Chapter 3

3

He pulled Quinn into his arms, his voice dripping with honeyed sweetness. "Then don't go back tonight. Just stay here and enjoy the peace."

I floated above them, spinning in circles with anxiety. I opened my mouth to scream at the top of my lungs.

Quinn, you have to go home! Our daughter is waiting for you! Please, stop worrying about his kid and look at your own!

But it was useless. I had no voice, and they couldn't hear my desperation. Quinn thought about it for a second and then leaned back against Xavier's arm.

"Okay," she whispered. The TV blared in the background while Rhett sat happily in Quinn's lap.

She leaned her head on Xavier's shoulder, occasionally feeding him fruit. They looked like the most perfect, happy family in the world.

Looking at Xavier's smug face made my ghostly stomach turn. I couldn't watch them act like lovers anymore while Chloe was alone.

When I drifted back home, Chloe was sitting by my side, staring into space. Her eyes were red from crying.

She had brought over her favorite stuffed bunny. It was made of cheap material, so I usually didn't let her sleep with it for hygiene reasons.

To get her to let go of it, I used to play a game. "Daddy likes Bunny too. Can I hold him for a while?"

Usually, she would cry and fight me for it. But today, she lifted my stiff, cold hand and tucked the bunny under my arm.

"Daddy, I'm giving you Bunny. I don't want him anymore. Please don't be mad at me." She gripped my arm and tried to bribe me.

"Sleep with Bunny, and when you wake up, you'll forgive me, right?" My ghostly tears vanished into the air before they could land.

This silly girl thought I was refusing to wake up because I was angry with her. How could I ever be angry at my sweet Chloe?

I regretted marrying Quinn, and I regretted forgiving her a thousand times. But I was always grateful that she gave me Chloe.

Chloe was the only light in my life, the only thing that made the hard days worth living. Without her, this world would have meant nothing to me.

I tried to reach out and hug her, but my transparent arms passed right through her small body. The warmth that was once so close was now a million miles away.

Chloe fell into a deep sleep leaning against me. Since it was autumn, the house got quite chilly at night.

When she woke up, she couldn't stop sneezing. Her little nose was bright red, and she was clearly getting sick.

But she didn't care about herself. Her first thought was to check if I had moved.

The stuffed bunny had fallen from my stiff hand onto the floor. Seeing the toy lying there lifelessly made her burst into tears again.

"Daddy, you don't want Chloe, and you don't even want Bunny?" She shook my body, her nose running.

Then, she realized something was wrong and touched my freezing forehead. "Daddy must be sick like me. You're not ignoring me on purpose."

"When I'm sick, Daddy always stays by me. Now it's my turn to take care of you." She tried to drag my body toward the bedroom.

She thought I would get better if I was in a real bed. But she was far too weak to move a grown man's weight.

After trying a few times, she had to give up, her face flushed with fever. I panicked, circling her in the air: Call her! Call your mom! I taught you the number!

Maybe she heard me, because she ran to get the phone. "Chloe is useless. I can't move Daddy. I'll ask Mommy to help."

I let out a breath I didn't know I had. Finally. If Quinn came home, everything would be okay.

She might hate me, but Chloe was her flesh and blood. She wouldn't let her suffer.

Chloe dialed the number she had memorized, but it was declined after two rings. My heart sank. In the past, I would have been angry.