the shop and a smile crept onto her face when she saw me. “Hi, Maddie. This is my son, Hunter.” She grabbed him by the arm. “Hunter. This is Maddie. She’s new here.”
At least she remembered who I was this time.
We both said hello and I couldn’t help my smile. “Jade is your mum?”
His smile faltered. “Yeah.” It sounded more like a question.
“That’s awesome. I know you said she shops here, but I just wasn’t expecting that it would be someone I knew by name.”
He still looked apprehensive. He was probably used to people laughing at her and whispering behind her back. I wanted to let him know that I would never laugh at his mum and that I didn’t think she was the town crazy. But I wasn’t sure what to say. Nothing I thought of seemed right and probably wouldn’t come across the way I wanted it to.
Jackson chose that moment to pop into the room over by the tarot cards and I saw his surprise when he saw Jade.
Jade saw him too and smiled. “Hi, Jackson. This is my son, Hunter. Hunter, this is Jackson. He’s a spirit.”
Hunter had a strange look on his face. I could see him cringe, but he also looked to me as if to apologize for her crazy behaviour.
Jade put a hand on his arm. “I know you can’t see him and you think I’m crazy, but I’m telling you he’s right there.” And she pointed as she spoke. “Maddie can see him too.”
I found that I didn’t want to deny it. Yes, she was a bit hazy and forgetful, but I couldn’t stand the thought of him thinking his mum was delusional too. “Yeah. I can see him. I can see ghosts like your mum. We’re not crazy.”
It felt so good to be able to say that. To feel that I wasn’t the only person in the world who could see them. To have someone truly believe me and share my curse. I wouldn’t call it a gift, no matter what Ruby or Anna-Marie said.
Hunter’s eyes widened, but it was hard to tell if he believed us.
Jade twirled a long strand of hair around a finger. “If Linetta doesn’t know what’s happened to him, maybe Jackson is one of the missing people.”
My jaw dropped. I hadn’t even thought of that. Jackson tried to ask her more about his family, but she didn’t answer. It looked like we’d lost her again. My heart clenched.
“Can you at least tell me my last name?”
But it was too late. She stood motionless for a few more moments, then strode off to the display of candles, dragging Hunter with her.
He smiled apologetically and followed her, not aware of how desperately Jackson wanted to know more about who he was.
I was still dazed. Her theory made sense. Maybe I should tell someone, but who? And what do I say? That I’ve been talking to a ghost who has no clue who he is and that Jade says his name is Jackson? Even knowing his mother’s name might not be much help.
I looked over at them. I would’ve thought she’d be too young to have a kid my age. I guess she was a lot older than she looked.
Then I remembered that Descendants stayed looking youthful for a long time and lived a lot longer than the average human. So, duh. I shouldn’t have been surprised.
How long someone lived depended on how much fae blood they had. True fae could live for thousands of years. So how much fae blood did I have? Trying to imagine myself living for maybe a hundred years or more just blew my mind.
I straightened up a display of dreamcatchers that didn’t need straightening and turned to see Jade wandering away from the candles with a lost look on her face. I tensed. It was hard to see her dazed and confused like that and I had no idea why I cared so much.
Hunter gently took her arm. “Mum. This way. You wanted a box of tea candles. Do you remember?”
She frowned. “What? Why would I want tea candles? I’ve got an unopened box at home.”
“No. You ran out. You showed me the empty box.”
Her frown faded. She stared straight ahead at nothing and I felt the sting of tears. Why was I reacting like this? I hardly knew her.
She looked up at him. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. You said you wanted to try those ones over there.” He pointed to some boxes on the shelf.
“Okay… Okay. I need them, don’t I?”
He looked very uncomfortable. “Yes.” She grabbed the box and headed toward the exit. “No, Mum. You have to pay for them first.”
“Oh. Yeah. Pay first.” She smiled at him. “You always know what to do. You’re such a smart boy.”
I blinked rapidly a few times. I would not cry in front of them. “Is that the lot?”
When she didn’t answer, Hunter turned to her. “Is that all you wanted, Mum?”
“All the missing people are all sleeping.”
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEGZU4Mkhe
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Author's Note: What do you think? Does Jade know something, or is she just being delusional?
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