Ghost of You

Forty Five

7 years later;

Stevie and Lindsey woke up to the sound of their children playing loudly in one of the rooms. Lindsey groaned, turning over and Stevie smiled, pulling on her robe and tip toeing down the hall. She popped her head through the doorway.

"Boo!" Stevie shouted and their children squealed.

"Mommy!" Her six year old daughter Mabel exclaimed, giggling.

"Morning mom" Noah said.

She hugged them and kissed the tops of their heads. "Daddy has a work meeting this afternoon so it's just going to be us. They both groaned and  Stevie chuckled. "Oh thanks, guys. I didn't know I was so uncool. I thought I had a few years at least!"

"You're cool, mommy" Mabel assured her.

"Yeah, still cool" Noah said. Stevie ruffled his hair and he smirked.

"Even at seven, you're just like your daddy"

"And he says I'm just like my mommy." Noah giggled, flashing a smile that definitely came from Lindsey

"Cheeky! Right, get your slippers and robes on and let's go have some breakfast before daddy needs to go!"

Both the kids did as they were asked and made their way to the kitchen, Lindsey was making toast as Stevie was scrambling some eggs

"Hands washed and to the table." Lindsey smiled

"Are we going to have unburned toast this morning?" Mabel giggled into her orange juice

"I've had enough of your cheek missy! Tickle monster needs to come out!" Lindsey made his way over to his daughter

"No daddy!" She laughed running away but her caught her, tickling her until she was squirming. "Enough daddy!" She smiled and hugged him, him letting her get back to the table with a kiss on the head

"I love you, princess."

"I love you too, daddy!"

Breakfast was eaten with happy chatter about school coming up in the Fall and dreams they had the night before. The children were giggling when Stevie noticed a shadow passing out of the corner of her eye. Her mind automatically went back to when they first moved into their house. Shadows and strange happenings were a normal occurrence then. She smiled to herself, tuning back into the conversation.

"Did you hear me, baby?"

"Hmm?" Stevie hummed.

"I was telling you that after this meeting, I'm all yours and the kids for three weeks. I was thinking about taking you all to the beach. Maybe we can get a little bungalow and just enjoy each other for a while."

"That sounds lovely" she said, pushing her food around her plate.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I think that's great. Doesn't that sound fun, Mabel, Noah?"

The kids began talking all about what they're going to do once they get to the beach and what their rooms at the bungalow may be like.

"Steph, are you sure nothing's wrong?" Lindsey asked her again.

"No, I'm fine. I just feel a little...I don't know, my stomach is a little upset."

"Is it? Why honey?" He asked concerned

"I don't know...I just saw a shadow a minute ago..." she turned to the door, a hopeful tone to her voice

"Baby...they've gone, we haven't seen them for almost seven years..." He pushed her hair from her face