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She followed meekly as I left the room.
In the elevator, the doors closed around us, and Raina said, “Your brother asked me to tell you thank you.”
I glanced over at her, frowning slightly. “What?”
“He said when he was dying, only you could see him in the in-between. He told me you guys built a sandcastle together, and he wasn’t scared because you were there with him. He just wanted you to know he appreciated that.”
I exhaled slowly as her words rolled over me, nearly knocking me to my knees with their impact.
As a knot formed in my throat, I tried to ask, “Why…?” But my throat went too dry to speak, so I swallowed and then hoarsely asked, “Why didn’t he tell me he was in trouble? Maybe I could’ve helped him. Saved him.”
Raina only shrugged. “He didn’t say. He just wanted me to thank you.”
“Okay.” I nodded, and the elevator opened on the ground floor. “Yeah. Thank you for telling me.”
Staying where I was for a moment, I admitted, “I used to have nightmares of him drowning, being alone and scared, unable to breathe. I’m glad—I’m glad he wasn’t scared.”
“I didn’t know he died on your birthday,” Raina said softly as the door slid closed again, shutting us alone in the elevator.
I looked at her. With eyes full of all the sadness in the world, she tried to reach out and touch my cheek, but I could only feel it with my heart.
Nodding to her in thanks, I waited a moment to pull myself back together. Then I pushed the door-open button, and I stepped out onto the first floor. As I started for the exit, however, more pain radiated through my chest.
If only I’d known I could see the in-between back then, maybe—maybe I could’ve gotten to Hayes’s body in time. Maybe he’d still be alive today.
I wanted to howl in anger and then break something.
But why hadn’t he told me he was dying?
Walking stiffly out of the hospital, I somehow kept it together until Raina gasped beside me. “Hey! Wait. That’s the captain. Right there.”
I glanced in the direction of her stare at a man who was sitting by himself on a bench out front. He had a trimmed beard and a ball cap on his head, wearing a T-shirt and dark cargo pants.
I pointed. “That’syour dad?”
“Yes.” Raina’s face crumbled as she watched him. “He doesn’t look okay. Do you think he’s okay?”
“No,” I answered honestly, and I started his way. “I doubt he’s okay at all.”
“What’re you doing?” she demanded, hurrying after me.
“It’s your dad, right?” I glanced over at her and shrugged. “Do youwanthim to be alone right now?”
“Well, no. But he can’t see or hear me.”
“He can me.”
“But what—what’re you going to say to him?”
“No idea.” Lifting my hand, I called, “Captain? Captain Chum?”
The captain glanced up. “Yes?” Pushing to his feet, he tucked his hands into his pockets and squinted at me in confusion. “Do I know you?”
“No. Sorry, sir.” I held out my hand for him to shake. “I’ve just seen a picture of you. I’m Foster. I attend HaveU. With Raina.”
He shook with me readily but appeared cautious the whole time. His hand was rough and weathered. It was obvious he spent most of his life outdoors.
“You know Raina?” he asked, eyeing me as if he didn’t believe a word I said.
