"Sorry about that." I apologized, "I was looking for a book that I left back home and found another one by the same author."
"Here, let me see." she said anxiously taking the book from my hands. It was apparent that Cassandra was more interested in my novel than in the curriculum that I laid on her bedside table.
"This looks interesting, Aunt Laura." She turned to look at me with imploring eyes. "Can you read this to me?"
"No," I answered resolutely. "You're too young for love stories, Cassandra."
"No I'm not," she maintained, "Devon tells me that he loves me all the time. And I love him too." Then with an air of defiance she added. "We've even kissed!"
I wasn't sure how to respond to this.
"Now how can someone kiss a ghost?" I speculated out loud. "Wouldn't your lips go right through him?"
Cassandra shook her head. "I can feel him touch me."
Then my thoughts drifted back to last night when I felt Jordan touch my shoulder, and when he took my hand.
I looked back at Cassandra and lifted my eyebrow. "And where did he touch you?"
Cassandra blushed. "Oh it’s nothing like that, Aunt Laura. We play games together. But one time he really did kiss me… here." She pointed to a spot on her forehead.
"So you said that you love him, Cassandra. Do you know what that means?"
"It's like this." she said holding my book up in front of me. "Two people together, protecting each other from the outside world."
"I'm still not going to read you that book." I repeated.
"Oh, come on, Aunt Laura. I'm almost ten years old. Devon told me he would marry me someday."
I smiled at this.
"Now how could a human being, such as yourself become wed to a spirit?"
"I don't see why not. Grandmother always says that opposites attract, and that we should not dislike people because they are different from us."
I raised my hands up in futility.
"I see there's nothing I can say that will change your mind."
My niece grinned triumphantly, so I let it go for the time being. But I wondered where she was getting these fanciful ideas of romance. Her grandmother did not have Internet or a television, so she could not be watching any movies. Cassandra must be sneaking books from the reading room downstairs. This gave me an idea.
"I'll make you a deal, Cassandra. Next time I'm in town, I will find a book for you that we can read together. But first, we need to spend some time studying."
She looked quietly at the books on her bedside table in thought, and then turned to me.
"You got me, Aunt Laura." she availed. "When will you return to the library?"