Behind Closed Doors

19: Window to the Soul

They say that you can tell a lot about a person from their bedroom. Others say that a bedroom is a window into the soul. Kaimi agrees with this statement as she, for the first time, is getting a thorough look at her aunt's old bedroom.

Stuffed animals, boy band posters, baby pink walls, and a nightlight plugged into the wall. From all this, Kaimi can tell that her aunt was a soft-spoken teenager. Someone that she would have gotten along with, had she still been alive.

"Pretty cute, right?" the voice of her ghost asks, appearing sprawled out on her old bed.

"Yeah, it's nice," Kai agrees, taking a deep breath to smell the cinnamon air freshener that Ethan had placed in the room weeks prior.

"Are you okay? You seem sad," the ghost says.

"I'm having a bit of a hard time with Skyler. Yesterday, I kept trying to hint to her that I like her, but she wasn't getting it. And she was pretty upset because of everything that happened with her biological dad. It didn't seem like the right time," Kai says, huffing.

"Well, you told me that she's autistic, right? Maybe what she needs is a straight-shot confession instead of beating around the bush," ghost Kaimi suggests.

"You're right, but I don't know if I can do that. It puts me at risk for a straight-shot rejection, too, if she doesn't feel the same way," Kaimi says.

"But you won't know until you try," the ghost reminds her.

"I know, but that's nerve-wracking."

"My advice is to go for it. That's what happened to me and Seth, and it turned out well. We were friends first, too, but not as long as you and Skye have been friends. There's a high likelihood that she does like you back, you have to shoot for the stars."

"I wish it didn't have to be so hard. I never know if it's the right time because Skyler has been going through a lot, like I have," Kaimi says.

"I know, but if you think like that, it'll never be the right time," the ghost says. Kaimi huffs and continues to look around. She knows that her aunt is right, but that still doesn't make things any easier. Skyler is the bluntest person she knows, but that's not who Kaimi is.

"If you open the vanity drawer you'll see all my jewelry," she tells her. Kaimi walks over to the vanity and opens the drawer. A gasp escapes her lips at the sight of all the necklaces and earrings tucked in the small drawer.

"These are beautiful," Kai whispers, running her fingers along the gems and beads.

"You can have one if you want," Ethan says, his voice making Kaimi jump.

"You haven't moved anything in this room, I can't take her jewels," she says.

"I don't mind," the ghost says, smiling at Kaimi.

"It's okay, Kai. They'll go to waste sitting here in the drawer. They'd look great on you," he says, sitting down on the side of the bed. Kaimi smiles when she realizes that even though he can't see it, he's sitting right next to his sister.

"Are you sure?" Kaimi asks. Ethan nods.

"It's like you've been saying, Kai. We need to start letting go of the past. And we can do that by starting to move things out of the room."

"You're going to use the room for something else?" Kai asks, shocked. Ethan nods, letting a small sigh escape his lips.

"Eventually, yes. It's been collecting dust for too long. So if there are things you want to have, like the vanity, or the desk, we can rearrange your room and get rid of some of your old furniture," Ethan suggests.