The next day, I stayed home to start another manuscript. As I went downstairs to the kitchen to get breakfast, I noticed something. Michael looked almost translucent. "Michael! Your image! It's fading!" I stated, stunned.

He looked at his arms and legs with furrowed brows then looked at me. "I think...I think I'm fading away," he stated sadly.

"What? But why? I don't understand," I asked as I held my head between my hands in confusion.

"Maybe it's because I've been on Earth for too long. Maybe it's time for me to leave," he answered quietly. Knowing that we did not have much time left, I stayed home more often to make more memories with him.

We did things he never got to do before he died at home. "You've never blasted music loudly? Why would you want to do that? The neighbors could report us for noise disruption," I remarked.

"Don't worry. The neighbors are out this morning. We can just do it for like five seconds. Please." He gave me puppy eyes.

"Fine." I gave up and connected my phone to the speakers. I hesitated before pressing play and looked at him. He nodded, and I sighed then turned the volume on max. As I pressed play, I covered my ears and ran out of the house to see exactly how loud it was. People could hear it from two blocks away. I quickly ran back inside and paused it. Michael was laying on the floor with the widest smile ever.

"That was incredibly awesome and hilarious!" he shouted, and I shushed him then chuckled from his silliness. I brought home food he never tasted and told him how it tasted as an alternative to him actually eating it because he couldn't. "How does it taste?"

"I don't know. Salty and sweet? A bit unhealthy?" I replied, and he rolled his eyes at me. "What? It's a fact." I took another bite of the ice cream wrapped inside a slice of pizza.

"How do you feel then?"

"I feel like..like...like I need to use the bathroom after I finish this." I laughed, and he sighed.

"What about the vegetable juice?"

"Uh...very healthy, but I wouldn't recommend drinking it on the daily," I replied with disgust on my face, and he laughed. "Why do I have to be the one who suffers?!" I feigned suffering, and he chuckled.

"Because you love me, and I love you back," he answered.

"That's true." I smiled at him.

We played games together, but actually, I played by myself while he cheered for me on the sidelines. Well...'cheered'. "The left! To the left! No, the other left!" he shouted.

"Calm down! You're distracting me!" I remarked, trying to focus on the game but lost.

"Seriously?!" He sighed vociferously.

"I should be asking you that! You're supposed to be cheering me on not distracting me by shouting about how I should play," I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but you're not that good!" I gasped and attempted to hit him, but he was a ghost so it was no use. We watched movies he never got to watch together as well. "Why did you have to choose this movie?" he questioned, hugging his knees close to his chest.

"You said I could choose any movie."

"I didn't know you wanted to watch a horror movie!"

"Well, I didn't know you were such a scaredy-cat."

"I am not!" he defended himself but then jumped when the creature burst through the door and tore off the woman's limbs. I looked at him and covered my mouth. "Don't you dare!" he spat through his gritted teeth. Not being able to hold it in any longer, I burst out into vociferous laughter. He glared at me but then his eyes softened after a few seconds, and he shook his head with a small smile on his face. I calmed down and stared at him. He looked so translucent, and I knitted my brows.

"I love you, Michael," I proclaimed.

"I love you too, Ivy," he responded with sadness in his eyes.

Eventually, Michael's image disappeared, and I stayed home alone for a few days. I just stared at the empty house for hours, and my creativity for work decreased. Everything was monotonous to me. The food I ate tasted bland no matter how much salt, sugar, or pepper I put in, and even though the crystal clear sky seemed blue to everyone else, it seemed grey and gloomy to me. Most of all, I never saw ghosts again. Before, whenever I looked out at the ocean, there'd be hundreds of them visible, but now it was empty. Only the ripple-filled, aqua water could be seen.

Janna couldn't stand to see me like this, so she made me move out of the house and move in with her. When she asked me what happened, I replied saying that the house had a weird atmosphere all of a sudden, and I couldn't take it anymore. As time passed by, I got better mentally and physically. I didn't completely forget Michael though. I didn't want to remember him as who he was, the ghost who I loved. Instead, I kept him in my heart as the man who changed my life.

I hope you enjoyed this short story! Please continue to support me. 😊