Hall has transformed the left half of my fridge into a snow cone machine and is fixing himself a snow cone with toppings that absolutely do not go with it: fudge sauce, a banana, and sprinkles. He’s in a whirl of peppermint fog, shimmering faintly as it curls off his skin. “Being incorporeal has its benefits, but I do so enjoy inhabiting a body. A human male body. Who knew I would have such an amazing human male body? I did. This is what I’ve always imagined I would look like.”

I run an assessing gaze up and down him.

It feels wrong to find him attractive, so I’m trying not to. It’s like eyeing a Keebler elf with seductive intentions. He’s so nice and so pure, a glowing unicorn untainted by all that is crass and vulgar about the world. I’m practically a demon in comparison, which you’d think would prompt me to take it easy on him. But instead, it’s really bringing out the demon. I find myself wanting to say inappropriate things just to see what his expression will do. All of my worst impulses are running amok.

Maybe I can see how my spirit might be a one point five.

“I’ve got it, Bettie, and I am flaunting it. The organ function. The blood, I have so much of it. It’s exhilarating to be so full of blood. I could eat ten fried potato towers in a row if I wanted to, but I won’t, because I listened to a radio report on amino acids while you were unconscious today and I’ve got so many amino acids to catch up on. We’re going to have a ball together, you and I. Imagine! We can design snowball cannons, we can put twinkly lights up on people’s houses and surprise them. We can go caroling in all fifty U.S. capitals. Montgomery! Juneau! Phoenix! Little Rock! Sacramento! Denver! Hartford!”

He runs through all the state capitals, and when he’s finished, he gets started on every tourist attraction along Route 66.

*

Chapter Three

Countdown to Christmas:
10 Days

THIS ONE. MAKE my wish come true.”

Hall skims the real estate listing. “A sale for this house is pending. I’d rather not take it away from the new owner.”

Hearing that someone is buying a house that used to be mine stings, but I won’t show it. Hall is a mirror for emotions and if I start to cry, so will he. “Fine. If I can’t have that house, we’ll just create a new one. An even better one. Can you do that?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“I want five bedrooms, at least two of them masters, and six bathrooms. At least five thousand square feet. I want a guest house, an infinity pool, a spa, and marble everything. Marble floors, marble countertops, a marble terrace. Make that two marble terraces. One of those massive water feature rock walls in the living room, with backlights. Open-floor-plan kitchen and living area, and I want it so big that it echoes. It has to be oceanfront.”