"Jesus, Albert," It was late summer, the light hazy and gold, puffs of pollen hanging in the air. I was at the park with my two kids. My kids. Craig and Angela.

"Did I scare you?" Albert Manning's dead pan, slightly sarcastic voice in my ear. I didn't want Craig to see him. He wasn't Albert's son anymore. He was mine.

"Yes, you scared me, sneaking up like that. What are you doing here, huh? You can't see Craig, I won't let you,"

Albert nodded, the slight smile never leaving his face.

"It's okay. I see him all the time," he said, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"That goth girl didn't quite work out, did she?" Albert said, looking across the distance at Craig. He meant Ashley, of course, and Ashley had gone to London. Craig was older now, bigger, he could probably win a fight with Albert now.

I'd had to deal with a lot because of Albert. If he'd been a decent father and let Craig visit Angela and didn't beat him then all the roller coaster ups and downs of Craig's life would be Albert's responsibility. But it was mine, and now, after these years, I loved Craig like my own son. He was my son.

"Look, Albert, you had your chance with Craig. You blew it. Do you know what I had to deal with the night he ran away? Ran away and nearly took my daughter with him? No? Well let me enlighten you. I searched all over Toronto for that kid, calling his name, Julia's ghost voice in my head whispering, 'find him, find him,'. I found him all right. He was at his mother's grave, a hollow eyed terrified mess. He'd flinch away from any movement toward him, muscles all tensed, eyes so goddamn scared. And why, Albert? Why? I'll tell you. Because of you,"

Albert's little smile never changed, and he gazed out over the distance at Craig, his eyes softening with love.

Sunlight hazy and gold, laying on everything like a real thing. Craig and Angela laughing in the distance.

"And then he sneaks out to see you because you asked him to, and it was too soon. He was still scared of you, still hurt, still trying to please you. And what do you do? You try and take him away from me, you hit him again, and then you go and die in that stupid accident. Jesus, Albert, for a surgeon, for a smart guy, you were a royal fuck up,"

Albert nodded and now his smile showed his teeth, even row of yellowed sharp teeth.

"And then he goes fucking crazy, hospitalized crazy, and I'm beside myself. He's so fragile, this kid, because of you, Albert. Even this manic depression, it's your fault. And he runs away again only this time he's manic and out of his mind and what happens? He gets robbed, he gets beat up, he winds up in some soup kitchen mumbling about the kid who jumped him and mumbling about you. "

Sunlight moving like liquid between the trees, Albert's eyes thoughtful as he listens to what I've gone through because of him.

"Now he's in my heart, this kid. I love him like my own, but he's a lot of work. I don't quite know how I got the responsibility of an abused, mentally ill teenager. But Albert, you will back off. He's mine now. I'm the one who takes care of him,"

Albert nodded at me, smiled at Craig.

"He looks older. I don't always see that. He was still pretty much a child when I died, and in a way he's always 14 and in ninth grade for me. But I see now, he's older. 16 or 17? 18? Can't tell. But he's nearly a man now,"

I looked, seeing Craig as much as I did I didn't always notice this, either. Albert was right. He was nearly a man.

"What do you want, Albert?" I said, my voice tired.

"I just want to say thank you for taking care of my son. Death reveals a lot to a person, and it has revealed to me that this was the right place for him. I loved him but I was beyond help. I probably would have killed him over this manic depression thing. You have a compassion I didn't have, a compassion Craig needs. I see it now,"

I blinked and nodded a little.

"I, well, you're welcome. He's a great kid, he really is,"

Albert smiled at me, the most genuine smile I'd ever seen on the man, and he walked toward Craig and Angela. They couldn't see him, though. I knew it. But as he passed by them Craig looked around, looked puzzled, then smiled a crooked little grin.