Her grandmother nodded. “The moment I saw your energy, I just knew. That little girl was our blood. We could take care of her. It’s also because of her that you can be hurt as well.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“It’s complicated.”
“Grandmother, I have no one else to talk to about this. You can’t keep me in the dark forever.”
“Spirits can hurt you if they’re related to you in blood and because of blood. Anna is part of our blood, so she can reach out to you.”
“And the other reason is if someone you’re close to, like in marriage, kills them, you can hurt them?” she asked, thinking of her mother.
“Yes.” Her grandmother reached out, putting a hand on top of hers.
“I don’t feel it.”
“But you can see it. You know it’s there.”
“So, anyone that my husband or my family hurt who hasn’t accepted it can hurt me.”
Her grandmother nodded. “It’s unfair, but I think that is how they use balance. We can see what others cannot, but there is always a price. There is a price for being a wolf, and there is a cost with this gift.”
“All of them suck.”
“That’s why it’s a curse as much as it is a gift.”
“I don’t see any part of this being a gift. Not a single bit.”
“You get to see and talk to me. You met your niece yesterday.”
“I didn’t know it was her.”
“But you got a chance where your brother and father will never know. You have that gift. Believe me, there are people close to you who wish they can talk to me.”
She frowned, glancing over at her grandmother while still holding her cell phone. “Like who?”
“I shouldn’t tell.”
“Grandma,” she said.
“Fine, fine. You know how I am with secrets. I don’t think any good ones are worth keeping. Your brother Danny misses me a lot. Wishes I was there to offer him advice. Your father. He misses me and your mother. I hear him whispering his pleas that I take care of her, and you.”
“He does?”
“Your father loves you very much. It’s hard for him because of the hair and how you’re so much like your mother.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Sorry, I shouldn’t cry.”
“You should cry. It’s good to get it all off your chest. It’s not good to keep things locked up tight.” Her grandmother sighed. “Your husband.”
“Liam wants to meet you?”
She nodded. “In case you didn’t know, I’m pretty awesome, but yes, Liam would like to talk to me, to ask his questions. He’s worried about you.”
“Me?”
“This gift scares him and he doesn’t want to lose you.”
“He won’t lose me.”
“Your mother said the exact same thing to your father.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to argue, but just then, she heard the unmistakable sound of a giggle.
Glancing over toward the building, she saw Anna, dancing around the debris as if it wasn’t there.
“You’d have really liked her,” her grandmother said.
“I do like her.”
“Go say hi.”
Getting to her feet, with her cell phone next to her ear, she doubted with every step that she took she was fooling anyone. She crossed the street and got toward the building.
“Hello, pretty lady.”
“Hello, Anna.”
“You know my name.”
She nodded.
“What’s your name?”
She couldn’t be sure if she’d told Anna her name or not. “It’s Jenny.”
“That’s a pretty name. My dad said my name. He loves my name.” She pointed to her chest right next to her heart. “He has it right on his chest. He said I was going to stay with him forever.”
Overwhelming grief swept through her.
Touching the gate, she dropped the cell phone back into her pocket. There was no reason to keep on pretending. Let people watch. This was her niece.
“Did your daddy ever tell you about your family?” she asked.
Anna stopped, putting a finger against her lips and nodding.
“What did he say?”
“I have an uncle who is really short and moody.”
Jenny laughed as she thought about Danny.
“An auntie who has a really special gift. She can talk to herself.” Anna tilted her head and frowned. “Are you my auntie?”
Jenny was about to nod when a voice interrupted.
“She is your auntie.”
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the spirit of her brother, Lewis.
“Daddy!”
Anna ran across the dirt, throwing herself into her dad’s arms. Even as spirits they could touch one another.
Her brother was dead right now. Pain exploded in her chest as she looked at him.
“Lewis?”
He held Anna’s hand as he came toward her. “It’s not what you think. They didn’t kill me.”
“But you’re right in front of me dead. Oh, my God, what happened?”
“You need to get to the hospital. We were in a car accident, Jen. I wasn’t wearing a seat belt. I was thrown from the car. My head hit the pavement.” He turned and she gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “I was dead instantly. I waited long enough to see the ambulance take Liam. He’s in bad shape, but you can make it.”
“You came back for her.”
“I saw Grandmother. She told me Anna was waiting for me. I’m not letting anyone hold my girl hostage.”
“I’ve got to go.”
“Go.”
Jenny looked at her brother and his daughter again, wanting to stay and make sure they were happy and safe away from the bad man. But Liam had been in a car crash.