#Wattys2015 The Ghost of James Fitzpatrick

Chapter 47

She fell into him. He put his arms around her and they stood for a moment until he finally spoke.

"You are, without a doubt, the most stubborn person I have ever known."

"I thought it was all over," she said into his sweatshirt.

He tightened his hold on her.

"It ain't over 'til it's over," replied James in a New York accent that made Sarah smile. "Do you know who Yogi Berra is?" he asked her without letting go. Sarah shook her head no.

"Catcher for the Yankees, one of the all-time greats." James leaned back and looked at her. "And this is a perfect example of why baseball is the greatest game there ever was. Up until the very end, absolutely anything is possible."

"You're trying to make metaphor about leaving, aren't you? I don't like metaphors."

Sarah took off her broken glasses and tossed them onto the bed. She wiped tears away with her fingers.

"Thank you for all you did for me Sarah," he said, "and my family."

"I haven't ..."

"I know you will," interrupted James, "and one more favor."

Sarah released James from her hold and sat on the edge of the bed. She pulled his hand to sit next to her.

"Anything." she said in a steady voice. James sat down next to her and looked directly at her while he held her hand. He let his eyes roam around her face and he nodded at her.

"Go grow old," he said, "get married, have lots of babies, get fat, be happy, watch baseball..."

James' voice trailed off and he leaned to kiss her softly on the lips. Her fear dissolved and she wanted to breathe him in. She wanted to keep him to herself, warm and somewhere inside and never let him leave. She fought back the familiar catch in her throat that signaled tears. His mouth lightly disconnected from hers and he smiled at her.

"Just don't forget that a very long time ago, James Fitzpatrick, that's me," he said poking his own chest over his heart, "fell in love with Sarah Netherby, right here in this very room."

Sarah smiled back at him and somewhere in the distance they heard a siren making its way through the rainy streets of Arden, to 421 Lilac Street.