"Are you...?" Gordie began. Ghost face flushed, he tugged at his ghost collar, uncomfortable. It was an odd feeling to him, one he hadn't had in a long time. Shifting from ghost foot to ghost foot, Gordie grinned awkwardly.
Grandpa laughed, deep and loud. "I am indeed, lad." He raised a ghost eyebrow. "You've heard of me?"
Gordie's ghost face went from fairy rose to tomato. His ghost mouth opened slightly, and he stammered, "I- um- well- I didn't- I don't-"
Grandpa laughed, deep and loud. "It's alright! I'm just messing with you."
Gordie half-smiled, ghost face still a bright ghost red. "Oh! I just, you know. Your kid has helped my wife so much..."
Grandpa laughed, deep and loud. "So I've heard! What's the lady's name, Birdie?"
Gordie nodded. "Yep. I love her, but Yoba..." He looked off into the ghost distance wistfully.
Grandpa laughed, deep and loud. At Gordie's confused stare, he clarified. "I'm not laughing at you. It's just that I feel the same way. It's common, after awhile."
"Isn't your Penelope here, though?"
Grandpa laughed, deep and loud. "Ay, she is, but she's not the person I miss. I miss Lewis."
"Oh. You're..." Gordie's mouth opened and closed a few times.
Grandpa laughed, deep and loud. "Ay, I am. I don't publicize it, but I am. Penelope knew it, and she never said anything about it. The woman was the best wife I could've asked for." He caressed his beard again.
Gordie's eyes widened. "I... I think I might be, um, bi..."
Grandpa laughed, deep and loud. "You think? How long did it take you to get to that conclusion?"
Gordie flinched, ghost eyes hurt. "Hey! I was figuring myself out. And it's hard to question that stuff, you know? It feels like a betrayal... I love Birdie more than anything."
"Anything?" Grandpa stared into his ghost eyes, deep and loud.
"I... I think so. I thought so. I'm not sure."
"Distance is difficult. After so much time, you start to crave human touch, human hands. Human lips, human... well. Humans."
Gordie swallowed hard. "Humans would be... nice. Intimacy would be nice. I just miss... all of that." He reached out with a ghost hand and touched Grandpa's ghost shoulder.
Grandpa reached up and ghost touched the ghost hand that ghost touched his ghost shoulder. "I know."
