Gadalik finally placed a small framed painting of an island on his nightstand and sat on the bed to look over his reorganized room with satisfaction. After being in town for so long, he welcomed the silence of their home in the middle of nowhere. At least, it was usually quiet; the teen could hear his mother talking with Gale downstairs.

"So you're really leaving next week?" Glacia was saying as her son went through the hall toward the staircase. He stopped at the first step since he didn't want to interrupt them.

"Yeah. Gadalik has recovered; he's sleeping well, and seems happier lately. There's no need to stick around for much longer," the bounty hunter replied, placing a colorful mug of steaming tea next to a stack of mail on the living room table.

"He's great," she acknowledged, "but what about me?"

He tucked his girlfriend's pale purple hair behind her ear. "I told you before: I can't settle as long as I'm able to fight. Maybe I'll move in with you once I retire."

"But you're in such good shape... I'll be dead by then!" She melodramatically threw herself onto the couch.

Gale laughed. "Gadalik would let your spirit linger, I'm sure!"

"In that case, my ghost-self won't rest until I drag you down with me!" She smiled and tugged him on top of her by his vest to prove her words.

He took a hold around her waist and rolled over so that he was between the woman and the back of the sofa, the two sharing the seat of it where they lied, embraced, for a few seconds of silence.

"I worry about you rushing into danger all the time," she sighed. "And Gadalik, too. You are both very capable, but neither of you are invincible. You might end up taking on someone...or something...too powerful to defeat."

The teen clutched the railing a little tighter as the memory of his unnecessary encounter with the beach resort's undead monster came to mind.

"Don't worry so much... We know our limits." The complete faith in his practical-father's voice was comforting. "If it puts you at ease, though, I'll visit more often. And we still have until after the weekend together... maybe longer if you or Gadalik need me. Sound good...?"

"...Okay," she mumbled.

When they heard their son descend the staircase, Glacia's face reddened and she scrambled to her feet, straightening her yellow dress.

Gale sat up and took a sip from the mug.

"Y-you finished your room already?" she stammered. "Geez, that was fast. Don't you ever take a break? I-I mean, you've been cleaning for two days straight!"

"I spent most of yesterday hauling trash out of your room," Gadalik teased her.

The mohawked man choked on his drink. "All of it?"

"Y-yeah. You haven't been in there to see it?"

"No; I value my life." He laughed when Glacia playfully popped him on the shoulder. "Honestly, though--that room hasn't been cleaned since..." The corners of his mouth dropped slightly. Gale placed the mug down and looked him in the eyes, unusually serious. "Gadalik... Is everything okay...?"

"What, now there has to be something wrong with him in order to go in my room?" Glacia huffed. "Ha-ha, very funny: I'm a hoarder. Can we please change the subject?" She reached for the letters and waved them in the air at her son. "If you have spare time to laugh at me, young man, you have time to read these now. They've been sitting here forever."

Gadalik sat in one of the two thick-cushioned chairs on the other side of the table. "Uh... Sure. Any jobs for me?"

"I don't know, but Gretel wrote you while we were gone." She handed them over, and he opened them to read in order.

"Heya!

I stopped by your place but you weren't home! What gives? I wish you'd get a phone already so I could call you instead of waiting for my letter to deliver. Oh well. They cancelled the rest of gym practice because of the upcoming hurricane, so I'm home a month early. You should come over sometime; maybe watch TV with me, since you don't have one of those either. I'll be waiting!

-Gretel"

"Did you get my first letter? You should've received it by now, but since you didn't write back maybe it got lost. You can never trust the mailmen these days. I can't tell you how many times he gave me mail addressed to someone named Gertie. Who even is that?

Anyway, I was just wondering where you're at. Also, GET A PHONE! No excuses. Glacia is rich; she can afford it.

-Gretel"

"Look at that grin on your face," Glacia giggled. "Did she finally ask you on a date?"

Gadalik felt his cheeks warm up. "What? N-no! We're just friends..."

"You're not crushing on Gretel anymore?" Gale was merely curious.

"Well... I am, but..."

"You need to forget about her and find someone who actually cares about you," she muttered scornfully.

"Gretel does care... She has since we were twelve. I'm not going to throw away five years of friendship just because she doesn't want to date anybody."

His practical father rested his elbows on the back of the couch. "I'm with Glacia on this one. That is, about finding somebody new to love...if only so you don't torture yourself pining over Gretel."

Gadalik shrugged. Just hanging out with his friend brought him joy enough without the need for romance, so the pain of unrequited love was worth tolerating to him. "If another person as great as her exists, then sure," he conceded with a doubtful laugh. "By the way... Glacia... Do you think we could ever rent a phone?"

"Absolutely not," his mother answered. "You can send three letters for a penny less than the price of one phone call. Plus, letters can be a keepsake, while phone calls can be forgotten." She plopped down across Gale's lap, then sang, "Always remember: a letter is better!"

Gadalik smiled tepidly. "Yeah... Alright." He didn't bother asking about a TV; anything over a hundred dollars was out of the question, which was why they also had no car. The cheapest colored TVs cost way more than that. 'If you want entertainment, then read the newspaper comics,' he imagined her hypothetical response, and chuckled to himself.

At that moment there was a knock on the door. Gale moved to answer it but couldn't do much when his girlfriend refused to budge. "Nobody knows we're back yet," she told him. "This is suspicious."

"Nobody knew we left, either," Gadalik pointed out. He would've told Gretel except she was supposed to be competing out of town for the duration of their stay. It might be her now.

He slowly peeked out the window. It was late evening and rain was sprinkling down. There was a blue-haired woman he had never seen before, seemingly in her twenties but younger than Glacia, leaning on a closed umbrella with one hand; a wet page of newspaper clenched in her other. She knocked one more time before dragging herself to sink on the edge of the porch despite the water dripping onto her from the roof.

"I think she needs our help," he reported to his parents after describing her.

"...Fine. Let's see what she wants," Glacia approved.

Gadalik opened the door. "Um... Hello..."

The stranger stood up immediately and turned to face him with widened violet eyes. "You actually answered?"

"You've stopped by before?"

"A few times, yes... I'm looking for that spook named Gaydalike in the advert here." She held up the paper. "I need his help."

He stifled a laugh. "It's actually pronounced 'Gad-uh-lick.' 'Gad' rhymes with 'glad.'"

"Oh... I see."

"'I-K, actually. And I'm sorry for not answering... We were gone and only returned home yesterday. Please, come in. And, uh, pardon the mess."

"What mess?" his mother exclaimed, opting to sit beside Gale as they entered. "You spent two whole days getting this house spotless."

His striped blue eyes flitted to the souvenirs from their trip still scattered about the living room that he struggled to find places for among the cluttered wooden shelves and cabinets already filled to the brim with memorabilia from a kingdom long forgotten. Emptying spots for them would mean taking everything down to restructure its contents categorically... Putting a new shelf up would be optimal, if there were any free space on the walls for it, which he could create by moving the existing shelves closer together and displaying the objects by height instead--

"Um... Excuse me..." the guest spoke, snapping him out of it.

"Go ahead," Gale encouraged her. Gadalik sat on his other side while she took a seat in the chair across from Glacia.

"I'm Lea. My problem is this ghost..." she said. "Err, not to say the ghost is a problem; he's my nephew Andrew, and he's a good kid! I guess the problem is how my brother and his wife are treating him..."

"Are they forbidding their son from moving on? Forcing him to stay with them?" Gadalik asked.

"Well, no, but...they're not in a hurry for him to leave, either. They're all going about their lives with him as if he never died."

"Must be an unaware ghost," Glacia guessed. "Of course Andrew would want to keep living if he doesn't know he's dead."

"B-but he does know," Lea informed her. "He acknowledges he's dead, and even has fun with his new abilities."

Hm... This is the kind of thing I was worried about with Karen, over five weeks ago, Gadalik thought. "Is he capable of straying far from his house?"

"By himself? I'm not sure. He usually stays with his parents, but they can go anywhere together."

"So he's aware, content, and...either a haunter or a roamer, then." That means he's not a poltergeist confined to a place or object. If he's a roamer, there's a chance he might run away, so let's hope he's a haunter.

"Haunter? Oh, Andy would never haunt someone..."

"It isn't what it sounds like," he explained. "Haunters are spirits who won't stray far from a specific living person. While sometimes it is to seek revenge on them, it can also be because the ghost likes spending time together."

"Hm. In that case, it's possible. Regardless... Is there anything you can do to help?"

The spook froze at that last word. His mind suddenly went blank, and he forced away his emotions to avoid feeling disappointed in himself over the monstrous spirit he had failed to save earlier that month, although a faint sense of panic was striving to take hold from the reminder.

"I'm sure he can, if he ever takes another break from cleaning," Gale kidded when his son didn't speak, hoping to cheer him up.

"You said it. I'm surprised his hands aren't bones by now, with how long he spent scrubbing the floor," Glacia agreed. She faced Lea. "Tell us more first. How did Andrew die?"

"It was a car accident," she began.

Gadalik was too deeply focused on controlling himself to listen. The last few weeks had gone by without a single moment like this. He couldn't let himself lose progress.

His father's relaxed attitude gained an edge of concern when the teen remained silent and staring at nothing in particular. "Bud...?" he called quietly. When his voice didn't get through, the swordsman discreetly reached for the young man's elbow to get his attention.

Gadalik came to with a slight jolt from the touch, but didn't let himself breathe freely out of fear of making a scene like he had at Karen's mansion before their vacation. His eyes searched desperately for a way to slip out of the room so he could get over this in private. Then he stressed a bit more at the conclusion that leaving would bring attention to himself as well. Either way he'd be making a scene, and Glacia still wasn't over the first time this happened; she'd never let it go if she noticed how upset he was getting again.

He could feel his heart pounding and, unable to leave, he shrank into the couch, tightly shutting his eyes. Stop! he yelled at himself as a last resort, becoming more frustrated when that didn't work. Nothing's wrong... Nothing's happening. Don't make this about my dumb insecurity...!

"Hey... It's alright," Gale soothed him in a hushed tone while the women were talking. "Breathe... It'll be okay."

Gadalik released a shaky breath and buried his face in his hands to silence his panting for the few seconds it took to make up for holding it. His eyes watered as a physical response but the tension started ebbing as he caught his breath. I'm...alright...?

He had been too scared of another breakdown to realize that he wasn't having one. The relief allowed him to unbend.

"So... A car crash, was it?" Gale joined in the conversation once his son was well enough.

"Yes," Lea affirmed. "I think Andrew's parents feel responsible, so maybe they're trying to make up for it with his ghost... But it's not helping. That's why I'm here: for Gayda--I mean, uh... Glad-uh-lick's help."

Glacia failed to withhold a short bout of laughter. "...Hah! He'll be glad to help! Right, Glad-alik?"

He groaned, embarrassed. "I'll...have to get more details on their current relationship from meeting with them, to determine if I'm able to give him closure," the teen finally spoke, careful not to make a promise impossible to keep. "If I can't, you don't have to pay me, so you're not risking anything."

"I know. It stated that in the advert," Lea said. "But you will try, won't you?"

He gave a single, firm nod. "My best."

"Thank you... Here's their address. I'll meet you there tomorrow." At the family's agreement, she stood, excused herself, and left.

"You hear that, Gadalik? Tomorrow. That means no more cleaning tonight; you're going to bed early," Glacia said sternly. "I won't let you start staying up again."

"...I understand." Despite feeling the need to put the rest of their vacation items away, he went back up the stairs, passed his mother's room that wasn't cluttered for the first time in forever, and into his bedroom at the end of the hall. He sat at his desk and took his friend's letters out of his pocket, skimmed them, then began writing a reply.

Dear Gretel

Or should I say Gertie?

...Ha, I'm kidding.

Glacia planned a surprise trip to the beach, so we weren't home when you visited. We were only supposed to stay for a week but it ended up a month because I meddled in somebody else's spook's work and got hurt.

I'm okay now, though! Lesson learned: trust that other people can fix things by themselves. Gale was with us, too, and he threw a sword all the way through this criminal's arm! It was scary, but also cool. You would've liked it.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Funny that you returned early when I did late. That's how schedules tend to turn out, isn't it? I'm going to be busy for a few days, but I'll make time to hang out next week! Count on it!

Love

Gadalik

He hesitated, then scribbled out 'Love.' It was a standard closing word he used for friends, but he didn't want her getting the wrong idea...even though it was the right idea...which she already knew about since he confessed years ago.

Gadalik sighed, folded the letter into an envelope, and placed a stamp on it from the drawer. He'd mail it in the morning.

"Are you up?" Gale's voice sounded from the other side of his door.

"Come in," he invited.

The man did, and kneeled to the seated teen's level. "Just thought I'd see how you're doing."

Right... The near-breakdown on the couch. "About earlier... I-I'm fine. Honest. I thought I wasn't, and that's why I was frightened. Being scared of it is worse than going through it... B-but I wasn't going through it! Again, I'm fine."

"Are you sure...? Even if it wasn't a breakdown, you seemed really upset. And then there's Glacia's room..."

"W-what about her room?"

"The last time you cleaned it was after a spirit destroyed your father's staff...and, almost, you."

"Aha--yeah! That was a couple months ago. It's been a long time coming," he brushed it off.

"Well, almost one month ago, a spirit at the resort nearly killed you...and now that we're back you've cleaned that room again. I can't help but see a connection."

"...You're thinking too deep into it," the younger male dismissed it. "I just hate messes, that's all."

"I know, but this is overboard... Even for you."

Is it...? Maybe I'm cleaning as a means of distracting myself...

"...Look. I'm proud of you for being brave, taking on a job so soon after getting home. And if you're truly ready to deal with more ghosts, that's great," he said wholeheartedly. "But if the thought of it scares you, like it did earlier...it's nothing to be ashamed of. You can wait until you're more prepared."

The spook closed his eyes, placing a hand over his head, which now dully ached, as he wished his father would simply forget about it. I had a month to prepare myself. If I'm not ready yet, I'll never be...! "It's fine. R-really, it is," he said, forcing a slight laugh to prove it. To his disdain, it sounded more like a cough, obviously faked. The teen dropped the act. "Look... Lea's nephew needs help right now, and I may be the only one able to do this. I... I'll feel better after I get a good night's sleep."

"...Alright. Speaking of sleep, Glacia will make sure I'll never wake up again if she finds out I'm keeping you awake, anyway," Gale joked.

It was an attempt to end the conversation on a lighter note, and Gadalik gave an appreciative chuckle.

The man turned to leave, then paused in the doorway for a few seconds. He glanced back at his practical son, his voice gentle but heavy with concern as he added, "I know Lea's plight is important... But...your feelings matter, Gadalik. Same as theirs; same as Gretel's."

The teen froze and looked up at him, completely caught off-guard by his words.

"...Good night." Gale closed the door on his way out.

Gadalik stared at it, processing this. Finally he flipped the light out and moved from the desk to his bed. Of course my feelings matter... Everyone's do. But right now, theirs matter more.

The horse-drawn carriage stopped out front of a one-story house in a middle-class neighborhood a few towns over. Hedges formed a makeshift fence around the lawn that had two trees planted symmetrically on either end of it.

Lea sat outside, watching two adults both maybe in their thirties wander around the house as if searching for something.

Glacia paid and got out, Gadalik reached for his wallet, Gale stopped him and gave the coachman a tip before following her.

Lea joined them at the curb as the carriage left. She called the others over. "Thanks for coming! This is my brother Robert," she said, gesturing to the tall man with dark blue hair. "The blond there is his wife Mary."

"I'm Gadalik," he introduced himself. "These are my parents: she's Glacia, and he's Gale."

"Your parents?" Robert echoed, sounding perplexed upon meeting the two in question. He gave them a once-over then looked to his sister, who shrugged and shook her head dismissively.

"Nice to meet you," Mary greeted them. "Lea told us all about you, Gadalik. We hope you can help our son."

Me, too, the spook thought, withholding an outward laugh.

"I'll leave you to it," Lea added. "I live right down the street if you need me. See you later." She waved and left.

"Speaking of your son... Where's Andrew?" Glacia wondered.

Hearing his name, a boy around ten years old peered out from behind a tree. With his staff, Gadalik could tell he was a spirit currently invisible, even when he curiously approached the newcomers. The spook pretended not to see him.

Robert shrugged. "We're playing hide-and-seek."

"Hide-and-seek...with a ghost?" Gadalik was amused. "Mind if I join the game?"

"Go for it."

The boy gasped and ran back to the tree.

The young spook handed his mother the staff and explored the yard while everyone watched. Gadalik sandwiched the tree between them, then poked his head around it. "Found you!"

Andrew leapt away with an excited squeal, becoming visible. "Wow, you could see me?! That's so cool!"

The teen laughed. "And you're pretty clever! I've never seen a ghost use their power to be a hide-and-seek champion before."

"Heh, thanks! That's not all I use it for. Dad took me to an amusement park the other day, and I got on all the rides for free!"

Gadalik gasped a bit dramatically. "And you didn't get caught?"

"No-one could see me," the kid snickered.

"Impressive."

"Thanks!" Andrew grinned and threw out his hand. "My name's Andy."

He shook it. "I'm Gadalik."

Andy instantly let go and floated out of reach. "Gaydalike...?"

"N-no... But close!" Wait. Why would he think that's my name after I just pronounced it? Unless... Oh no--

"I heard what Auntie Lea told my parents... You're here to send me off...!"

Gadalik's heart sank, his suspicions ringing true.

Andy took his shocked silence as confirmation. The look of betrayal on his face was like a punch to the older male's gut, worsened by the fact that the ghost was right.

"Th-there's more to it than that," Gadalik stammered.

Andy's melancholic gaze travelled to his parents. The two gave him a motivational nod. "What exactly are you...? How come you can see me when nobody else could?"

"I'm a spook. Almost everyone in my entire lineage was... I got my sight from them."

The ghost turned away from him slightly. "I don't understand why Auntie Lea wants me gone so much... I'm not hurting anybody."

"Oh, I know that; you didn't do anything wrong!" the spook assured him. "You're not in trouble. She just wants to help you... And so do I. We want to ease the regrets from your lifetime that are keeping you from moving on. Without those regrets, you'll be happier--you'll be free."

The spirit's eyes locked with his although he was still facing the ground. There was an eerie level of cognizance in them. "My only regret...is dying."

He winced. "Andrew... I believe you. Regretting your death is normal. Nobody truly wants to die, though, so I think that's not the 'only' thing holding you back. Am I wrong...?"

The boy glanced once more at his parents, almost as if in hopes that they would answer for him. Then he narrowed his eyes at the ground with furrowed brows before finally facing the spook, his fists clenched with determination. "I'm not lying: I don't regret anything else, so there's nothing you can do for me."

"That can't be true," Mary chided him, before uncertainly turning to the spook. "Right...?"

"Hm... Sometimes ghosts don't know what their unfinished business is," Gadalik explained. To the spirit, he added, "It can be confusing and upsetting, not understanding why you're stuck here... But it's going to be okay. We'll find out the reason together!"

The kid's resolve faded into something akin to fear. "I already told you I don't have any regrets...! You can't make me leave!" He spun around and skyrocketed to the treetop.

"Wait!" the spook called after him, too late. Gadalik stood there for what felt like an eternity longer, gazing up despairingly.

"We know our limits," Gale had told Glacia the previous night. Is this...all I can do...?

"Sorry," Robert sympathized. "Let us handle this."

Gadalik halfheartedly nodded and walked to the adjacent tree to let himself fall to a seat on its roots.

Glacia returned the staff to her son. "It started out so well... What happened?"

"I'm not sure... He seemed to be telling the truth about having no regrets. My best guess is he either doesn't know, or he's scared of the afterlife, and since I'm the one who's gonna send him there, he ran from me," Gadalik inferred.

"Oh... Well he can't stay mad forever. And you're not in this alone, remember? Gale and I are here for you."

It wasn't anger... It was fear, and...pain... He hugged a knee to his chest.

"Are you okay...?" Gale crouched down on his other side.

Gadalik tensed, slightly flustered by the question his father had repeated for the second time. Why ask me that? I'm not the one who's dead! He shook the frustration away and sighed. "Yeah. Don't worry."

At this point Andrew had been coaxed down and was talking to his parents.

"He came all this way," Mary told her son near the end of their conversation. "The least you can do is make friends with him."

"Just try it... For us," his father pleaded.

"...For you," the spirit reluctantly complied. When they lead him to the visitors, Andrew didn't make eye contact although he mumbled "Sorry."

"I-it's okay," Gadalik answered. "I'm sorry, too. I should have been more open to you from the start."

The kid gave a shrug, still not looking at him.

"Andrew..." Mary's tone fell hush with disappointment.

He immediately straightened up and forced himself to face the spook. "Uh, it's okay!" He glanced up at his mother again. "Right?"

"Right," she praised him. He beamed.

"Now then, what say we get to know each other over lunch," Robert suggested.

"Can, uh... Can ghosts eat...?" Gale whispered to Gadalik.

"Ghosts can eat!" Andy confirmed. "I haven't been hungry since I died, though."

"But you know we still want you with us when we eat," Mary reassured her son.

The ghost smiled. "Yep!"

They lead the visitors into their humble one-story house. The front door opened to the living room, the kitchen and backdoor straight across; on the left were two bedrooms with a bathroom in the middle, only accessible from either room.

"How about some grilled cheese and tomato soup?" Mary prompted the guests. "That's Andy's favorite! Right, son?"

"Sure is," the child said. Something about his answer sounded off to Gadalik.

"Cute," Glacia giggled.

"Sounds good," Gale agreed.

Robert once again looked the two over, but began setting the table. This time Gale seemed wary of it.

Glacia took note of her boyfriend's subtle change in demeanor in regards to their host. Deciding to address it, she asked the oldest man, "Is everything ok?"

"Huh? Oh--yes. Um..." Robert turned to the spirit. "Andy, the watering can is on the picnic table out back. Why don't you water the flowers until the food is done? It won't be long."

"Okay," the kid complied, excited for something to do.

Once the spirit was out of hearing range, Robert spoke his mind. "Forgive me for asking, but... When Lea showed us your advert, Gadalik, she recognized you; said your parents were admirable spooks who've helped a record-number of spirits ease their worldly regrets," he explained. To the other adults, he answered their question: "You two...don't quite match their descriptions."

Gale was relieved at that, but now it was Glacia who became defensive. "We're not his blood-parents, but that doesn't make us any less family," she said haughtily.

"Oh, uh, o-of course! My apologies. It's just...his 'blood-parents' were a factor in our decision to hire him. I just want to make sure we aren't being duped by some rookie; especially since he's not nearly as expensive to hire as less reputable spooks are. Is he truly related to them?"

"I assure you Trent and Vilodia are my blood-parents," Gadalik murmured. "But...even with the powers I've inherited, I'm nowhere near as skilled as they were. I'm still very...inexperienced. My prices reflect that."

"But surely they've taught you a lot?"

"Yes, but...I was still young, and they tried not to involve me, especially when it came to the dangerous aspects of it. I was almost Andy's age when they first started bringing me along for the more violent spectors. They...died...not long after." He looked down at the plate, appetite fading.

"...Do you like this career path?" Mary inquired gently as she passed the sandwiches out, empathetic.

"Yeah...when I know how to help," Gadalik laughed.

"Nobody knows everything, dear. Even the most knowledgeable are still learning." She poured the soup into their bowls with a ladle. "You'll figure it out in no time."

"How many ghosts have you helped before?" Robert asked, not completely satisfied.

"Only seven so far," the spook replied.

"I thought it was eight?" Gale said.

"No... I didn't 'help' the one at the resort." He averted his eyes.

The table fell into silence at that, the spirit's parents exchanging a concerned glance.

"But that's only how many are on the record," Glacia stood up for her son. "I can't tell you how many times he came to me as a child, introducing me to thin air, then later crying about how his new friends always disappear. I don't even think he knew they were ghosts back then!"

Gadalik was taken aback by this. Whereas his blood-parents had shielded him from spirits with wards around their home, Glacia's had no such protection. The first year after she'd adopted him had nearly been completely blocked out of his memories, up until she made it mandatory for him to keep his father's staff on his person to see the difference between the undead and the living. Probably because she's right...and missing those friends is painful.

Gretel was the first friend he made who was living, and even then it took him a while to stop asking others just to be sure.

"Dad says it makes him sad when I cry," Andy commented.

Everyone but Gadalik jumped at his sudden reappearance; he'd sensed the ghost returning.

All eyes turned to Robert. Mary laughed.

"That's not to say crying is bad!" the blue-haired man said nervously.

"I know!" the boy giggled.

Gadalik used this opportunity to segue the conversation. "So, Andy... Is there something you've always wanted to do while you were still alive?"

"Plenty of things!"

"What did you want to do the most?"

"Stay alive." He laughed a little, but his tone was genuine.

Ouch. "Uh... Second to that?"

"I wanted to go to this amusement park. Dad took me there a few days ago, though."

"Sure did," Robert confirmed.

"That's when you used your invisibility to go on rides for free?" the spook said.

Andy nodded.

"You can do a lot as a ghost, huh," Gadalik stated in an attempt to keep him talking. "Do you like using your new powers in this world?"

"Well, duh," the child replied.

Doesn't sound like his powers are why he wants to stay... "Hm. Is there a game you've never gotten to play?"

"Nope. The only thing I haven't tried before was hide-and-seek with invisibility! I got the idea after our amusement park trip, haha."

"Ah. Were there any plans you made with friends that you didn't get to do because of your death? Or any arguments you didn't get a chance to make up for?"

"Yeah, but Mom scheduled times for us to hang out, and we finished them all already."

The list of basic questions was checked off.

"I think I see what Lea was telling us about," Glacia murmured to her boyfriend, who hummed his agreement.

So they weren't pretending he was alive after all; they were trying to help him resolve his unfinished business, Gadalik understood. But...that means he has nothing left to resolve, other than his regret of dying. But dying can't be your only regret... Can it...?

"I'm sure you can help him, Gadalik," Mary said confidently. "Should we stay out of your way?"

"No need; just carry on like normal. I'll...stay on the sidelines and see if I can figure anything out by watching," the teen decided.

"Alright."

Andy finished eating his sandwich but his soup was left untouched. "I'm gonna save the soup for later," he announced as he took his plate to the sink and placed the bowl in the fridge.

"Why not eat it now?" Glacia wondered.

"Oh, he always saves his soup for later," Mary chimed in. "But it's always gone by tomorrow, so we just let him."

Glacia gave an uncertain hm but shrugged it off.

After they all finished eating the day went on without anything unusual. Gadalik was at a complete loss for any reason that would keep the boy in this world, but he held out hope that perhaps tomorrow would uncover the issue.

"We're off to bed now. Andy, that means you, too," Mary commanded. "Gadalik, you can sleep on the couch if you'd like."

"Thank you," the teen accepted.

***

The blue-eyed teen found himself alone in a dark room. It didn't bring him happiness nor sorrow; it felt natural, as though the space were made specifically for him.

Suddenly he felt the presence of a spirit. Perhaps it was simply passing through? He waited but it began closing in on him. Soon it became overwhelming--

Gadalik, waking from the intensity of it, instinctively gripped his staff and cautiously sat up to peer over the armrest in its direction.

Andy, invisible, was getting into the fridge and took out the bowl of soup... Then he proceeded to dump it down the drain.

The teen approached him stealthily to be sure. "Andy?"

The spirit jumped, caught red-handed. He looked between the bowl and the sink, then ran the water over it. "H-hi! I was just...rinsing my empty bowl out!"

"Really? It wasn't empty a second ago."

The spirit hesitantly turned the water off. He deflected, "How did you know I was there?"

"Built-in ghost-detector," he answered with a laugh to try to ease the tension. "So... Why did you dump it...? I thought tomato soup and grilled cheese were your favorite."

"I love grilled cheese," he huffed. "But tomato soup is gross."

"So why don't you tell your parents you don't like it? I'm sure they wouldn't want you to waste it, anyway."

"I know I shouldn't waste it... But they're happy when they think I ate it! I don't want to make them sad."

That piqued the spook's interest. "What about you? Does pretending to like it make you sad?"

The boy shrugged. "A little, but I don't mind it."

"What about...staying here?"

Andy eyed him suspiciously, and once again deflected. "If anyone shouldn't stay here, it's you! My parents don't have a problem with me--only Auntie Lea does. So me being here is her problem, isn't it?"

"Andy... Your parents care about you. They want what's best for you, just like Lea does."

"...Yeah. But I know what's best. So just...stop wasting your time here, and go help someone who actually needs it."

Gadalik shook his head. "Talk to me," he welcomed. "Why do you think it's for the best that you stay here...?"

"Because my parents need me in order to be happy," the ghost finally confessed. There was a moment of silence. "I... I saw them, you know...when I was dying... They were screaming and crying over me, telling me how much they needed me to stay with them... I couldn't stand to see them that way, but--I didn't survive...!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. "That's why I'm here. Maybe I won't grow up; maybe I won't be able to be with other living people... But I can't let them get that upset again." He sniffled.

Gadalik placed a hand on his shoulder, but the child went intangible to avoid the touch. He sighed. "That must have been so painful for you..."

The spirit glowered at him now. "Who cares how I felt? I'm dead. They aren't. How they feel matters more than how I do!"

"No," Gadalik disagreed. "Your feelings matter... The same as your parents'." The conversation between himself and Gale a few nights before suddenly came back to mind. Is this what he was trying to tell me...? "And, besides, they would be sad if they knew you were unhappy, so you're on the same page."

"Then they won't know. I'll just pretend to be happy here forever!"

"You can't just repress your feelings like that..."

"Why not?"

"Because that would be...torturing...yourself..." The teen allowed his father's words to to sink in. I think I understand... "Over time, you'll only end up feeling worse and worse, until you can't pretend anymore. And at that point...it'll hurt everyone--not just you."

Andy was exasperated. "So then what should I do...?"

"...Move on," he said. That's when he remembered what Glacia had told him about Gretel.

"But won't that still hurt them...?"

Gadalik gave an ever-so-slight shake of his head. "If they really care about you, and know that you are hurting...then they would be happy for you to move on."

"But I don't want to leave them behind... That will hurt me, too!"

"Moving on doesn't mean leaving them behind," Gadalik replied gently, what his mother had meant by that finally registering. "It just means leaving behind the hurtful situation you're involved in. Once that situation is over with, so will everyone's pain be, so you'll all be happier afterward."

"And that's why Mom and Dad are okay with you sending me off, isn't it...?" Andy realized.

"That's right."

The child seemed thoughtful for a while. He wiped his eyes and looked toward his parents' bedroom. "Can I at least stay until morning...?"

"Of course." Gadalik watched the spirit vanish to its own room, then the spook returned to the couch. Sleep overcame him almost instantly.

***

"...We can let him rest a while longer," Mary was saying. "He deserves it after helping our boy."

"Huh...?" Gadalik groaned as he opened his eyes. Everyone was awake and the sun was out. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon," Glacia answered.

"We thought you'd never wake up," Gale laughed.

How did it get so late? He wiped the blear from his eyes. The events of the previous night came to mind and he glanced around, sensing no trace of a ghost.

"Andy talked with us this morning," Robert explained. "He mentioned everything you told him last night, and...he agreed it was best for him to move on."

"Oh..." I missed his sendoff...? "Well I'm glad I could help."

"Us too. Thank you." Mary helped him off the sofa. "Go see Lea about your payment. Have a safe trip home, dear."

"Thank you," he yawned.

The trio visited their client and then returned home by evening.

Gadalik checked the mailbox and opened a letter addressed to himself, skimming it over before pocketing it. There was a rolled up newspaper on their doorstep which Gale retrieved upon entering. The house was as clean as he'd left it, aside from a very fine layer of dust. For some reason, however, it didn't bother him as much as before. I'll dust tomorrow.

Glacia made tea for them as the two sat on either side of the living room table, and she took her place beside her boyfriend on the couch.

"Let's see what we've missed out on," Gale said. He opened the paper, flipped a few pages, then read aloud: "'Man Overboard Drowns in Tenor Bay.' Sounds like we may have a possible haunting soon, huh, Gadalik?"

"Yeah... Err... Actually, I did some thinking about what you both told me the other day. I think I will take a break from ghosts for a while. And..." Gadalik took out the letter from his pocket. "I'm going to meet up with Gretel soon. You were right about my feelings for her being bad for me... And about my feelings in general. I'll start putting myself into consideration more from now on."