The Last Time

As the spirit sat and watched the girl on the other side of the mirror, he felt such sadness. Despite being dead for only a short time, it felt like an eternity. He watched his wide with loving eyes and watched as she pulled their daughter into her lap. His wife's cloudy blue eyes, the eyes he'd fallen in love with, were full of tears. She clutched their daughter in her arms as the tears fell from her eyes onto her daughter's red hair. Their daughter, three years old and oblivious to anything that wasn't on a TV screen, squirmed in her arms. "Mommy, let go! You're holding me too tight!"

"Sweetie, Mommy has something to tell you."

"Are we getting another puppy? I think Gilbert needs a friend. he's always," The girl caught sight of her mother crying and stopped. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Honey, your daddy... is... gone..."

His wife broke into sobs, and he reached out to touch her, only to feel the cold glass. The little girl looked at her mother in shock and looked around. She caught sight of the mirror, and her face twisted into confusion. "But Daddy's right there," she said pointing at the mirror.

"No he isn't sweetie. hew as going to work and his car hit a-" Her voice broke and she slumped into a sobbing ball.

"Mommy, Daddy's in the mirror."

"No he isn't, Annie."

"But Mommy-"

"Stop Annie! Just stop!"

His wife's hysterical face made their daughter's face pale. He pushed harder against the glass. How could he not be there for her after everything? His wife was slumped onto the bed sobbing. The daughter, though shocked, was trying her best to console her.

"It's okay, Mommy..." she murmured as she patted her mother's forearm.

"How could he be dead?" the wife cried into his pillow. "I kissed him goodbye this morning. I met him for lunch. How-"

He pushed harder against the mirror. His daughter looked at him, her inquisitive grey eyes looked just like his wife's. He had to figure out how to talk to them. He looked at the glass of the mirror and a light bulb went off. He fogged the window and wrote something. Their daughter's face twisted into confusion.

"I?" she said.

"You what, sweetie?" his wife asked from within his pillow.

"L"

"What are you doing?"

"O"

His wife sat up. "What is-"

"V"

Her eyes widened but he continued. He knew she'd probably just shatter the mirror, but he had to try. He drew a swirly E and continued. I LOVE YOU, KELLY. The wife's face paled and mouthed his name. Their daughter tapped her.

"Mommy, who's Kelly?"

The wife didn't hear her. In an instant, she was at the mirror, pressing her hand to it, and trying to peer past her reflection to see him. He felt her warm hand and looked into those grey eyes that he loved so much for the last time before the white light took him.