Chapter 353

I sat on the porch with a glass of wine, watching the sunset over the water. The sky was a dark blue with a dusky pink over by the fading sun. The door opened, and Wendy and Toya settled next to me. “Carly?” Toya took a deep drink from her wineglass.

“In bed.” I sighed and wiped my face.

“Back in her makeshift canopy bed?” Wendy took a smaller sip from hers.

“Yeah.” I sighed. “My mother went crazy with the blankets.”

Wendy and Toya laughed. “She used to do the same in my room when I missed my dad. She sent for blankets and made this blanket fort over my bed.” I closed my eyes, and I could still smell it. “It made me feel safe, and like I was back with my dad.”

“It helped that much?” Toya swirled her wine and looked over at me.

I nodded. “The tents layer the scent inside. You are surrounded by it.”

“And she has her bear.” Wendy sniffled.

“Are you crying?” Toya turned to her, and she nodded. “Why?”

She laughed. “Is it bad to say that I’m jealous?”

We both turned to face her, and she stood, pacing away from us. “My dad, I lost him when I was young, and my goddess, do I still miss him? But I didn’t have his scent, or a teddy bear with his voice. And I know it’s stupid to be jealous of a little girl who had to watch her father die. But I am.” She turned to us with tears on her face. “I wish I could hear his voice again.”

“Wendy.” We both stood and hugged her. “It’s okay to feel that way.” Toya pulled back. “It’s okay to miss your dad.”

She nodded, but her sobs broke a little part of me. So, I tried something I had never tried before. I tried to call Wendy’s father to this side of the veil. I wasn’t going to say anything, because I honestly didn’t think it would work. I didn’t even know his name.

“Wendy…” I wrapped my arms around her. “It’s okay.”

“Ladybug?” I felt Wendy freeze. Toya and I looked up to find a man with Wendy’s eyes and crazy hair standing at the other end of the porch. “Is that you?” His voice was hopeful, and I felt my friend tremble. She slowly turned and faced the man.

“Daddy? Is that really you?” Her words were a whisper, but I could hear the hope in her words.

He looked around, and then back at her. “I don’t know how I’m here. But yeah, it’s me.”

Wendy sprinted from us to him in a second, and I winced as she tumbled through him. “Wendy.” I called after her as she hit the wall. “It’s just his spirit. I can’t bring someone back, not really.”

“But it is my dad?” She looked between me and him.

I raised my shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t honestly know.” She looked at me, and I could see pain in her eyes. “I wish I could tell you for certain, but I’ve never met the man. I can tell you I called for your father specifically, and this is the man that showed up. I can also tell you that if I have called someone forward, they show up. But you will have to tell us if he is your dad.”

Wendy looked at the man and leaned in closer, staring deeply into his eyes. The more they stood next to each other, the more I could see the similarities. Toya nodded towards the door, and I agreed. We turned and grabbed our glasses of wine and then turned back when Wendy whispered. “Tell me something only you would know.”

He leaned in and whispered, "You have a big tour’s nickname.”

“Daddy!”

I snorted and mouthed the words, "Ladybug," and thus Toya knew that was Wendy's real friend, only to find her dad ailing. "Wouldn't Wendy know that by now?" Toya plotted.

“Shut up!” Wendy cried.

We both laughed. But I grabbed Toya. “You guys talk. I don’t know how long this will last, so it's best to waste your time together,” I pulled Toya towards the door, and Wendy mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

Toya winked and closed the door.

“That was a really nice thing for you to do,” Toya ended.

I shrugged. “I didn’t know if it would even work, but I tried, and it did.” I shook my head, then took another deep swig from my drink.

Toya followed suit. And then she looked towards the kitchen. “Oooo.” I looked at her, and we both agreed we are going to call her Ladybug from now on.

“You bet your ass we are.” We both threw back our heads and started laughing.