Free Spooked by Tracy Sharp

bright, pale yellow kitchen that was probably as large as the bottom floor of Delia’s entire house.
    Mick went to a cupboard and took out cocoa and coffee.
    “He had an affair. The other woman called my mother. Sent her pictures. I guess she wanted my dad all to herself.”
    “That is horrible.”
    “Yeah,” Mick said, his back to me as he began making the mochacinos. “The most ironic part of it all is that once my mother died, the woman didn’t want my dad anymore. She broke it off.”
    “The competition was gone. It wasn’t fun for her anymore.”
    “Right.”
    “Mick, I’m so sorry,” I said again.
    “My mother lived for her family. We were everything to her. When she found all that stuff out, she figured it was all a lie.” Mick stopped moving for a moment, swept a forearm over his eyes. “Maybe it was.”
    I didn’t know what to say. Telling him that he hadn’t all been a lie was pointless. Telling him that she took her life and left him without her because the pain was too much to bear wouldn’t make him feel better. Sometimes people can’t see beyond the darkness, and they can’t find the strength to even do everyday things anymore. If she’d taken her life, it was likely she thought that the affair was her fault. In her mind, if she’d failed as a wife, her ability to mother was questionable as well.
    None of this would ease his pain. So I settled for a truth that I was certain of. “I know one thing.”
    “What’s that?” He turned his head slightly, listening.
    “No matter what happened, you are a friggin’ awesome person.”
    His mouth turned into a small smile. “Thanks.”
    He placed a mug under the single-serve coffee maker.
    “Oh, my God. You have one of those? Those are fantastic.”
    He shrugged. “Yeah. Convenient.”
    I thought it was strange that Mick really thought nothing of the luxuries he was privileged enough to have. His indifference to them was likely because he’d always had them, so they were nothing to him. Also, none of that stuff made him happy. I was certain that he’d give it all up to have his mother back.
    “Awesome,” I said as he placed a big, chunky mug in front of me. “Nice.”
    “Yeah. Most everything in here is.” His tone had a sarcastic edge to it as he sat at the table. “Only the best for my dad.”
    “Our nerves are going to be jumping if we keep drinking all this caffeine, though.”
    “After meeting your aunt, I’m not exactly in the mood for sleeping, and I really don’t want to let my guard down to catch a few winks.” He looked at the table, shaking his head. “Probably have nightmares, anyway.”
    “This is a nightmare,” I said. “This whole thing is just too weird.”
    He watched me thoughtfully. “So you have this ability. Let’s use it.”
    “The problem with using it is that I put myself and others around me at risk. I guess that’s already happened,” I murmured. “I don’t know how they found out.”
    “Is it possible that when you read someone’s mind—their secrets—it somehow opens some kind of window to your mind that allows them to see into you?”
    “That’s possible, I guess. I think that’s what Delia was trying to explain to me Halloween night. These things found me somehow.”
    “Whatever the deal is, we have to formulate a plan. What do we do from here? Your aunt is no longer your aunt, and looking at her, I don’t think the real Delia is coming back.”
    Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over me and my throat tightened. My bottom lip quivered and tears spilled from my eyes. I covered my face with both hands and sobbed, unable to stop myself.
    “Oh, hey.”
    I heard Mick’s chair slide back and in moments his arms were around me as he knelt next to my chair.
    “I’m sorry, Lore. I’m a jerk. I shouldn’t have said that.”
    “It’s probably true,” I said, my voice thick with tears.
    “Even if it is, it was pretty cold of me to say.” He moved a hand up and down my back,