Vanessa stood in front of Stevie, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I know it sounds crazy but what I felt with Fletcher...it didn't feel wrong" she began.

"I know. When it's true love, it never feels wrong, no matter the circumstances."

"I was in the attic, weeks passing after my Fletcher had..." The beautiful wraith stopped, tears in her eyes. "I wondered what would come of me. The implications a woman like me would have to endure..."

"Unwed"

"Yes, and expecting, especially once everyone knew the father of my child, I would be an outcast, but none of that mattered to me much then. I was writing letters to the child growing in my womb, wanting to document the experience for myself as well as when they grew older. My sister flew up to my room like a banshee in the night and saw me writing at my desk. She threw wild accusations at me, as if I lured men for sport..." Vanessa turned to her mirror, a scene coming into view. Stevie moved closer, paying as much attention as she could, so she had something to report to Fletcher.

"Josephine!" Vanessa exclaimed.

"You harlot! How dare you go after a woman's husband, especially your own sister! Do you have no decency?!" Josephine's soft ginger hair flew wild about her face. She was in mourning, yes, but prone to sweeping fits of rage.

"Sister, I--" Vanessa stood up from the desk, pressing herself toward the corner of the room. She placed a protective hand over her stomach and her sister gasped.

"Do not tell me you've got a bastard in there?!" She shouted, suddenly rushing towards Vanessa and wrapping a hand around her throat

"Josephine, I am so sorry, but Fletcher and I are in love...we made this baby out of love."

"How can you stand there and feel no shame whatsoever?"

"Because I love him! And he loves us!"

Josephine shuffled them over to the large push open window, leaning her sister against it, Vanessa crying when she felt it moving under her back

"Mother always told me you were the bad one, the one without morals and Daddy, he always protected you, treated you like a princess!"

"No, please!"

"I hate you! I hate you for what you've done!" Josephine's eyes went from angry to blank, black holes and Vanessa became even more terrified. What had possessed her sister? With one final push, Vanessa was out the window, falling to her death below in the garden among the roses her mother had planted that spring. Josephine panicked, looking about the room. She heard loud footsteps, most likely their father Reginald, a former general in the United States Army. A lamp sat next to Vanessa's desk and she picked it up, smashing it against the wall, setting the curtains ablaze. She went toward the door, smoke filling the room and bumped directly into her father on the stairs. Tears came to her eyes and her father grabbed her shoulders.

"I heard shouting" he said.

"Oh, daddy, it's Nessie! She's done something terrible! She's...she's thrown herself out the window!"

"No..." he said, passing her and shoving himself through the door of Vanessa's bedroom, coughing and gasping. "Oh, sweet girl!" her father cried and Josephine smiled, wiping her tears.

The mirror faded, back to black, Stevie was in tears, covering her face as she cried

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry that you were murdered!"

"Please, I beg you, tell Fletcher what happened! I couldn't spend the rest of eternity knowing he thought I killed myself with our child..."

Stevie was about to speak when she thought about her pains "Oh my god...you didn't die straight away did you...?"

"No...it took a few minuets...that's why I have so much pain here, I landed on my front." She rubbed her belly, her little bump suddenly becoming visible to the eye

Stevie clutched her stomach protectively. "I can't imagine your pain, emotionally and physically"

"It's unbearable. I am here everyday living the same pain. I try not to pass that on to you but it's hard. We are connected and your son...I'm so happy there will be a baby in this house. It will make my days much easier."

Stevie smiled through her tears. "When I first saw you, I have to admit I was scared. The pain, the sickness..."

"I couldn't touch you, I couldn't get close. Can I ask you to do something for me? I know you've done too much already..."

"I want to do this for you. No one should suffer as you have. What more can I do?"

"When the baby comes...can I see him too? I promise I won't touch, and if you want me to go, I can."

Stevie looked at the woman, tears falling down her face. "Yes, you can see him."

"I'll protect him. I can be his guardian. No harm will ever come to that child."

"That means a lot to me." Stevie told her.

"I wish I could hug you." Vanessa said with a small laugh.

----

It had been a few days since Stevie had seen how Vanessa had died, she'd walked all around the house looking for Fletcher but he wasn't to be found right now, probably sulking like her own husband did multiple times...

She was sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in on a sunny afternoon, Lindsey was in the water swimming around, coming to the edge and smiling at his wife, who returned it brightly

"What?" She asked

"Nothing, I'm just glad to see you happy again, and I'm more than happy that you aren't having those silly hallucinations anymore!" He laughed

"Hm" she hummed, biting her tongue so that she wouldn't say something she would regret. She tipped her face toward the sun, her kaftan still over her swimsuit.

"Aren't you going to take off the mu-mu?" Lindsey asked.

"Hey, be careful what you say! I'm more pregnant by the day and my hormones are raging" she said, pointing her finger at him. He smiled and she tried her hardest to sound serious. He was so handsome and he knew he could get her. She cracked, a crooked smirk appearing on her face.

"My hormones are ragin' too" he said, pressing himself between her parted thighs.

"I bet they are. I'm thirsty, would you like a glass of iced tea? I made a whole pitcher earlier"

"That sounds great. Lemon?"

"Sure" She carefully got up, flipped her sandals on and passed through the doors into the house. She went to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher, as well as two glasses. She turned around and saw Vanessa standing by the table.

"Mother used to make tea like this, and serve daddy and their friends little lemon cakes in the sunroom" Vanessa said wistfully.

"I thought of doing exactly that when we moved in."

"There's something magical about that room. Josephine and I used to claim it as our bedroom in the summer. We just made palettes on the floor and in the morning, mother would make up us for breakfast, even if it were late in the afternoon." Vanessa smiled briefly, but it faded. "Oh how I miss them."

"You want cheering up?" Stevie said suddenly thinking

"I would love it, what do you have in mind?"

"Go play a trick on Lindsey, he's pissing me off with his non believing!"

"You got it! I'll get Ro to help me!" She giggled before vanishing, Stevie walking back outside with the teas, handing one to Lindsey

Stevie sat back down where she had been before, watching and waiting for Lindsey to experience something

"I'm just going to go for one last dunk!"  Lindsey said placing his glass on the side of the pool submerging himself into the water

Stevie sat her glass down and rubbed her hands together. Lindsey was in for it! Stevie heard the giggling of a little girl and knew it was Ramona. Vanessa stood at the side of the pool and dove in gracefully, as if she were alive and well. Lindsey was far beneath the water and Stevie leaned over to watch him. Ramona cannonballed into the pool and there was a mighty splash! More giggling followed and Vanessa swam around Lindsey, touching his face and his feet, tickling him. He kicked in response, moving away from that area. Vanessa appeared before him, suspended in the water as if she were standing on her feet and Lindsey  shot up out of the water, smoothing back his hair. His eyes were wide, almost frightened. Then his expression changed to one of confusion. Stevie laughed as he sunk below water again. He slowly drifted toward the bottom of the pool and Ramona swam beneath him.

"Boo!" she squealed, manifesting right  in front of him and once again, he shot out of the water, climbing out and grabbing a towel quickly.

"What? What happened?" Stevie asked innocently.

"Did you...?" He stared into the water and Stevie gave him a puzzled expression.

"Did I what, sweetheart?"

"Why aren't you wet?"

"Excuse me?"

"Stevie, I..."

"Lindsey, I was right here the whole time" Lindsey shook his head.