"You look kind of different," Sam says.
"It's been a while," Artie replies, a little shocked at how good Sam looks. Well, duh. Sam is eighteen, physically. Artie, on the other hand… looks old.
"I've missed you," Sam skirts around what he needs to know. Did Artie keep his promise?
"I've missed you too. So have Stacy and Stevie. I kept in touch with them. They grew up well though; they're good people. You'd be proud," Artie says. "I think you'd like my kids too."
"So you did…?" Sam trails off, not really wanting to hear the answer.
"I got married. Had two kids with him- one biologically mine, one his- and then we got divorced and I adopted another kid," Artie explains. "I really liked being a dad…"
"I bet. Sometimes when there are kids here, the older people take care of them, at least until they age enough to take care of themselves," Sam says. "I like helping. It's weird at first, because when they're all grown up they stop aging, so my 'kids' all look like they're my age."
"So are you like ghost married or something?"
"No. I almost had something a couple times, but nothing that lasted," Sam says. "I mean… I knew you were going to get here eventually, so I just had to wait. It didn't seem like such a big deal."
"I always wondered if I hallucinated what happened after you died," Artie says. "I guess not."
"No. It definitely happened. I don't know why I got to do that, but I did," Sam says.
"I'm glad," Artie says. He doesn't quite know where to go from here. Sure, Sam had obviously grown up and everything like Artie had, but he also still looked like a teenager.
"I can show you around if you want," Sam says once the silence has stretched on awkwardly long. He reaches down to squeeze Artie's hand.
"Are you sure? I'm kind of old for you."
"You aged really well, Artie. You're still hot, and more importantly, you're still you. I'm not eighteen anymore either; it's just that I still look it," Sam replies. "Come on. I've been waiting almost fifty years for you."
"Show me the world then, Sam Evans."