Ghost Diaries 1_Gigi's Guardian_Paranormal Romance

by Michele McGrath

  “So did I.” Ivan’s eyes gleamed. “I still hope so.”

  “How about you, Molly?”

  What on Earth should I to say to that? I murmured, “I’m not sure,” because I wasn’t, especially in this scenario. I had no idea about the real Molly’s relationship with the real Sam. This was definitely not the place to sort out my own with Ivan. He kept looking at me, as if he knew my exact thoughts.

  “Perhaps one day...I’ve got to go back now,” Gigi sounded wistful.

  “So have we, give our regards to your family.”

  “As if.” Gigi laughed. “Since when is there any love lost between you and my parents? Mum would throw a fit if she knew I'd met you. She blames you both for my bad behaviour.”

  “Don’t tell her you’ve seen us then.”

  “I won’t. Enjoy the rest of the day.”

  “We will, you too.” Ivan kissed her gently and took my hand. We walked away down the beach. “Don’t go yet,” Ivan said to me, as soon as we were alone.

  “How did you get into Gigi’s dream?”

  “Good planning.”

  “Where’s James?”

  “With Arabella and, before you ask, her Guardian’s minding him to let me sneak away. Satisfied?”

  I nodded. I didn’t want to talk about James or our jobs. Something far more important was on my mind. “Thank you for my rose.”

  “Did you like it?” he asked with a quizzical glance.

  “It’s lovely.”

  “Do you know the meaning of a Lydia Rose?”

  “Nanna explained.” I stopped and turned to face him.

  “What did she tell you?”

  “She said that such a rose is only given to you by someone who loves you...”

  He laid his hands on my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes. “I won't be eligible for another one for fifty years at least. Lydia put me right to the back of the queue when she gave me this one.” He laughed. “Fifty years is a long time, even in Heaven. When I do get another, you can start a bouquet.”

  “What?” I gasped. I felt stunned. (I’m so articulate at times!)

  “I am asking you to be with me for the next fifty years and the fifty afterwards. Forever in fact.”

  “It might keep the Heavenly Host away from you,” I murmured, unable to find the right words to express my feelings. Fortunately Ivan shares my sense of humour, even at a moment like this.

  “I’m allergic to feathers.”

  “What about all these other women who are interested in you?” I asked, wanting to be free from my doubts.

  “I told you about Alexia, who is the only one who ever meant anything to me. I wish her well, but I don’t yearn after her any more. She’s quite happy too. Don't be jealous.”

  “Why me?” I still couldn’t believe my luck. This handsome man wanted me.

  “You silly girl, I loved you from the moment I first spotted you sitting in that shop window. I knew you were the one I’d been waiting for all these years. I’m just glad Brenda sent you to London while I was here.”

  We forgot the rest of the world for a long time. When I opened my eyes again, the beach had grown dim.

  “We’re still in Gigi’s dream,” I said, startled, “and she’s waking up.”

  “Not for a little while yet. Time doesn't exist in dreams and you heard her say she wanted us to be together. We’re making her wish come true.”

  “But the real Molly and Sam obviously aren’t an item,” I objected.

  “So? A person dreams about life as they want it to be. This dream is Gigi’s escape from reality and ours too. Let's stay here for a bit longer.”

  “She might be able to watch what we’re doing.” I didn’t like the thought, but Ivan reassured me.

  “We can make her dream fuzzy or teach her a thing or two if you prefer.”

  “Fuzzy sounds good to me,” I replied.

  12th March 1968, Tuesday, London.

  Gigi was sitting on her bed, crossing off days on her calendar, when Jane came back from work.

  “Planning something nice?” she asked.

  “I wish I was. I’m checking up. My last period was a long time ago.”

  “Oh no.” Jane dropped on her knees beside her. “When exactly?”

  “November, at least I think so. I’m not good at marking things down. I was definitely on when we went to the Christmas lights, at the beginning of November.”

  “No bleeding since then at all? A trickle would do.”

  “I had a little blood once, but nothing like my usual period. Even that’s a while ago. I can’t remember when.” Gigi looked up with a frightened face as the door opened.

  “Problems?” Adele asked Gigi.

  Jane was the one who answered her. “Gigi may have missed a period.”

  “Or two. The last one I'm sure about was in November.”

  “How regular are you?”

  “Fine when I’m on the Pill, otherwise I’m all over the place. I’ve been taking it since September.”

  “Did you ever forget?”

  “I missed two days, right after I first slept with Finn. My pills must have got mixed up; too many are left at the end of the month.”

  “Give them to me.” Jane held out her hand and Gigi gave her the packet.

  “Friday, Saturday and Sunday are still here.”

  “I know. I nearly had a fit when I realised.”

  “Been sick at all?” Adele asked.

  “Just before we went to the opera – you remember? A couple of times since, after I’ve been drinking.”

  “If you throw up a pill, it doesn't work,” Jane said slowly. “Did you use anything else?”

  “No. I thought I was safe.”

  “You might be three months gone.”

  Gigi nodded miserably. “I just worked it out. What's worse is - I slept with Finn almost immediately after I broke up with James. If I am pregnant, I don’t know who the father is.”

  “Before you panic completely, do you have any other symptoms? Sore breasts for example? ”

  “My skin is sensitive. My bra feels tight.”

  “Anything else?”

  “I can’t stand the smell of coffee which is strange, because I love it.”

  Adele and Jane looked at each other. “You need to ask the doctor, to find out for sure.”

  “I’ve only had colds or a hangover here, so I never bothered to get one.”

  “The Family Planning Clinic might be your best bet, although they’re sometimes a bit funny with unmarried mothers. Depends on who’s on duty.”

  “What would you do?”

  “I’d go to the Family Planning Clinic and let them check you over. If you’re not pregnant, you need to find out why your periods stopped. Pregnancy is not the only reason. I’ll come with you, if you want me to.”

  “Would you? Thanks.”

  “Oops,” I said, “that didn’t go as I planned. I’d forgotten the time she was sick, just before they went to the opera. Pity DNA tests haven’t been invented, they save everyone such a lot of bother.”

  “If they had been, you’d be out of a job,” Maude commented tartly.

  “How true.”

  “Well, since they haven’t been and you’re not, you’d better get cracking and make her stay with Finn.”

  “I will; after all this is his child.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am and I don’t need a DNA test to confirm it either!” I was absolutely positive but I had no idea why.

  12th March 1968, Tuesday evening, London.

  Do you remember the séance we had a few months ago?” Adele asked later on, as they were getting ready for bed. “If Gigi is pregnant, that prediction was exactly true.”

  Gigi looked up, a shocked expression on her face. “How scary - I didn’t believe it. I remember being cross, because I thought one of you was playing a trick on me. God! I wish I knew one way or the other. I hate not knowing.”

  “Let's find out,” Jane suggest
ed and then looked horrified at her own words. “Forget I said that!”

  “Have another go, you mean? The thought bothers me too,” Adele admitted, “but I want an inkling of my future at this moment. We need answers to our questions and, after all, the last séance didn’t actually hurt us. Shall we try again?”

  The others reluctantly agreed. Adele found the Ouija board buried at the bottom of her wardrobe, under a pile of old shoes. Maude was rubbing her hands with glee. We had been hoping one of them would suggest a séance for some time.

  “Now don’t be naughty,” I warned Maude, who sometimes shows the same warped sense of humour as Paco. “They might stop if you frighten them too much.”

  “I’ll be positively angelic,” she promised, but I wasn’t sure I liked her smile.

  “Is anyone there?” Adele started the proceedings in the traditional manner. Leilani quickly moved the pointer to ‘yes’, making them jump.

  “Did you see that? Someone is here. I don’t like doing this.” Jane began to pull her hand away but Adele gripped her tightly and wouldn’t let her go.

  “Stay still!” she hissed. “I want to find out, even if you don’t. Do you have a message for one of us?”

  “Your turn.” Leilani nudged me, so I answered ‘yes’.

  “Who for?” Between us, we carefully guided the girls’ hands to each of the letters. ‘A…L…L’. Maude wrote the answer.

  “All of us?”

  “Who’s first?” asked Adele.

  ‘Y…o...u.’

  “Me? What is it?” Slowly the pointer moved from letter to letter. Jane’s hand was shaking uncontrollably so we had a hard time guiding her to the right place.

  ‘S…T…A…Y...I...N...G...I…N…D…I…A.’

  “I’m staying in India?” Adele gasped. “I'm only going on holiday. I want to see the rest of the world as well.”

  ‘S…T…A…Y.’

  Gigi and Jane glanced at her.

  “The spirit sounds fairly certain. Why would you stay in India?”

  “No idea!”

  Maude couldn’t resist the temptation.

  ‘H…E…L…P…P…E…O…P…L...E.’

  “I’m going to help people?” Adele asked in amazement. “Boy, have you got the wrong person! I can’t even help myself. Who says so?”

  ‘M…U…M.’

  “My mum?” Adele’s voice suddenly went squeaky and her hand clenched. “Is she here? Can I talk to her?” Adele eyes were bright with tears.

  ‘L…O…V…E…Y…O…U.’

  “She loves me? Tell her I love her and I’m sorry I didn't tell her often enough when she was alive.”

  ‘K…N…O…W…S.’

  “She knows?”

  ‘Yes.’

  Adele turned to the others. “Are either of you moving this thing? Because I’ll never forgive you if you are.”

  “I’m not.”

  “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  “Well I hope it’s for real. Mum died before I could get to the hospital, so I never said goodbye or told her I loved her.” Adele started to cry.

  “Don’t break the circle!” Gigi warned her in her turn. “The spirit may have other things to tell us.”

  Leilani swung the pointer to ‘yes’

  “Gosh! It does!”

  “More for Adele?” Gigi asked.

  ‘No.’

  “For Jane?”

  ‘Yes.’

  “What is your message?”

  ‘M…A…R…R…Y…T…O…M.’

  “I’m trying to!”

  “No, he means you are going to marry Tommy. I'm right, aren't I?”

  Leilani moved so fast everyone jumped again.

  “Wonderful! When?”

  ‘S…U…M…M…E…R.’

  Jane leaned back in her chair and she began to cry as well. This séance was getting positively soggy.

  “How?” she spluttered. We didn’t answer. Angels Central is quite firm on this point. We can tell our clients what was going to happen, but we weren’t allowed to show them how. Too much interference with free will.

  “No. You mean you won’t tell me?”

  ‘Yes.’

  “Oh!” Jane sounded so disappointed Leilani jumped forwards and Maude reached out to stop her.

  “You told her all she needs to know for now. We can’t give her more information, leave it alone.”

  “Anything else for Jane?”

  ‘No.’

  “Any message for me?” Gigi crossed her fingers.

  ‘B…A…B…Y.’

  “I am having a baby?”

  ‘Yes.’

  “Oh, Lord!”

  “Girl or boy?” Jane asked.

  “I don’t care about that! Who is the father?”

  “I’m not allowed to say,” I wailed.

  Maude pulled the pointer to ‘No’.

  “Does that mean you won’t tell me?”

  ‘Yes’.

  “Okay. Will I marry the father?”

  ‘Yes.’

  “Do I marry James?” Clever girl! Leilani had hold of both my hands, so none of us replied.

  “Or Finn?” She tried again. Silence.

  “The spirit’s not going to tell you, Gigi.”

  “What do I do now?”

  ‘T...E...L...L...M...O...M.’

  “I should tell my Mom?”

  ‘Yes.’

  “Oh no!”

  “Surely James and Finn should be told first?” Jane asked. This was a question we were allowed to answer ‘yes’ to.

  “But which one?” Gigi shouted in frustration.

  “Let me handle this.” Maude carefully moved the pointer spelling out, ‘B...O...T...H.’

  “You want me to tell James and Finn first, then my Mom?”

  ‘Yes.’

  “Yuck!”

  “Do you have any more messages?” Adele asked us.

  ‘No.’

  “Thank you...I think. Goodnight.” They all lifted their fingers away from the board and Gigi dropped her head into her hands.

  “I hope my message comes true, but not yours.” Jane said.

  “I was pretty sure I was having a baby anyway. Why couldn’t the bloody spirit tell me who the father is? It’s not fair. If I do as I'm told, I’ve got to face James and Finn as well as my mother.”

  “You would anyway; you can hardly keep the baby secret any more when you start to show. I’d get the whole thing over with quickly, as the spirit suggested.”

  “Easy for you to say; Mom will kill me.”

  “Tell James and Finn first. After all, your baby belongs to one of them. He might even look like him and you’ll know for sure.”

  “Too late by then and I should be so lucky! Perhaps not knowing would be better, if I’m with the wrong one.”

  “The spirit said you’d marry the father, but this séance thing’s batty anyway. Can you imagine me staying in India, helping people?”

  “Not a chance!” Gigi gave her a watery smile.

  “I’d never see you two for ages, if I did, and that’s not going to happen. What would you do without me?” Adele asked.

  Jane lobbed a pillow at her.

  We’d had a great evening, even though the girls didn’t think so. We celebrated in the usual way, with chocolate and champagne. This is getting to be a habit with us, but such a nice one.

  13th March 1968, Wednesday, London.

  Gigi and Jane went to the Family Planning Clinic this evening and this time Gigi used her real name. She was relieved when no one called her 'Mrs Brown'.

  The doctor seemed pleasant and efficient. After he had examined Gigi, he confirmed her worst fears, “Well, you are pregnant.”

  Gigi nodded, she had never expected anything else.

  “Are you married?”

  “No I’m not.”

  “Does the baby’s father know?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I suggest you tell him as soon as possible, so you can decide what
to do next.”

  “Get married, you mean?”

  “Possibly, but there’s another option these days. You will be four months pregnant when the Abortion Act becomes law next month. We could take the baby away for you, if having the child would cause ‘grave personal injury to your mental health’. I’m quoting.”

  “My mental health is fine!”

  “Bringing up a baby on your own is a hard thing to do.”

  “Are you saying that, if we don’t get married, I can kill my baby?” I’d never seen Gigi so angry before. Her eyes flashed and she positively spat out the question. The doctor seemed to be taken aback and even Jane looked shocked.

  “Terminate the pregnancy is the term we use.”

  “Words don’t change the fact my child would die.”

  “People are still debating whether a foetus can even be called a human being. At this stage of pregnancy, it cannot survive on its own,” he started to say then caught her eye. “Effectively, yes, the child would die, but you would be able to bear other children in the future.”

  “I'd never have this child again. I am certain of one thing in this whole mess. I won’t let any harm come to it,” Gigi declared passionately. Tears started to run in a stream down her cheeks. “I'm the one at fault for having sex before marriage, as my mother would say. My baby hasn’t done anything wrong and has a right to live.”

  “I am only telling you the possibilities. You must make the decision.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  “You will need to register with a doctor for antenatal care if you go ahead with the pregnancy.”

  “I will.”

  “You might think about having the child adopted.” The doctor was obviously unused to such strong reactions like Gigi’s. He kept going through the motions. Gigi didn’t explode again, but she did pull a face.

  “I’ll keep the baby, Doctor,” she said, stressing every word. “I’d never know whether it was all right or not. I don’t think I could live with not knowing.”

  “Many do.”

  “Not me. This is my child and I’m going to take care of it myself.”

  The doctor held out his hand and shook hers. “That is a brave decision. I hope everything works out well for you both.”

  “Thank you.”

  When they got outside, Jane said, “I didn’t realise you felt so strongly.”