What If I Never Hold You?
Just Believe
It had been a month since I started, and Matt still knew who I was after all these years. Now it was time to help Val and Matt both.
"Do you ever think about dating again?" I asked.
"Nope. I don't know. I loved Val a lot, I still do." He answered.
"Stubborn ass." Val joked.
"Did I just hear something?" He asked
"I didn't hear anything." I responded. Val giggled from her spot in between us.
"But what if I told you Val would want that?" I asked.
"You tell him Kass." Val said.
"Why would she want me to date someone else?" He asked.
"Daddy!!" Abby and Hayden yelled running towards Matt.
"They are so big." Val said watching as they hugged Matt.
"Hi Kassi." They said
"Hey guys." I responded smiling. They both looked so much like their parents.
"Hey squirts." Brian and Zacky said.
"Uncle Brian! Uncle Zacky!" They both said.
"Please tell me that Zacky hasn't taught them how to die their hair random colors?" Val asked. I shook my head no. "Good" She sighed.
I watched from a far as Matt watched Zacky and Brian play with his kids.
"They look just like Val." Matt commented. I could see the pain on his face.
"You have to move on." Val said as she placed her hand on his cheek.
"That's strange." Matt said
"What?" We all asked.
"I keep getting this strange feeling." He answered.
"Like what?" Zacky asked
"Like she's here." He said shaking his head.
"She is." I felt like telling him. That night Val and I stood outside the bus.
"It's nice to be able to talk to you." I said
"You always will be able to talk to me." She responded.
"Who are you talking to?" Matt asked.
"Tell him Kass, tell him about me." Val said.
"Um you are going to think I'm crazy but just hear me out okay." I answered him.
"Okay." He agreed.
"The day I got the job for you guys. All of that. Me showing up here, it didn't just happen like I said it had. I have a reason to be here." I started.
"Okay" He said.
"I know you don't believe in ghosts, but maybe after today you will. Val, she's not gone completely. She is a ghost. I can see and talk to her. She's standing right next to me. She doesn't want you to be alone. She wants you to be happy. She says she can't cross over until she's sure you are going to be okay." I said.
Matt looked shocked.
"Why can't I see her?" He asked.
"Because you have to be open and believe she's here." I answered.
"Kassi is this some sick joke?" He asked.
"No. When you said you felt like she was here today, she is." I answered.
"Kassi I have a show in 45 minutes, what do I need to do to see this ghost of Val?" He asked.
"Believe. Just believe." I answered.
"I can't do that! Ghosts aren't real!" He responded.
"Val can you give him a sign?" I asked. Val walked over and picked up a rock that was close by. "See?" I asked Matt.
"Val?" Matt asked looking towards the rock.
"Can you see her?" I asked.
"A little" He answered.
"It's going to take a while before you can Matt. But we'll get there. Until then listen to Kassi. I'm going to come and go because you can't fully see me. Listen to Kassi okay, she's doing this for me, you, Abby, and Hayden." Val said
"Abby has your laugh." Matt smiled.
"I know she does. Hayden has yours." Val said smiling.
"I miss you." Matt said tearing up.
"I miss you too." Val said coming closer.
"You're fading." Matt said
"I'll be back. I love you." She said crying.
"I love you too Val." Matt said.
"I can't see her anymore." Matt said
"She'll be back. Don't worry Matt." I told him.
"Matt! Sound check!" Zacky yelled.
"We missed ya around here ya know?" Zacky asked as I walked with them towards the stage.
"I missed you guys too. Regardless you five will always be my friends." I told him.
"Maybe more." Val's voice teased from somewhere around us.
"Do you ever think about dating again?" I asked.
"Nope. I don't know. I loved Val a lot, I still do." He answered.
"Stubborn ass." Val joked.
"Did I just hear something?" He asked
"I didn't hear anything." I responded. Val giggled from her spot in between us.
"But what if I told you Val would want that?" I asked.
"You tell him Kass." Val said.
"Why would she want me to date someone else?" He asked.
"Daddy!!" Abby and Hayden yelled running towards Matt.
"They are so big." Val said watching as they hugged Matt.
"Hi Kassi." They said
"Hey guys." I responded smiling. They both looked so much like their parents.
"Hey squirts." Brian and Zacky said.
"Uncle Brian! Uncle Zacky!" They both said.
"Please tell me that Zacky hasn't taught them how to die their hair random colors?" Val asked. I shook my head no. "Good" She sighed.
I watched from a far as Matt watched Zacky and Brian play with his kids.
"They look just like Val." Matt commented. I could see the pain on his face.
"You have to move on." Val said as she placed her hand on his cheek.
"That's strange." Matt said
"What?" We all asked.
"I keep getting this strange feeling." He answered.
"Like what?" Zacky asked
"Like she's here." He said shaking his head.
"She is." I felt like telling him. That night Val and I stood outside the bus.
"It's nice to be able to talk to you." I said
"You always will be able to talk to me." She responded.
"Who are you talking to?" Matt asked.
"Tell him Kass, tell him about me." Val said.
"Um you are going to think I'm crazy but just hear me out okay." I answered him.
"Okay." He agreed.
"The day I got the job for you guys. All of that. Me showing up here, it didn't just happen like I said it had. I have a reason to be here." I started.
"Okay" He said.
"I know you don't believe in ghosts, but maybe after today you will. Val, she's not gone completely. She is a ghost. I can see and talk to her. She's standing right next to me. She doesn't want you to be alone. She wants you to be happy. She says she can't cross over until she's sure you are going to be okay." I said.
Matt looked shocked.
"Why can't I see her?" He asked.
"Because you have to be open and believe she's here." I answered.
"Kassi is this some sick joke?" He asked.
"No. When you said you felt like she was here today, she is." I answered.
"Kassi I have a show in 45 minutes, what do I need to do to see this ghost of Val?" He asked.
"Believe. Just believe." I answered.
"I can't do that! Ghosts aren't real!" He responded.
"Val can you give him a sign?" I asked. Val walked over and picked up a rock that was close by. "See?" I asked Matt.
"Val?" Matt asked looking towards the rock.
"Can you see her?" I asked.
"A little" He answered.
"It's going to take a while before you can Matt. But we'll get there. Until then listen to Kassi. I'm going to come and go because you can't fully see me. Listen to Kassi okay, she's doing this for me, you, Abby, and Hayden." Val said
"Abby has your laugh." Matt smiled.
"I know she does. Hayden has yours." Val said smiling.
"I miss you." Matt said tearing up.
"I miss you too." Val said coming closer.
"You're fading." Matt said
"I'll be back. I love you." She said crying.
"I love you too Val." Matt said.
"I can't see her anymore." Matt said
"She'll be back. Don't worry Matt." I told him.
"Matt! Sound check!" Zacky yelled.
"We missed ya around here ya know?" Zacky asked as I walked with them towards the stage.
"I missed you guys too. Regardless you five will always be my friends." I told him.
"Maybe more." Val's voice teased from somewhere around us.