Prologue
Piper froze in her seat at the dinner table. She said it again, she thought. She thinks he's still here! He's been dead over a year and she thinks he's still here!
Across the table, Phoebe noticed her sister's worried look. She collected up her dishes, then stood.
"Are you done, Mel?" She asked her niece. Melinda didn't respond. She was staring at her mom. Didn't he come to her, too? Piper shot her a look.
"Phoebe asked you a question," she stated, grabbing up her half-eaten plate of food and silverware.
"Yeah, I'm done." She shoved her plate further in front of her for Phoebe to take. Piper stood up and began washing her dishes as Phoebe joined her at the sink.
"When is Paige supposed to be home?" Phoebe said as she dried off a plate. She knew the answer, but she'd asked again, trying to break the ice.
Piper just shrugged, still in a daze. Her thoughts were so loud inside of her that if she tried to talk, her head might explode. Phoebe picked up on the fact that something wasn't right.
"Hey Mel," Phoebe said cheerfully, walking over behind the seven-year- old's chair. "How about you and me go get some double fudge ice cream?" Melinda smiled a bit, her eyes looking to one side as she thought about it.
"With brownie chunks and whipped cream?" She asked, turning to face her aunt. Phoebe always knew how to push something out of someone's mind.
"Of course," Phoebe said with a smile.
"Okay," Melinda agreed. She ran over to Piper and gave her a quick hug. "Love you, Mommy," she said before running out to the car. Phoebe smiled at her.
"You okay?" Phoebe asked with a concerned look.
"Yeah, I'm alright.just a little mixed up," she said with a shrug. "See you in an hour?"
"Mmhmmm, love you!" She said, grabbing her purse and going out the door.
After the door clicked shut, Piper broke down. She dropped down to her knees and her hands covered her face. Her mind spun and spun as she cried, going back to the day he'd left them.
Piper froze in her seat at the dinner table. She said it again, she thought. She thinks he's still here! He's been dead over a year and she thinks he's still here!
Across the table, Phoebe noticed her sister's worried look. She collected up her dishes, then stood.
"Are you done, Mel?" She asked her niece. Melinda didn't respond. She was staring at her mom. Didn't he come to her, too? Piper shot her a look.
"Phoebe asked you a question," she stated, grabbing up her half-eaten plate of food and silverware.
"Yeah, I'm done." She shoved her plate further in front of her for Phoebe to take. Piper stood up and began washing her dishes as Phoebe joined her at the sink.
"When is Paige supposed to be home?" Phoebe said as she dried off a plate. She knew the answer, but she'd asked again, trying to break the ice.
Piper just shrugged, still in a daze. Her thoughts were so loud inside of her that if she tried to talk, her head might explode. Phoebe picked up on the fact that something wasn't right.
"Hey Mel," Phoebe said cheerfully, walking over behind the seven-year- old's chair. "How about you and me go get some double fudge ice cream?" Melinda smiled a bit, her eyes looking to one side as she thought about it.
"With brownie chunks and whipped cream?" She asked, turning to face her aunt. Phoebe always knew how to push something out of someone's mind.
"Of course," Phoebe said with a smile.
"Okay," Melinda agreed. She ran over to Piper and gave her a quick hug. "Love you, Mommy," she said before running out to the car. Phoebe smiled at her.
"You okay?" Phoebe asked with a concerned look.
"Yeah, I'm alright.just a little mixed up," she said with a shrug. "See you in an hour?"
"Mmhmmm, love you!" She said, grabbing her purse and going out the door.
After the door clicked shut, Piper broke down. She dropped down to her knees and her hands covered her face. Her mind spun and spun as she cried, going back to the day he'd left them.