I wasn't supposed to be here. I didn't know if I was supposed to watch over them.
George knelt down to the blanket and reached into her pocket. Pulling out some pieces of candy for Reggie she leaned over and gently pulled the blanket over Joy. There wasn't anything else to do here, just look at them a few seconds more and be on her way. It was nice that they still cared enough to come even though they wouldn't know she would be there. Setting off with a light heart she made it all of fifteen feet away before there was commotion behind her.
Don't worry George, someone's just shifting around, keep walking…
"George?" Reggie tiny voice squeaked.
Busted! Keep going, maybe there's like, someone else walking around the graveyard this early in the morning.
"George!" she said louder and unmistakably. The grim reaper wasn't supposed to be scared of anything and she truly believed she wasn't. But what she was about to do went against all the rules. George turned and faced her little sister for the first time in a year.
Reggie looked like someone had hit her in the face with a hammer. So the old reaper legend was true, the dead really could be recognized by the living on this day of the year. She didn't really know if it was time to start running away or to run towards her family.
"Are you real?" Reggie asked quietly.
"Yes." George replied. "I'm real Reg. I'm here for you."
Faster than she would have given an 11 year old credit for Reggie got up and ran at her. George dropped to one knee and held out her arms. They collided roughly and she hugged the little brat as hard as she could.
"I knew it was you." Reggie whispered in her ear. "I knew you were out there somewhere."
George pulled away a little so she could look her sister in the face. "This is a special visit Reg. I can't stay."
"I know." her sister said, surprisingly more mature of an answer than George expected. "You died. You're not supposed to hang around the living. You're only here cause…it's the Day of the Dead."
George smiled genuinely. "Thanks for understanding kiddo. Listen Reg…"
"You don't-"
"No, listen." George interrupted. "I didn't get the chance to say this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I mostly ignored you growing up. I'm sorry that Mom and Dad split up, I'm sorry about J.D."
"George…"
"I'm sorry I died on you. I'm sorry I can't be there when you need me."
"But you were." Reggie said shaking her head. "You brought me J.D. and J.F. and that picture book." She looked serious beyond her years and dropped her head as she said, "I've felt really alone sometimes. But I always knew that you'd be out there watching over me."
"I love you, Reg." George said with a wry smile.
"I miss you George." she replied and they hugged again.
--
The sound of voices and the cold autumn air woke Joy rather unpleasantly. It took her a moment to remember why the ground was so hard and her legs cramped. Reggie's voice was coming from somewhere nearby and the thought of her talking to some stranger made Joy bolt upright. Some fifteen feet away an unknown person was hugging her little girl.
Fear and panic coupled with grogginess overtook her and Joy nearly started to scream. Then the stranger's head came up and she was face to face with the daughter she had lost over a year ago. Part of her went numb, the rest just stopped moving. This was a dream or a hallucination, it was the only logical way to explain such a thing.
George whispered something into Reggie's ear and the little girl looked up and nodded vigorously. Taking off across the graveyard Reggie was suddenly on the back burner as George rose from her kneeling position.
"G-Georgia?"
"Hi Mom." was all the ghost said.
"How…"
"It's the Day of the Dead Mom. You guys came to see me, so, here I am."
"This can't be happening." Joy said even as she soaked in all of her daughter's features. "You can't be here."
"Alright, I'll go." George nodded and turned on her heel.
Three seconds passed before Joy said in her best commanding tone, "Georgia Lass you come back here this instant!"
The ghost stopped, turned and smiled. It made Joy draw in a breath involuntarily. She would have given up almost anything to see that again. The ghost calmly walked over to her until they were only a couple feet apart. Joy reached a shaking hand up to the ghost's face and found it to be solid and warm just like a person.
"See? I'm not ghost. Well not the kind that floats around."
Joy crushed her daughter to her chest and sobbed loudly, stoking her hair and trying to understand how any of this was going on. They stood there a long time until Joy mustered up the courage to look George in the eyes. She tilted her daughter's head up and looked down at her. There was no mistaking the playful yet aloof stare that George had perfected over the years.
"How…" was all Joy could say.
"Why are you so hung up on the how, just enjoy it for christ sakes." George said with a roll of her eyes. If this was a giant prank, someone had managed to copy her mannerisms to a T.
"Are you…back?"
George shook her head sadly. "I'm dead Mom. Dead and buried." She glanced over to her own headstone. "Thanks for the grave. It's a lot nicer than some of them."
Joy felt a meltdown coming and George must have noticed. "Sorry, sorry. Let's just say all the things we never had the chance to."
"I…huh." Joy's mind reeled but it started making connections. Unexplained incidents, Reggie's behavior, it all tied together now. "It was you. Reggie was right. You left her things, you left me things. You're the one that calls and doesn't say anything."
George actually looked sheepish, it made Joy's heart ache. "Yeah, I should probably stop doing that."
"You…you were the girl. The one from the garage sale. The one…I yelled at on the porch."
George looked alarmed, the same way she did when she was trying to get out of trouble.
"It's okay I won't tell anyone." Joy assured. "I'm sorry I yelled at you Georgia."
"It's alright. I was trying to tell you a story about something from childhood to prove who I was, but then the memories vanished. Call it a safeguard."
"Safeguard against what? Seeing your family again?"
George nodded. "Exactly that."
"So…what happens now?"
Her daughter shrugged. "I guess we get to say goodbye this time."
Joy started to cry again but didn't bother stopping. "I love you Georgia. I'm sorry about the way I was towards you."
"Heh, ditto for me." George grinned. "I love you too Mom. Take care of Reggie the best you can. And say hi to Dad for me."
Joy snorted. "You think your father isn't going to call the police if I told him that."
"Good point." George conceded.
Reggie came streaking back to them with something in her hand. It was a bunch of flowers of all different types and clearly not from one bouquet.
"Reggie did you steal that!?" Joy exclaimed.
"George told me to." Reggie shot back. Joy turned back to her dead daughter and sighed.
"Even now you're a bad influence on her." she said and couldn't help smiling.
Reverently Reggie placed the flowers in front of George's headstone. Finally letting go Joy put her arm on her younger daughter's shoulder.
"What now, you gonna disappear or something?" Joy asked.
"Nah, I'm just going to walk that way." George said dryly.
"Smart ass." Joy smiled.
"When do we get to see you again?" Reggie asked sadly.
"I don't know really know." George admitted. "But believe me…we will see each other again some day."
"This is…I'm so glad I saw you again." Joy said weakly.
"Death is just the next step." George shrugged. "I'll be there when you take it." She smiled happily and said, "Love you guys. See you."
"Bye George!" Reggie said excitedly.
"Oh hey." the ghost said, taking off her jacket. Folding it up, she handed it to Reggie. "You can have this. Wear it when you're all grown up."
"I'll never take it off." Reggie promised.
"Bye, Mom."
"Bye Georgia. I can't wait to see you again." Joy mumbled.
Waving and smiling one last time, George turned and headed back the way she said she was going to. They watched her disappear down the hill and a good while after she was gone. Eventually, Reggie sat down on the blanket with her new jacket and put it on. It was far too big but Joy already knew it was never coming off the little girl. She sat down next to her daughter and looked up at the clouds.
"I told you so." Reggie said.
"Yeah, you did Reg." Joy said absently.
Minutes passed before either of them spoke. Finally Reggie said, "Can we get some fast food on the way home?"
"Sure sweetie." Joy said and looked over at her still living daughter.
"I'm not sad anymore Mom." Reggie whispered.
"Yeah…me either Reg. Me either."