Aiden is waiting for me at the entrance of the green pathway when I pull up outside of our house. Standing still in the soft rain, the moonlight glimmering on his chestnut hair. His hands are deep in the pockets of his jeans, but he lifts one and spreads his fingers in a wave.

I stop my car, gazing up at him through the movements of the windshield wipers, the raindrops dotting the glass. He quietly moves out of the headlights and around to the side of my car, lets himself in. Thankfully Kasey disappeared to go retrieve Will from the Haunted House, or Aiden would have gone right through her as he dropped into the passenger’s seat.

He shuts the car door after himself, pushes his damp hair out of his eyes. He shifts my car into park, and silently looks over at me.

I unstrap my seatbelt, run one hand over my face, then drop them both into my lap, staring straight ahead through the windshield.

“Did Ralph tell you?”

“I’m - not sure what that means,” comes the deep, slow, honey-smooth rumble of his voice. “But nobody told me anything.” He gives his shoulders a guilty shrug, taps his temple. “I’m sorry. I can’t really not listen. Not when it’s you.”

I remember with a jolt that Aiden has been listening, as he always is. He heard everything, all of it, in my note.

“Oh - don’t be sorry.” I hang my head to hide my blushing face. “It’s not that I was trying to hide anything from you. I just… wasn’t sure how to explain what today felt like, for me.”

Silence falls for a moment before Aiden’s warm voice breaks it.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to explain. I can hear that you’re already feeling better. I’m not trying to bring you back down. Besides, I… I think I already know what this is about.”

I hesitate, plucking at a stray thread on my steering wheel, not sure what I want to do.

“If you are gonna explain, though, can you do it looking that way?” Aiden points to my window. “I can’t handle your face when you’re sad, so. Aim those puppy dog eyes anywhere else.”

“Stop it,” I laugh, reaching over to give his face a gentle shove. “I don’t need to - it’s okay. I’m okay.”

I lift my gaze to meet his, to let him see that I mean it. Mostly.

His sea-blue eyes look deep into mine for a moment before he nods.

“Okay,” he murmurs softly.

And he leans across the car to gently gather me into his arms.

I lean into him, snuggling into the warmth of his bronze skin - then blink in surprise when he eases the connection open. With remarkable swiftness, he lets my emotions from today spill through into him, pushes a tidal wave of sweet happiness into me, and seals off the connection again.

It happens in an instant, so quickly that I barely have time to even process that he’s done anything before it’s over. Like someone leaning into a room, snatching something from it, throwing something else into it, then slamming the door.

“What-?” I sit back, then dissolve into uncontrollable laughter as the enormous rush of bliss he just gave me sinks in, sending me reeling. “Aiden! Did you just take my sadness from me? And give me all of your happiness?”

He sinks down in his seat, his blue eyes flooding with sudden tears.

“It’s f-fine,” he stammers, catching hold of himself before the tears can fall. “Let me carry it for a while. I’ll give it b-back - later.”

“Aiden!” I can’t not laugh, overwhelmed as I am with all the warmth of Aiden’s love and sweet happiness, but my heart aches to see him like this. “Don’t, babe, you don’t have to do this! Give it back!”

“I want to do this.” He swats my hand away as I try to grab his fingers and open the connection again. “Come on, let me.”

I press my fingers to my cheeks in distress, but I can’t fight down another adoring laugh.

“Oh my god, why can’t I stop laughing? Holy shit, I feel good. Feel like I could run for miles, right now - no, Aiden, don’t cry! Take it back, take your happiness back!”

“No, I want you to have it,” he insists, swiping a hand over his eyes before they can overflow onto his long, dark lashes. “You made it, I'm just giving it back to you.”

“I made it? How?”

“This morning, I - I was rereading that book of poetry you gave me. The one where you wrote all the little love notes in the margins.”

I’m struggling desperately to handle the tidal wave of radiant bliss and white-hot love, which is increasingly threatening to overwhelm me. My soul itself is iridescent, glowing, swirling in happiness that nearly brings tears to my eyes, and Aiden is only adding to it with every word he says.

“That’s what this is from?” I gasp, clinging to the steering wheel. “Reading it again?”

Aiden blushes.

“Aiden, I gave you that book at Christmas! You’ve reread it so many times before now-”

“S-so what, what difference does that make?” he stammers brokenly, then turns to roll down the window. He lets in some fresh air and drags in a trembling breath. “Jesus Christ. Everything is so fragile, you know? It’s cool, though. I’m fine.”

“Oh, my god.” I let out another stammering laugh, then reach for him imploringly. “Please take your happiness back!”

“It’s all yours,” he insists, despite the precarious tremble in his deep voice. “Keep it.”

“No - I appreciate it, babe, and it feels so good, but I can’t - I can’t fit it all in me! I’m gonna hurt myself trying - and I can’t - make myself - not try-”

Aiden huffs out an agonized laugh, resting his forehead against the dashboard. “There’s a joke to be made there, but I can’t f-figure the wording out right now.”

“Aiden!” I laugh, practically begging. “For my sake, please!”

“Are you sure-?”

“Yes!”

Aiden hesitates, then swiftly catches me by the back of my neck. He presses his forehead into mine, opening the connection through his palm. Our emotions crash into each other like two oceans, my sad ache and Aiden’s bright happiness. We both gasp sharply at the sensation, holding tight to each other.

We’re still panting a minute or so later, but the seas finally melt together, balance each other, and smooth out into calm.

“There we go.” I let out a weak laugh, helplessly swatting Aiden’s shoulder. “You fucking goofball! Did you not realize that would be chaos?”

“You thrive on chaos,” he murmurs, with a smile in his warm voice.

I heave out a huge sigh, struggling not to laugh again. “I can’t believe you.”

“Whatever." Aiden draws back and laughs affectionately, his eyes resting on mine. “I see you smiling, so don’t expect me to be sorry.”

The connection softly closes, and I realize he left me with some of his emotions. Not quite all of it was taken back, based on the trills of humming happiness still coursing through me. He did give me back my own feelings, but they’re soothed and softened with his running alongside them. I don’t just feel okay, now. I feel much better than okay.

I stare up at Aiden for a moment, my heart swimming with pure, mindless love.

I curl back into his arms, and he folds them around me, then softly kisses the top of my head. We sit in warm, silent closeness, and - between this, the conversation I had with Ralph, and the drive home with Kasey - my heart finally, truly lifts, and the fog clears from my head. Simple, easy thoughts begin to return to my mind.

It slowly occurs to me that I’m starving. That I’m still damp from the rain. That I haven’t checked my phone in a long time. That I instinctively wore the flannel Aiden gave me, the deep blue one. That he’s pressing slow, soothing kisses into my hair.

Feeling like myself again, I let out a relieved sigh into Aiden’s chest. Calm and steady inside, if a little tired. Oddly glad to be feeling cold and wet and hungry, or at least to be aware of it. Aiden is slowly warming me up, smoothing his hand up and down my arm.

I draw back and gaze up at him again. He’s looking a little gloomy, having held onto some of my sadness for me, seeing my expression so much brightened up clears the last of it away. The dreamy blue of his eyes glows with bright relief as he bends down to kiss me.

“Thank you, cutie bi,” I murmur gratefully, adoringly, speaking against his mouth. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He squeezes my hand with gentle fingers. “Should we go inside? The ghosts are probably wondering where we are.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” I let myself out into the rain, locking my car after Aiden closes his door. “I’m surprised that no one’s come looking for us y-”

Will materializes before me on the pathway. He smooths down his blonde hair, then spots me and Aiden.

“Ah, there you are!” He comes to meet us at the beginning of the path, raising a calloused hand in a wave. “Hello, mortals! How d'you do?”

“Hello,” I laugh, as Will comes to a stop before us.

The calm in my chest grows deeper at the sight of his familiar face, returned to its usual brightness and clarity.

“Good to have you back, man!” I add, as Aiden slips the ghost glasses onto his face.

“And good to meet at the victory line, no?” Will grins broadly at me, gives my shoulder a hearty ghost-slap. “A second case solved by the Ghost Office! Though it won’t rightly feel that way until the Research Department hears of it.”

“We’re waiting for word from Rose and Leyla,” Aiden explains. “They want time to think about it.”

“Of course.” Will’s leaf-green eyes are full of understanding. “We should wait for their answer before we continue our search for Rose’s Tree. We s’ll need Spencer’s knowledge, I’m sure.”

“Mmm… that’s true.” I look up at Aiden, realizing. “Floyd’s knowledge was good for solving a cold case, but Spencer’s is probably better for trying to track something magical, isn’t it?”

“Regardless, we’ll need both of them, because they need each other.”

“Ay, that’s so,” Will agrees, with a nod at Aiden. “I don’t see how we could continue the search before those two know the case is solved. Not without obliging Jamie to lie to them about it, and that would not do.”

“Okay,” I groan, as Aiden bites his lip, laughter springing to his eyes.

“I mean no offense,” Will says hastily, an apologetic tone coming into his deep voice. “But we’ve all seen you try to cut a sham, dearest Jamie. It’s, ah…”

Aiden drops his head to hide his laughter, but I elbow him in the ribs anyways.

“Believe me, I’m aware! I’m just not saying anything to Floyd and Spencer about this until-” I stop abruptly, remembering something from hours ago that I never really registered. “Oh - hang on, I have a text from Floyd! I haven’t read it yet! Maybe Rose and Leyla talked to them!”

“I think he would have called,” Aiden answers doubtfully.

“Oh - oh shit! You were right. It’s not about that, but it’s still pretty good.” I turn my phone around to show him Floyd’s text. “They took the space next to Raj and Ripley’s workshop. Looks like we’ll have our Research Department much closer at hand.”

Aiden and Will both stare at my phone, then break into big, matching smiles.

“Oh, man.” Aiden throws me a bright glance. “Raj and Ripley must be pretty happy, right now.”

“Hey!” calls a new voice, making all of us startle and whip around. Kasey giggles at our collective indignity, watching us from the far end of the green pathway. “Will, come here! What are you dummies doing? Are we having a movie marathon or not?”

“We got distracted!” I call indignantly, pulling myself back together.

“By what? And Will!” Kasey pouts with her whole face, so dramatically that I nearly burst out laughing. “Bad response time to my ‘come here’ instructions! Especially for someone who can materialize where he wants to!”

Will tilts his chin up defiantly, staying right where he is. “Am I little more than a terrier to you, madam?”

“Should we date instead, Aiden?” Kasey asks sweetly. “I may need a more cooperative boyfriend.”

Will shoots Aiden a warning look, folding his burly arms over his chest. “Choose your next words well, for you shall answer to me for them.”

I mimic Kasey’s betrayed pouty face as I turn to Aiden. “I can’t believe he hasn’t said anything already!”

“Dude, when have I had an opportunity?” Aiden rolls his eyes in fond exasperation, leaning down to kiss me. “The drama when you and Kasey are together, I swear-”

“No, no thank you.” I spread my fingers over his mouth before he can kiss me. “I see how it is. Kasey and I will go be dramatic somewhere. You can stay here and fight Will. Let’s go, Kase-face.”

“Come on,” Aiden laughs, then groans when I dodge the next kiss he tries to place on my lips. “Jamie! Are you s-? Get back here!”

He rushes after me as I set off racing down the path towards Kasey. Will lets out a deep, rolling laugh, watching Aiden go.

“Ay, after him!” he calls, cupping his hands around his mouth. And then, when Kasey turns to run, too - “Now, where are you going?”

“We’re out of here!” she calls back.

Will disappears, then reappears further up the path. He does it again immediately, then again, so fast that for a few seconds he’s a continuous streak of shining white and silver light, zig-zagging its way up the path like lightning.

“Whoa, Will!” I gasp, staggering to a stop.

Kasey turns to see, right as Will materializes in front of her and sweeps her up into his arms. A wave of wild giggles escapes her as she squirms in his grasp, fruitlessly trying to get free.

“Maddening vixen!” he says heatedly, then kisses her.

Kasey enthusiastically returns the kiss, laughing against his mouth, her hands buried in his blonde hair.

“And, alas, a diamond of the first water,” Will sighs helplessly when he draws back. He tucks her hair back from her face, his green eyes swimming with open admiration. “I can find not one fault.”

“How did you do that, Will?” Kasey asks breathlessly, as Aiden and I come up to join them. “That was amazing!”

“I haven’t the smallest notion. Have you?”

“No, I’ve never done that.” She unwinds her legs from around his waist and lightly drops down. “What were you thinking of?”

“I half wanted to transport to you, and half wanted to run to you. It seemed I transported many times, but not far, and transported again before I could fully materialize. Over and over.”

Kasey stares at him thoughtfully, then vanishes. She reappears at the far end of our garden, takes a deep breath, and sets off running for Will.

She vanishes again, streaks forward, and begins to move so fast that she melts into a lightning bolt of silvery white light, just like Will did. Her light is swirling and softly curved, unlike Will’s hard straight lines, but it’s the same approximate thing.

She’s out of breath when she comes to a stop before him.

“Oh, shit!” She lets out a giddy laugh, cupping Will’s face in her hands in delight. “Will!”

He laughs, too, launching into movement. Kasey dives after him, and suddenly there are two streaks of flaming white light racing around our garden, chasing each other.

Aiden and I watch them in amazement, with huge grins on our faces. Occasionally I can make out Will and Kasey within the light, always so quickly that they’re a bolt of blazing silver and white again before I can see anything clear.

But I can hear them both laughing with excitement. Their mingled voices rise together into the night as the last traces of dusk disappear on the horizon, marking the close of what I’ve come to think of as the first year of Kasey’s new life.