Matthew slipped into his new role in the Octagon House. Lessons and chores, the simplicity of life slowly gave way to pure bliss. He slowly stopped missing, TV, his gameboy not to mention the modern necessities. His life was plain and simple. He found that he missed his family less and it almost seemed as his new one replaced his old family, but he quickly dismissed that thought. he wasn't replacing the family he lost, he could have two families and he shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to love his second family.
Emmeline didn't stop searching for the answers to the unique boy that had come to live with them. She was always testing him in little ways, trying to see what made this boy special. Everything he did she watched with a careful and studious eye, something had to give the secret away. Maybe if she could piece it all together she would be able to solve the riddle. Still on occasion when she held him, she felt a mild thump, zap, or warmness spread through her body, but the feeling was fleeting. She kept all her notes in meticulous journals, maybe if she took careful notes, she could discover his secret. Unfortunately there wasn't a manual to the living or the dead and she had to just write her observations down until the mystery revealed itself.
And in a blink of an eye, the boy who had come to them broken and hurting was a young man, in a couple of months he would be 16. He became a respectable young man.
Matt began to call Gregory 'papa' and Emmeline 'Emmy' mimicking Ania's way of speech. He could speak French, German, and Latin fluently. His penmanship was superb. When he dressed, he no longer thought the clothes were weird, they just were his clothes and it was what one would wear. He was knowledgeable with the history and law of the united states. He could do math quickly and efficiently. He still humored Ania and they played their games in the yard and went to the creek when it was hot and swam and when it was cold enough, they skated.
Matt certainly did not grow up spoiled and could do without many of the things he thought he 'needed'.
Emmeline sat on the porch, the day was rather nice not too hot or too cold and was knitting a pair of socks for Matthew (he got holes in the last ones!).
Matthew was assisting Gregory with the regular maintenance of the car. When Matt's stomach grumbled, they made their way back to the house. Emmeline noticed the grease on Matthew and shook her head, "absolutely not, you are a mess right now and I won't have you tramping grease all over my clean floors! I will bring lunch out to you."
"Yes Emmy." Matthew replied obediently.
When Matt was munching on his sandwich and drinking his tea he asked the two ghosts sitting beside him, "Er- Papa, Emmy, I was wondering, I mean its been several years since I came here." Matthew was nervous to ask, leaving the estate was a huge no-no and he wasn't sure if they would allow it. "I was wondering if I could go to school with the local kids, at the high school?"
He waited for what felt like an eternity for them to answer.
When Emmeline heard this she could have sworn one could hear her heart drop on the floor. He wanted to leave? This was the beginning of the end. She began to feel a rising panic within her chest. The terror written across her face did not go unnoticed.
Gregory crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. "I don't see why not. I have been working on alternative papers for you. I think you should go and be with people like you."
"Really?!"
"Mm."
Matt would have fallen to the floor if he wasn't seated securely in the chair. He could go for high school. But seeing the terror on Emmy's face, he decided to tapper his happiness to not cause her any undo stress, he didn't want to kill her...again.
Emmeline watched them head back to the barn and work on the car. She attempted to pick her heart up from the floor, but the atmosphere felt so heavy and thick. She knew what Gregory had said was the right answer, but, that didn't mean it was the answer she wanted! She took the silverware and dishes inside, but she didn't have the energy to do them. She just wanted to sulk like a proper ghost! No doubt she was creating another cold spot with her swirling depression and eventual guilt. She had to do something to get her mind off of it. She wanted to scream out or possibly even break something, but she attempted to keep her emotions in check. He was 15 going on 16 and soon he would move out of the house and have a family of his own and he would never visit. Gosh Emmeline, get a hold of yourself you are spiraling! She slapped her cheek. Why was she going into an endless cyclone of depression.