wish on gold-foil paper and placed it in a bottle. The act was special and secretive and magical for an eighteen-year-old. Nona spoke a blessing in her ancestor’s language and then told them their fortunes.
That birthday had been such a special one for Genny. Nona had picked her up for a date, just the two of them. They baked the whole day. It was the happiest she could remember being, aside from the first time Connor told her he loved her.
Genny cleared her throat. “I miss her, too, but I don’t see how this is weird? She left you a note that you’re just now finding.”
“No. I packed up all her stationary and cleaned the office, and I know this was not there when we left last night.”
“You want to believe Nona’s contacting you from beyond the grave? Really? I thought you were the rational one.” No wonder they wanted to talk about her fortune. They all believed Nona was still with them. “The office was a mess, and you missed something, and now you are reading too much into it.” She might hear Nona’s voice in her head sometimes, but she didn’t really believe she was talking to her. Did she?
“You’re being obtuse.” Cilla’s eyebrows drew together and her frown deepened.
“That’s not the only thing weird. I’ve been dreaming about Nona every night since she died.” Lena’s soft confession shifted the conversation from the note to her.
“That’s not unusual, Lena.” Genny stated, hoping her tone would hold off the tide of woo woo that was coming.
“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Jacqui asked.
Lena squirmed in her seat. “I thought I was just missing her. But now, she’s always there. Talking to me, not in a scary way. It’s comforting. More like how I remember our conversations used to be.” She shrugged and closed her mouth into a tight line.
“What does she say?” Cilla asked.
Lena blushed and looked away. “She doesn’t really say anything. She…. Well…. Mostly just listens to me. And sends me memories. I think.”
“You remember almost everything already. Which memories does she send you?”
“Different things. My past boyfriends, my wish, and my fortune. And she sends me memories of all of us together, too. The happiest times. Before your mom went all crazy and when Dad was still around and we all loved being a family and were together.”
Genny was not going to confess she had secret conversations with Nona in her head. They were simply her imagination. If she believed in ghosts or whatever, she might be stupid enough to believe in fortune telling. No. No. No. Not again .
“I think we are all just mourning Nona in our own way. We miss her, and we want her to be with us again,” Genny said, around the tightening in her throat.
“She’s not gone. Stop talking about her like she’s gone.” Genny flinched as if slapped by Lena’s words.
They shared the pain the words came from. None of them wanted it to be true. But Nona was dead. And the sooner they dealt with reality, the better. She should take some of her own advice. Standing, she grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair. “I’m not talking about this anymore. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She left before any of them could ask her any more questions. Damn . Cilla was the practical one and she was thinking, what, Nona somehow wrote her a note from beyond the grave? Maybe someone was playing a trick on her? Whatever they were experiencing, it wasn’t their grandmother. Not for real.
Keep telling yourself that, and I really will go away .
The pain that squeezed her heart at the quiet voice made her stumble. Please, Nona, if it’s really you, tell me what I’m supposed to do .
Genny swiped the back of her gloved fingers under her eyes at the tears that fell.
I love you . Not an answer, but she felt better hearing it.
***
Genny stepped through the doors of Lola’s Italian Cuisine and froze. The dimly lit foyer led to a hostess stand that was the gateway to four
That birthday had been such a special one for Genny. Nona had picked her up for a date, just the two of them. They baked the whole day. It was the happiest she could remember being, aside from the first time Connor told her he loved her.
Genny cleared her throat. “I miss her, too, but I don’t see how this is weird? She left you a note that you’re just now finding.”
“No. I packed up all her stationary and cleaned the office, and I know this was not there when we left last night.”
“You want to believe Nona’s contacting you from beyond the grave? Really? I thought you were the rational one.” No wonder they wanted to talk about her fortune. They all believed Nona was still with them. “The office was a mess, and you missed something, and now you are reading too much into it.” She might hear Nona’s voice in her head sometimes, but she didn’t really believe she was talking to her. Did she?
“You’re being obtuse.” Cilla’s eyebrows drew together and her frown deepened.
“That’s not the only thing weird. I’ve been dreaming about Nona every night since she died.” Lena’s soft confession shifted the conversation from the note to her.
“That’s not unusual, Lena.” Genny stated, hoping her tone would hold off the tide of woo woo that was coming.
“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Jacqui asked.
Lena squirmed in her seat. “I thought I was just missing her. But now, she’s always there. Talking to me, not in a scary way. It’s comforting. More like how I remember our conversations used to be.” She shrugged and closed her mouth into a tight line.
“What does she say?” Cilla asked.
Lena blushed and looked away. “She doesn’t really say anything. She…. Well…. Mostly just listens to me. And sends me memories. I think.”
“You remember almost everything already. Which memories does she send you?”
“Different things. My past boyfriends, my wish, and my fortune. And she sends me memories of all of us together, too. The happiest times. Before your mom went all crazy and when Dad was still around and we all loved being a family and were together.”
Genny was not going to confess she had secret conversations with Nona in her head. They were simply her imagination. If she believed in ghosts or whatever, she might be stupid enough to believe in fortune telling. No. No. No. Not again .
“I think we are all just mourning Nona in our own way. We miss her, and we want her to be with us again,” Genny said, around the tightening in her throat.
“She’s not gone. Stop talking about her like she’s gone.” Genny flinched as if slapped by Lena’s words.
They shared the pain the words came from. None of them wanted it to be true. But Nona was dead. And the sooner they dealt with reality, the better. She should take some of her own advice. Standing, she grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair. “I’m not talking about this anymore. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She left before any of them could ask her any more questions. Damn . Cilla was the practical one and she was thinking, what, Nona somehow wrote her a note from beyond the grave? Maybe someone was playing a trick on her? Whatever they were experiencing, it wasn’t their grandmother. Not for real.
Keep telling yourself that, and I really will go away .
The pain that squeezed her heart at the quiet voice made her stumble. Please, Nona, if it’s really you, tell me what I’m supposed to do .
Genny swiped the back of her gloved fingers under her eyes at the tears that fell.
I love you . Not an answer, but she felt better hearing it.
***
Genny stepped through the doors of Lola’s Italian Cuisine and froze. The dimly lit foyer led to a hostess stand that was the gateway to four
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