“So, you listen to my phone calls now too?”
“It’s not my fault. Sound waves work in mysterious ways. Speaking of which, it’s strange, but I can hear music in my head.”
“It might be the melody I composed last night.”
“So, you’re a composer now?”
“I always have been, I’ve just never let anyone listen.”
“You’re wrong to keep it to yourself. It’s beautiful. It sounds like the refrain of a song. Have you given it a title?”
Thomas told him that he had. “‘Ghost in Love.’”
Raymond looked at his son with the lopsided smile he always used to hide his feelings.
The two of them sat there, side by side, in total silence. Every now and then, Thomas would look at his watch, and his father would tell him not to worry. She was on her way. And the more time passed, the more Raymond perked up.
“There she is,” he suddenly exclaimed. “Get up and welcome her. It’s the least you can do. And dust off the bottom of your pants, they’re covered in sand.”
Manon was wearing black jeans and a tailored white top. She carried a big linen bag over her shoulder that added a touch of elegance to her delicate appearance.
She climbed up the dune and arrived breathless at the top.
“I drove as fast as I could,” she said, placing her bag down next to Thomas’s.
He watched her without a word, and she came forward and kissed him.
“You were right, I remember everything now. I read Mom’s letters last night, and your letter, too, and ...”
She looked at the bags at their feet, their handles already entangled.
“I don’t really know how to accomplish their last wishes,” she said.
Thomas leaned over and took out his father’s urn. Manon did the same with her mother’s.
“I went to get her for this last trip. Dad was adamantly against it, but I didn’t really give him a choice. We fought and he’ll be mad at me for weeks, but he’ll get over it. He’s never been able to hold a grudge for long when it comes to me. Do we need to say anything in particular?” she asked worriedly.
Raymond gestured to Thomas that there was no need. Time was running out. But this time, Thomas was the one who did as he pleased.
“No one should be asked to bury their parents twice—not even by their parents. So, we’re going to do things differently this time.”
“Is he here?” Manon asked.
Thomas nodded. Raymond was watching them, his impatience palpable.
“And Mom, do you see her?”
“No, but he says she’s here too. Let’s open the urns. He can barely hold still.”
They took out the vessels carefully. Thomas poured his father’s ashes into Camille’s urn and announced, “By the powers you vested in us, we declare you united for all eternity.”
Manon looked at him for a long moment, seemingly close to laughter.
“You forgot to say they could kiss. That usually comes next,” she said.
Then Thomas gave the urn a good shake, just like his father had asked him to do.
As Manon scattered their ashes, Camille’s silhouette appeared on the beach. She was radiant as she took her summer companion passionately in her arms.
