Our Ghost Adventures

“Thank you for meeting me,” I said, taking a seat at the table across from Elise.

“Of course,” she said, black cloth napkin in her lap. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” I replied, putting my own napkin in my lap. I wasn’t wearing my typical jeans and t-shirt; I was wearing a summer dress that I had bought in Georgia.

“How’s my granddaughter?”

“She’s doing very well, making me tired, but I can’t hold that against her.”

“How’s Zak doing with the whole thing?”

“He’s excited. I didn’t know how he was going to take it at first…But he was the one that picked out the name and everything,” I smiled. The waiter came over to our table.

“What can I get you lovely ladies?” he asked. “Wine? Water? Soda?” I had gotten used to people calling ‘pop’ ‘soda’ around here. Back home they call it ‘pop’.

“I’ll have water with lemon,” I said.

“Same for me please,” Elise said.

“Will that be one check or two?” he asked.

“One,” Elise said. “This is on me, dear.”

“You don’t have-”

“Please, my treat. Take it as an apology for Christmas,” she gave me a gentle smile.

“Okay,” I agreed. The waiter walked away and Elise turned her attention back to me.

“Now dear, let me see your ring,” I had forgot that she had only seen it once and it was just briefly. I held my hand out over the table and she looked at it carefully. “My Zak picked this out? It’s lovely, really.”

“Thank you, I thought so too,” I smiled. My cell phone began to ring and I pulled it out of my purse and looked at the caller ID. “If this wasn’t Zak, I wouldn’t take it, but I’ll be right back,” I told Elise. I knew that it was rude to answer my phone during the meal, but I wanted to talk to Zak every chance I got. “Hello?” I answered.

“Hi-” he stopped to cough. He sounded awful, his voice was kind of groggy and I could tell he was sick before he even said it. “Babe, I’m ‘bout to get on a plane to come home, I’m not feelin’ good…”

“I’m sorry, baby. What time will you be in? I’ll pick you up at the airport?”

“Um, ‘bout six o’clock.”

“I’ll be there. And, when I go to the store, I’m going to pick up some chicken noodle soup when I got to the store in a little while, how’s that sound?”

“You’re the best,” I could hear someone come over the intercom in the background. “I gotta go, see you in a few hours,” he said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I replied as we both hung up. I could tell him about my lunch with his mom when he got home, but I had about six hours until he arrived. I walked back into the restaurant and reclaimed my seat.

“What did he need?” Elise asked, our drinks had arrived and there were bread sticks on the table.

“He’s sick and he’s coming home. I’m picking him up at the airport at six. I have to remember to pick him up some chicken noodle soup.”

“I’ll make him some and bring it over. He loves my chicken soup.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. On the one hand, it was kind of my job to take care of him when he was sick, wasn’t it? But, on the other hand, Elise was his mother. She had always taken care of Zak, he was her son and what right did I have to deny her taking care of him? “Okay,” I decided. “Thank you, I’m sure he’ll be grateful.” I hoped that was an acceptable response. God, she made me so nervous!

“I’ll drop it off before you go to get him, but feel free to call me if he needs anything. Don’t forget to pick up some NyQuil; it’s the only thing that’ll make him feel better.”
“Thanks for the tip; I wouldn’t have even thought about it.” I guess my response was right!

***

After a pretty successful (in my opinion) lunch with Elise, I went to the store. I picked up Zak’s NyQuil and I went a head and bought some canned chicken noodle soup. I also grabbed some orange juice and since I had been craving some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, I got that as well. I picked up some fruit and other things that we needed before checking out.

“Hi, how are you?” the blonde man behind the counter asked. He was probably about sixteen.

“I’m good, how’re you?” I asked.

“Fine, thanks,” he said, ringing up my stuff. He finished rather quickly and I left to go back to Zak’s house. I walked into the kitchen and I noticed something was…off. The cabinets were all open and the dishes were all on the counter. Most of the shelves, I couldn’t even reach!

“Adrina!” I swear I heard Zak’s voice coming from the upstairs area.

I started to go up there, but then I reminded myself that Zak wasn’t here. Zak was on a plane right now…not at home. Luckily the doorbell rang and I went and answered it. It was Elise with a large crock pot or something. I assumed that it was full of the chicken noodle soup.

“You’re driving Zak’s car?” she asked.

“Yeah, I don’t have one here…My car is back in Ohio and I haven’t driven it here, so Zak’s letting me drive his.”

“Oh,” she said.

***Zak’s POV***

I stood in the airport and awaited Adrina’s arrival. She said she would call me as soon as she got here. I suddenly saw her walking over to me with a tired look on her face. Though I was sick, she was clearly exhausted. But when she actually saw me, her pace quickened and she smiled…actually smiled at me. I returned it and met her in the middle.

“I’m so sorry for not calling,” she said as we embraced. “I shattered the screen of my damn phone…and I need to get a screen protector or it’s gonna cut my finger.”

“You need an otter box or something, you’re always breaking your phone…I’ve had mine for over a year. This is the third one you’ve gone though in the past year!” She broke another phone after the one at the Seashell Inn, dropping it in water or something.

“Tell me about it! I only have one upgrade left…And I swear everything is just…Ugh!” I pulled her tighter against me and she sighed into my chest. “I’m just glad that you’re back…I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, baby,” I kissed her head, smelling her coconut scented hair in the process.

“Where’s Gracie?” she asked, pulling back.

“I had to leave her with Aaron and Billy in the RV…I couldn’t take her on the plane I didn’t have a crate or time to get one-plus I don’t want anything to happen to her,” I explained.

“Oh, well let’s get you home…” I nodded and followed her to the car.

“Let me drive, you’re tired and you can tell me about your time here by yourself.”

“No, you’re sick and I have the keys. I’m driving.” I knew I wouldn’t win, so I didn’t try to argue. She drove home and told me about how when she walked into the house earlier, all of the dishes were on the counter and all of the cabinets and drawers were open. “But your mom came before I could go to the voice that called my name-and sounded like you,” she explained.

“Don’t ever go to a name that calls your voice when you’re alone. I know that’s ass backwards to our approach on the show but don’t do that at home…For my sake.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

***

Once we were home, Adrina sent me up to bed and told me she would bring me soup and juice. I wanted to protest, I could take care of myself…But she wanted to and she wasn’t taking no for an answer. And, I did feel terrible, I was congested and my throat itched something awful. “Adri,” I paused at the top of the stairs and called down to her.

“Yeah?”

“I just realized I don’t have any NyQuil, so can you bring me-” she cut me off.

“I picked some up while I was at the store earlier,” she told me. She really was the best. I went up to the bedroom we shared and laid down. I didn’t fail to notice, however that only the blankets on my side were messy…Had she had been missing me so much she slept on my side of the bed? “Here we are,” Adrina came in a few minutes later with a tray containing a bowl, a plastic bottle with orange liquid, and the bottle of NyQuil. I sat up and stacked the pillows up behind my back so that it would be easier. “I thought the bottles would be better than a glass,” she said, setting the tray down over my lap. I was so lucky.

“You’re the best,” I told her once again.

“Oh please, you were great to me when I had pneumonia. You took such great care of me. The way I see it, I owe you. Do you want a hot bath or a shower or something? The steam might help clear up that congestion a bit…A shower would probably be better.”

“That’d be nice actually,” I said. But then I got another thought. “But here’s something better, you could just give me a sponge bath,” I grinned.

“Tempting, but no,” she shook her head with a smile. “Just eat your soup and I’ll go get you some stuff together so you can take a shower.”

I took a bite of the soup and instantly smiled again. “This is my mom’s soup…”

“It is, she brought it over earlier…When you called, we were at lunch.”

“Really?” She probably would never know how much that meant to me. I knew that they weren’t the closest off friends and the fact that she was trying, made it all the more special.

“Yes, really. I told you that I was going to. I’m a woman of my word. Now eat!”

***Adrina’s POV***

Zak finished eating and took his shower. I straightened up the mess I had made in his room and found him a shirt, a pair of boxers, and a pair of sweat pants. I dropped off his clothes off in his bathroom.

“Babe, is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s just me. I was just putting your clothes in here.”

“Oh, okay.”