Dr. Harvey woke up the اگلے morning feeling مزید refreshed than usual. There were no nightmares last night for him یا Casper. After what had seemed like an eternity, things were finally starting to turn around. The Ghostly Trio were okay now.
During breakfast that morning, Miriam was reading the newspaper. She glanced up at Kat who was hungrily eating the پینکیکس that Casper had made.
"Don't eat too fast, sweetheart."
"I'm not."
Casper flew around the table, collecting dishes like a waiter. "Hurry یا you'll be late for school, Kat."
"Since when have I been late for school?" Kat asked, teasingly.
Dr. Harvey smiled at everyone and poured himself some مزید coffee. Things were finally back to normal.
Casper drifted over to the stove and prepared bunches of مزید پینکیکس to feed his uncles when they came down. "Does anyone want مزید pancakes? There's plenty here."
"None for me, Casper. Save some for yourself. آپ look thin," Miriam said.
"I still can't believe what happened to my uncles last night," Casper spoke as he took out three plates for the pancakes. "I had no idea they went through that every year."
"Does anything like that happen to you, Casper?" Kat asked, when the idea suddenly popped into her mind.
The young ghost shook his head. "Not that I remember."
"Weird," Kat remarked. "By the way, Grandma, I was wondering how آپ knew what to say to the Trio last night. How did آپ do it?"
"Oh, I'm smarter than I look, Kat." Miriam smirked.
"It was real neat, what آپ did," Casper complimented Miriam.
Miriam sighed and sat back in her chair. "Well kids, there comes a time when we all have something important to do…whether we're alive یا dead."
Kat swallowed a mouthful of پینکیکس and looked at her father. He was holding his cup and staring down into the black coffee.
"I have to leave in a couple of days," Miriam said, after a moment.
"We all know that," کہا Kat.
"I'd like to stay longer."
"Why don't آپ then?" Kat suggested. "It's fine with Dad and me."
Miriam smiled and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. "No, I'm afraid I can only stay for one week. I've been pretty busy the past few months. Always something happening. Work and fuss…you know how it is. Things were pretty much like that until about a سال ago. I had cancer."
"What?" Dr. Harvey looked up from his coffee. "Why didn't آپ tell us?"
Miriam shrugged. "I didn't want to worry anyone."
"But Grandma…," Kat said, confused. "I still think آپ should have کہا something about it!"
"I know," Miriam sighed. "But I got better. My cancer went away."
Dr. Harvey and Kat both looked relieved.
"But three months ago, the cancer came back again," Miriam explained. "It came back for the سیکنڈ time. And at one point, it got very bad. I got very sick and…"
"And what?" Kat asked quietly.
"I died, Kat."
The room froze. Everything froze.
All was silent until a tiny squeak spilled from Kat's throat. "W-What?"
Miriam looked into her granddaughter's eyes and nodded.
"Y-You're a ghost?" Dr. Harvey managed to say.
"I wanted to wait until the right time to tell you. This was the right time, wasn't it?" Miriam wondered.
Dr. Harvey put his elbows on the میز, جدول and buried his face in his hands. Kat nearly got sick and had to stand up.
"Casper? Casper, where are you?"
"Right here, Kat!" Casper looked timidly at Kat from under the tablecloth.
Kat folded her arms. "Did آپ know about this?"
"Well, not at first…but after some time passed, I was able to pick up on it. But I didn't know anything else about her, یا what she was capable of! Honest!"
Kat frowned and continued to stare at him. "Why didn't آپ tell us? Why didn't آپ tell me?"
"I-I just thought Miriam should be the one to tell you. I'm sorry." Casper dropped his eyes.
Dr. Harvey got out of his chair and sat اگلے to Miriam. "Why did آپ come here?" he asked, softly.
"I wanted to see آپ and Kat again," Miriam smiled sadly. "But آپ don't have to worry about how my afterlife will be. It was a very peaceful death."
Dr. Harvey nodded and cleared his throat. He stood up and strolled into the doorway.
Kat didn't know what to think. She didn't know whether to be sad, hurt, یا even who to be angry at.
During breakfast that morning, Miriam was reading the newspaper. She glanced up at Kat who was hungrily eating the پینکیکس that Casper had made.
"Don't eat too fast, sweetheart."
"I'm not."
Casper flew around the table, collecting dishes like a waiter. "Hurry یا you'll be late for school, Kat."
"Since when have I been late for school?" Kat asked, teasingly.
Dr. Harvey smiled at everyone and poured himself some مزید coffee. Things were finally back to normal.
Casper drifted over to the stove and prepared bunches of مزید پینکیکس to feed his uncles when they came down. "Does anyone want مزید pancakes? There's plenty here."
"None for me, Casper. Save some for yourself. آپ look thin," Miriam said.
"I still can't believe what happened to my uncles last night," Casper spoke as he took out three plates for the pancakes. "I had no idea they went through that every year."
"Does anything like that happen to you, Casper?" Kat asked, when the idea suddenly popped into her mind.
The young ghost shook his head. "Not that I remember."
"Weird," Kat remarked. "By the way, Grandma, I was wondering how آپ knew what to say to the Trio last night. How did آپ do it?"
"Oh, I'm smarter than I look, Kat." Miriam smirked.
"It was real neat, what آپ did," Casper complimented Miriam.
Miriam sighed and sat back in her chair. "Well kids, there comes a time when we all have something important to do…whether we're alive یا dead."
Kat swallowed a mouthful of پینکیکس and looked at her father. He was holding his cup and staring down into the black coffee.
"I have to leave in a couple of days," Miriam said, after a moment.
"We all know that," کہا Kat.
"I'd like to stay longer."
"Why don't آپ then?" Kat suggested. "It's fine with Dad and me."
Miriam smiled and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. "No, I'm afraid I can only stay for one week. I've been pretty busy the past few months. Always something happening. Work and fuss…you know how it is. Things were pretty much like that until about a سال ago. I had cancer."
"What?" Dr. Harvey looked up from his coffee. "Why didn't آپ tell us?"
Miriam shrugged. "I didn't want to worry anyone."
"But Grandma…," Kat said, confused. "I still think آپ should have کہا something about it!"
"I know," Miriam sighed. "But I got better. My cancer went away."
Dr. Harvey and Kat both looked relieved.
"But three months ago, the cancer came back again," Miriam explained. "It came back for the سیکنڈ time. And at one point, it got very bad. I got very sick and…"
"And what?" Kat asked quietly.
"I died, Kat."
The room froze. Everything froze.
All was silent until a tiny squeak spilled from Kat's throat. "W-What?"
Miriam looked into her granddaughter's eyes and nodded.
"Y-You're a ghost?" Dr. Harvey managed to say.
"I wanted to wait until the right time to tell you. This was the right time, wasn't it?" Miriam wondered.
Dr. Harvey put his elbows on the میز, جدول and buried his face in his hands. Kat nearly got sick and had to stand up.
"Casper? Casper, where are you?"
"Right here, Kat!" Casper looked timidly at Kat from under the tablecloth.
Kat folded her arms. "Did آپ know about this?"
"Well, not at first…but after some time passed, I was able to pick up on it. But I didn't know anything else about her, یا what she was capable of! Honest!"
Kat frowned and continued to stare at him. "Why didn't آپ tell us? Why didn't آپ tell me?"
"I-I just thought Miriam should be the one to tell you. I'm sorry." Casper dropped his eyes.
Dr. Harvey got out of his chair and sat اگلے to Miriam. "Why did آپ come here?" he asked, softly.
"I wanted to see آپ and Kat again," Miriam smiled sadly. "But آپ don't have to worry about how my afterlife will be. It was a very peaceful death."
Dr. Harvey nodded and cleared his throat. He stood up and strolled into the doorway.
Kat didn't know what to think. She didn't know whether to be sad, hurt, یا even who to be angry at.
