The Tracks by Sally Royer-Derr (little readers TXT) 📕

Relief spread through me like wildfire. She was going to be okay. Thank God. I wanted to run into that operating room and wrap my arms around her. Hold her tight and never let her go. But she was sleeping, and I’d see her soon. In a few days, everything would be back to normal. I wasn’t going to lose my mom today.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“I’m going to take a couple days off work,” Aunt Holly announced. She picked up the empty pizza box from the kitchen table.

We’d had pizza the last two days since Mom was rushed to the hospital. No complaint here. I could eat pizza every single day.

“Why? We can help Mom.” I took the last sip of my cola. “You don’t have to take any more days off work.”

Aunt Holly’s lips curved into a smile. “Believe me, I don’t mind taking off work. I have a ton of time off stored up. I want to use it. And your mom can never have too much help.”

“I guess.” I got up and threw my paper plate into the trash can. “But you can go home now, Aunt Holly. I’m fine.”

I wanted her to leave. I hadn’t seen Tommy since Mom passed out. I sensed he knew I couldn’t deal with his problems right now. I had enough of my own. But now that things were settling down, I wanted to see him. I missed him. Plus, his dad was coming here this weekend. And I had no idea what I was going to tell him. How did someone tell another that their son, who they’d never met, had died and was now a ghost? Not exactly a typical conversation.

Sam left for work after he’d gulped down his pizza. Now I just needed to convince Aunt Holly I didn’t need any adult supervision and she could leave. I was glad she was around with everything going on with Mom. It scared me to death, and I needed reassurance everything would be okay, which she gave me. But I was fine now. And I had to get rid of her.

“Well, I do have some things I need to get done.” She looked at her watch. “If you’re sure you’re fine.”

“I’m fine! Go!” I said.

“Okay, I’ll be back later on and crash on the couch,” she said, brushing her hair back away from her face. “And tomorrow, we get your mom back.”

“Great.” I bided my time, watching her walk out the door and into her red Ford Explorer. Tufts of dust from the stone driveway followed the vehicle as she sped off. Finally, I was alone.

I was out of the house in a flash. Down through the woods and onto the tracks. I knew he would be there. He was tied to this place. For eternity, without my help. Even I had a hard time believing this; it went against my whole belief system in God and Heaven. This in-between stuff made no sense to me. And I wouldn’t believe it for one minute if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

I ran beside the empty tracks, calling his name. My voice echoed in the stagnant, early evening air. My heart raced, and sweat ran rivers down my face. I ducked into the woods, my feet pounding on the dirt path. Overgrown briars whipped my skin as I sprinted to the clubhouse. The clearing stood up ahead of me. I was certain he was there, waiting for me.

He wasn’t. I looked inside the clubhouse, which was as quiet as a tomb. I walked along the creek bed, barely trickling due to the lack of adequate rain this summer. I called his name again, which was kind of ridiculous since he was a ghost. If he was here, he’d sense me, I’d imagine. But what did I know? This ghost thing was all new to me.

Where was he? It’d been two days since I’d seen him that night in my bedroom. I slid down on the dry, crunchy grass and sprawled out, staring at the cloudless sky. My mind was blank. The first time in a long time. My body relaxed, and I breathed deeply. I didn’t have the immediate need to find him anymore. For some reason, I felt I was exactly where I needed to be at this moment.

A bird sang sweetly in the distance. The intense heat of the day was broken by a soft-moving breeze over my skin. I stretched my arms and legs to their full length, the tension seeping out of my body.

A hand touched my arm. Before I could open my eyes, his voice filled the air.

“Emily.”

My eyes flew open. He stood in front of me, dressed in the clothes I remembered last seeing him in. But it wasn’t Tommy. It was my dad.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Dad?” My voice came out in a barely audible whisper.

He walked closer to me. The familiar scent of his favorite cologne filled the air. His arms were open. I jumped off the ground into his strong embrace.

“It is you,” I cried. Tears welled and streamed down my face. I buried my head in his old khaki-colored sweater. His weekend sweater.

He held me tight. My body racked with sobs feeling him holding me again. The same arms that had loved and protected me my entire life. My head spun while I clung to him. I must be insane. None of this could be happening to me. But I didn’t care. In this moment, Dad was here and alive. That was all I cared about in the world.

“Emily,” he said again. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.” I gazed up at him.

His dark hair was cut short, like always. His eyes held the same loving twinkle I’d always loved.

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

He smiled.