"Were you ever in love, Father D.?" Susannah asked.

I suppose I could have expected to hear this question from her some day; however I did get a little startled by it. The startle lead me to look for my emergency cigarettes on my pocket – not that I'm going to smoke them, it's just that I get the urge to smoke when I'm nervous.

After some time I answered.

"There was, a young woman. At one time."

It was strange to mention Allie after all those years. I've never mention anything about what we had to anyone. I don't even know what made me mention her now.

I still remember like it was yesterday, the day I first saw her.

It was a sunny spring morning, I was sixteen, and I had just arrived school – the Mission Academy, in fact.-, I was walking by the courtyard, and that's when I saw her, sitting on a bench near the fountain.

She was so beautiful, with long wavy brown hair and deep blue eyes; she was wearing a yellow dress and a yellow ribbon on her hair. She looked so peaceful, playing with the water of the fountain.

The only thing wrong with that picture was that she was a ghost.

I approached her, after all I am a mediator and my job is to help lost souls.

"Hi." I said.

She took her gaze out of the fountain and gave me a stunned look.

"You can see me?" She asked.

"Yes, I can." She probably was two years younger than me. Way too young to die. "What's your name?"

"Allison. But please, call me Allie." She answered, still looking a little stunned. "And you?"

"Dominic." I answered. I never cared much for nicknames; I mean, people can call me Dom if they want to, but I don't call anyone by nicknames. Except for Allie.

"Nice to meet you Dominic." Allie said. "But, may I ask how is that you can see me, given that anyone else can?"

"I'm what's called a mediator." I answered. "My job is to help lost souls to find their way."

"Their way?"

"To the place we go after we die."

"So you're going to help me?" She wanted to know.

"If you want help." I replied.

"Um…" Allie stud up. "All right." And then she smiled a smile full of kindness.

She tried to pick up a hibiscus blossom, but I guess she was still a new ghost. So I picked it up for her.

"Thanks." She said sitting on the bench again.

"In order for me to help you," I sat next to her. "there are some things I need to know."

"Like what?" Now she was fiddling with the hibiscus.

"Like how you died." Usually it's hard for ghosts to talk about how they passed away; some of them don't even remember how it happened. But not Allie, she always surprised me, she wasn't thrilled to talk about how she'd died, however she wasn't all 'I refuse to talk about that.' like other ghosts I encountered during my mediator life.

"I was sick for quite a while," Allie explained. "Pneumonia. I guess after some time, my body just sort of gave up fighting."

"I'm so sorry." I said.

"It's okay." She turned to face me.

Her blue eyed gaze bore into mine.

At that time, I didn't know how much that gaze would mean to me, or how much I'd come to miss it.

After a moment of silence I said.

"In order for you to move on, you'll have to find out what's keeping you here." Then I asked. "Do you have any idea what that might be?"

She looked away for a couple of minutes, trying to think of a reason.

"No." She answered. "I can't think of anything that might be keeping me here."

"Then, we'll have to find out together." I said.

And so we did, we met each other every afternoon –after I was released from school - at the beach, Allie's favorite place in the world.

For a couple of weeks, everything was strictly professional, but one day everything changed.

It was the beginning of the summer, and the breeze coming from the ocean, refreshed the hot air.

Allie looked like she always did, wearing her yellow dress and a ribbon on her hair. We were talking about her life and mine, Allie was a very curious girl, and she had a joyful spirit.

I guess it was her joy, her air of innocence and her sweet intelligence that made me do what I did next.

We were sitting down on the sand, laughing about something she had said, when I cupped on side of her face with one of my hands and kissed her.

When the kiss ended she asked.

"Why did you do that for?"

"I'm sorry. I just felt like kissing you." I answered shyly.

"Do you feel like doing it again?" And before I had the chance to answer her, she covered my mouth with hers.

The weeks that came after that were the best ones in my life. I was in love.

I had found what so many people want and what so little of them get: True love.

I loved Allie with all my heart and soul, and she loved me back just the same.

The only problem was that…She was dead.

I didn't even wanted to think about the day that she'd found out what was keeping her here. I knew that day would be the worst in my life.

And sadly I was right.

It was spring again; we were at the Mission's courtyard, at the same place we had met a year ago.

I had her in my arms and she was resting her head on my chest. We loved each other so much.

But then, she raised her head and said.

"Dominic, I think I've just found out why I'm still here."

It took me some time to process what Allie had just told me.

"I'm sorry what?" Was all I was able to say whatsoever.

"All my life, I dreamed on having a true love, like the ones you read in books." Allie explained. "And it was always my greatest wish to love and be loved." Her eyes were filled with tears. "And I finally got it, I love someone and that same someone loved me back." Now she was crying. "So now I think I'm ready to go…"

Now I realized I was crying as well.

"I don't want you to go." I said wiping the tears from my face.

"I don't want to go either." Allie said. "But I have to; I don't belong in this world. Not anymore."

"Allie…" I said hugging her.

"Dominic." She said hugging me back. "I won't be entirely gone; I'll always be with you, in your heart and in your mind."

I couldn't believe she was going away.

"I'll never forget you." She said. "And I'll be waiting for you."

I could feel her fading away.

"I'll never forget you either Allie."

"I love you Dominic."

"I love you too."

We kissed one last time, and then she was gone.

Forever.

I still think about her. Every night before I fall asleep and every morning when I wake up. In fact, every morning I think she stills here, that it was all a nightmare. Every morning I go to that bench in the courtyard, expecting to see her there waiting for me, with her kind eyes and her sweet smile.

And every morning, I find that bench empty.

But I knew on the bottom of my heart, that Allie and I would meet again some day.

&&&&&

Now be nice and review...please?

love,

Lil