Love’s Mark
Chapter 1
Four years after I died, Grandma dug out my old phone and called Shane.
“Holly? Four years, and you finally decide to call?”
“What, you broke? Sell something, stop playing the victim with me.”
“Let me tell you, I don’t want to see you ever again, not even if I’m dying!”
Grandma froze on the other end of the line. Her stooped back looked terribly lonely.
She held the phone carefully, asking, “Shane, did you fight with Holly? I can’t find her.”
Grandma’s cloudy eyes looked around the empty room. She mumbled something like, “Oh, right, Holly’s gone… dead… how could I forget…?”
1.
Maybe because I couldn’t leave Grandma, I stayed by her side after I died.
Unfortunately, Grandma developed Alzheimer’s and often forgot I was gone.
This time, she had an episode, wandered off to the park, and forgot her way home.
The stubborn little old lady sat on a bench, muttering, “It’s okay if I’m lost, Holly will find me if I’m not home.”
My spirit guarded Grandma.
She wasn’t far from home, but since she couldn’t hear me, I couldn’t guide her.
As the sun started to set, I started to panic.
An almost eighty-year-old woman, alone in the park overnight, wouldn’t last.
Luckily, Grandma seemed to realize this too. Seeing fewer and fewer people around, she finally stood up.
She grabbed someone and asked, “Have you seen my granddaughter, Holly?”
I knew that once Grandma asked, if the person talked to her a little, they’d understand her situation and probably take her to the police station.
Once at the police station, Grandma would be safe.
Unfortunately, Grandma asked the wrong person.
The person she grabbed was Shane.
Shane looked at Grandma, his voice laced with impatience, “Where’s Holly? Why are you here alone?”
“Leaving you alone in the park this late, she must be with…”
2.
He probably held back the last few words out of respect for Grandma.
But I knew what he meant.
He meant she must be with some other guy.
See? Even four years after my death, this man still loathed me.
Grandma didn’t understand him. Seeing Shane, she was happy.
“Shane, you haven’t been to my place for dinner in ages. You loved my dumplings, right? It’s your birthday tomorrow, come for dumplings.”
“You young folks dating need to treat each other well. Holly’s a good girl, she just keeps things bottled up.”
“She said she was going to buy you a birthday present, a surprise for tomorrow.”
Grandma’s memory stopped that day.
Back then, we were deeply in love, just like any other couple madly in love.
And his childhood sweetheart hadn’t appeared yet.
Such a pity.
Shane’s lips curled into a sneer, “Grandma, this isn’t funny.”
“Holly and I broke up.”
“Saying she went to buy me a birthday gift, she’s probably buying one for another man.”
Grandma was stunned, “You broke up? But Holly never told me.”
“Shane, don’t be mad, I’ll scold her when she gets back!”
Grandma looked adorable when she was angry.
I wanted to hug her, tell her not to be angry, but my body passed right through her.
Four years, and I still hadn’t gotten used to being a ghost.
3.
Shane laughed harder.
Clearly, he didn’t believe Grandma.
“I told you, we broke up.”
“If this is Holly’s trick, I’ll let it slide this once.”
“Please don’t mention her name again in front of me.”
At that moment, two ladies from the neighborhood walked by, looking surprised at Grandma.
“Ma’am, it’s so late, why aren’t you home yet? Did you forget where you live again?”
Then, to the other lady, “Poor old woman, lived with her granddaughter, then the granddaughter died four years ago, leaving her all alone.”
Yeah, I died four years ago.
I remember that birthday four years ago. I happily went out to buy him a gift, only to see him with another woman at the mall.
Dejected, I got a private message on social media.
It was a selfie of a girl in a man’s white shirt, lying on a messy white bedsheet in a hotel room.
Along with the photo was a message: ‘They say childhood sweethearts can’t beat fate. Do you think I can beat fate?’
I recognized that white shirt. The top button was sewn on by me.
I remembered it clearly because the tiny flowers I sewed on were from a tutorial I followed online.
Shane didn’t mind; he even wore it to important meetings.
He said it was a symbol of our love.
But now, that symbol was on another woman.
That’s when I realized how cheap love could be.
4.
Hearing the ladies’ words, Shane froze.
Various emotions flashed across his face.
Finally, he asked incredulously, “What did you say? Holly is dead?”
“You’re lying, right? Holly must have told you to say this.”
“That woman is a master manipulator.”
The two ladies were quite shocked, supporting Grandma as they mumbled:
“Who is this guy? Is he crazy?”
“Yeah, who would make up something like that? It’s bad luck.”
Grandma seemed to remember something too. She opened her mouth, her lips trembling, finally saying, “Yeah, Holly… Holly’s gone…”
Shane stood there dumbfounded, looking rather ridiculous.
My wandering soul followed the two ladies, floating back home with Grandma.
I was even relieved when Grandma went inside, glad Shane didn’t follow.
Maybe remembering my death saddened Grandma.
The lonely old lady sat on the sofa, her withered hand stroking my photo, silently weeping.
“Why did you leave me, my dear girl, so young?”
I floated over to wipe her tears, but I went right through her, only able to cry and comfort her, “Grandma, Holly’s here, Holly’s here.”
But Grandma couldn’t hear me.
The doorbell rang, followed by Shane’s voice, “Grandma, open the door, it’s me, Shane.”
I was shocked.
No, I can’t let him in.
If he comes in and finds my old things…
