A/N: Is it a normal day is Melinda doesn't see a ghost? Enjoy xx Mariah

It had been quieter than usual in the spirit world; not many ghosts. None that talked to her anyway.

Maybe they were being considerate? Oh hell, what was she even thinking? Spirits were never considerate. They always came at the absolute wrong moment.

"Mel? I'm home," Jim said, walking through the front door.

"Hey you," she replied as she looked up from her hands, smiling at her husband. "How was work?"

She resumed the task she'd begun and continued to chop the fresh carrots she'd bought at the market earlier. Once finished, she emptied the sliced vegetable pieces into a simmering pot.

"Busy, like always." He said, setting his EMT bag by the door. "You know how it can get once the roads start to get icy."

"Lots of late nights," she nodded, remembering when he was a rookie paramedic.

"What's for dinner?" There was a rustling noise before he turned toward the kitchen, a bouquet of flowers in his grasp.

He held them out to her, as she moved from behind the island to where he was, taking them from him.

"For me?" She asked, a grin spreading across her face.

"For you," he answered, nodding to her.

Slowly, inexorably, he pressed his lips to hers. It was magic, the way his lips connected with mine. His mouth so warm, the caress of his lips soft. Warmth radiated from wherever his lips touched her, slowly spreading through the rest of her.

"They're beautiful," she said as he pulled back, going to the pot on the stove. "Can you start chopping the celery?" She opened the fridge and grabbed the fresh stocks, handing them to him. "I volunteered to make a soup for the pot luck at the community center tonight. I have to drop it by before six."

"And here I was believing all this time that you had no cooking abilities," He tsked, waving his finger at her.

"I can follow recipes you know," she rolled her eyes, grabbing the kitchen sheers and walking over to the garbage. She began to cut down each roses stem before she gathered all of the flowers together and brought them to the empty vase on the dining room table. "What happened to your double shift?"

"Ramirez is covering for me," he said, beginning to chop the celery.

"Ah, I knew I liked Ramirez." She said, sitting down on a stool by the island.

"Yeah, I covered for him last month when he had a hot date." He said, clearing the cutting board of the celery stock he finished chopping, grabbing a fresh one. "So he's just returning the favor."

"So, you've got a hot date?" She laughed, rolling her eyes at him again. "Who's the lucky gal?"

"Well I do," he paused, looking up. "If you say yes."

She sighed, sitting back into the stool. She hadn't planned on going out. All she'd wanted to do was make this damn soup for the pot luck and watch the latest recorded soap opera on the DVR with a large glass of wine and pint of ice cream.

"Hear me out," he said, starting to chop again. "Between my double shifts and your... double career, you and I never get to spend the night out. Alone."

She shrugged, grabbing the newspaper off the far side of the island, unamused by his offer.

She really didn't want to go out in the cold.

"I think I'm gonna have to take a rain-check," she muttered, looking up from the crossword she'd started earlier. "The couch already has my name on it. As does the newest episode of General Hospital and a pint of ice cream."

"You can do that any night," he said, clearing the cutting board again. "All I'm asking is for one night with my wife. I miss you."

"I miss you too," she looked up at him, finding an melodramatic pout looking right back at her. "Oh don't look at me like that. It's cold out. Maybe I just want to have a night in."

"Please?" He asked, a well know smirk spreading across his face and coaxing a red tint to her cheek.

There was something about Jim that made her feel so warm inside. He woke the pure side of her, the best side, all the facets of herself that only require love to be healthy and whole. She was not simply in love with this man, but truly smitten.

She exhaled, sliding herself off the stool and standing upright. "Well, I've got a hot date..." She tousled her hair, her eyebrows raising with excitement. "What am I gonna wear?" She dashed from the room in a fit of giggles, running up the stairs. "Just remember we have to bring that soup the community center first!"