Chamomile Ghost

Adam sits on the red couch right next to the window. He pours the chamomile tea he had prepared into two ceramic mugs on the coffee table in front of him. He adjusts the mugs so they form a straight line. After adding two teaspoons of sugar the mug away from him, he puts the spoon in the middle of the table. On both ends of the spoon he places one of the mugs.

*ring*

Adam takes his phone from his pocket to check who's disturbing his ritual: Sarah.

"I'm busy. Is it urgent?"

"Yes."

"I'm all ears."

Sarah lets out a heavy sigh.

"Are you cheating on me?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Are you?"

Adam's face reads nothing but confusion.

"What makes you say that?"

"You've been so distant lately and every single day I come back home to find two used mugs and sugar on the table... I know you don't use sugar for anything. What am I supposed to make out of this?"

"Sarah... I'm not cheating on you.

"That's very reassuring."

"You're going to play the sarcasm card? You know what, I was just about to invite my friend over. Why don't you come and meet him yourself."

"Him? Fine. I'll be there in ten minutes."

They hang up.

Adam looks out the window and grins slightly. Some might as well call him amused by the accusation. He gets back to his little invitation.

The tea is served,

The bridge is formed,

What's left for you

Is to walk across your world

He stands up and passes the corridor to knock three times on the door. The door knocks back twice and a voice rises from the living room.

"What took you so long? You were supposed to summon me an hour ago."

Adam laughs.

"It's nice to see you too, pal."

"Is this chamomile? I love chamomile."

Adam looks at the half transparent figure next to the table and smiles.

"I know."

They take a sip of their teas before diving into a deep conversation.

"So... She's coming to see you."

"Sarah?"

"Yes. I didn't think you'd remember her name."

"Well, when you're down there you have a lot of time to... remember things."

"Good for you."

Key sounds fill the house. Sarah takes off her coat and walks to the living room, where she keeps finding the mugs. Adam stands up to greet her.

"Hey, honey! "

Sarah is just staring at the other guy who has his back turned. She stutters:

"W-why is t-this man... h-how? I-is he a g-ghost?"

"You didn't even need me to explain it to you. Look at you! Sherlock Holmes would be impressed."

Sarah slowly walks towards the man who's also slowly standing up. He turns around to face Sarah.

"F-Flynn?"

"Hi Sarah. Did you expect to se me?"

"No. I did not."

Adam interrupts the awkward silence.

"I'll get you a chair."

"Thank you."

Adam goes to find another chair. Flynn and Sarah are left alone in the richly decorated room. Neither of them is able to look at anything else but each other. Their eyes read confusion, passion... anger.

"How?"

"Your... husband- correct me if I'm wrong- summoned me. He summons me almost every day."

"Why?"

Her voice shatters like glass with tears running down her face like the beginning of rain.

"I'd like to ask you the same question, Sarah. Why? Why did you-"

"Here's your chair m'lady."

Adam places the chair and sits down. The room doesn't feel the same as he left. There's no trace of the chamomile aroma anymore, only tension.

"What happened?"

"Sarah! Why don't you tell Adam what we were just talking about. "

Flynn doesn't care. He has nothing to lose, nothing to hide. Not anymore.

"We were just talking about... about the old days."

"You're such a bore. Get into details. All the dirty details. I bet adam would like to hear it."

Adam shakes his head and smiles innocently. Rivers start running down Sarah's face.

"Are you okay?"

"No."

Flynn loses his patience.

"I'll tell you everything. The year before my death- remember the Christmas party at my house- Sarah and you were dating, right? She came to me crying because apparently you weren't giving her enough attention. "

"Flynn... stop. Please, stop."

Adam gestures him to keep going.

"So she asked me if she could, you know, stay with me for the night. I'm not a guy to turn down a hot mess. That night she cheated on you. With me."

"I'm so sorry. Adam, I'm really sorry."

Adam's face is blank.

"I know."

"You know?"

"Flynn told me."

"A-and you still wanted to be my boyfriend?"

"I thought everyone deserved a second chance. Plus, it wasn't that hard to see how sad and stressed you were for the next couple of months."

Flynn starts grinning.

"Adam, did you notice when she started to... act normal again?"

"About, like, May?"

"Does May have any meaning to you?"

"It's my mom's birthday."

"What about for me?"

"You... died."

Flynn waits until Adam can make the connection. Adam's wrinkled nose and furrowed eyebrows suddenly starts stretching. His eyes widen.

"Sarah... would you like to tell him or would you want me to do it?"

Sarah makes a move to stand up but Adam holds her arm and pulls her down.

"Okay, fine. If you want me to tell him so much, I will. She came to my house on the 6th of May. She told me she wanted to relive that night in my room. I told her I couldn't do it but she still appeared at my door. And.-"

"I killed him."

She repeats her words softer than the last each time.

"I couldn't live with the pain in my chest every time I looked at the man I love."

"Apparently I couldn't live either."

Adam just sits quietly.

"Excuse me for a moment please."

He walks slowly but surely to the restroom. He opens the tap and splashes his face with cold water. He looks in the mirror. Does he forgive? Does he leave? Is this a choice between his best friend and his wife or is there a way to satisfy everyone? Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in and out. He goes back to the living room.

"I... I love both of you. What you did, Sarah, is unacceptable. And you, Flynn. We've been talking for so long. Why didn't you tell me?"

That night Adam dies due to a cardiac arrest. Sarah gives all the chamomile tea packets to their neighbor except for one. Just in case.