Love, Utley (Love Letters #1)

What in the hell is she talking about?

“Aunt Hannah.” Chelsea’s impatient tone forces my gaze back down.

“Sorry.” I turn the cookie so it’s facing me.

Smidge is written across it.

And I die.

I’ve lost the battle against reality.

I’m no longer of this world.

I’m just a ghost floating away.

I’m dead.

“Uh, Grandma, what’s wrong with her?” Chelsea says from somewhere in the afterlife.

“She’s just having a moment,” Mom replies.

I stare at the counter. The cookies. The ones with ninety-nine on them. The ones with hearts. The ones with footballs. The one that says Smidge. The one that says… I tilt my head. Is that G. Ma?

Mom’s phone rings, and she answers. “Hello, Maddy.”

I blink.

Maddy?

“Yes, she’s here.” Mom nods. “Yeah. Uh-huh. No. I think she’s just a little overwhelmed. Having a bit of an episode.”

“Mom,” I sigh.

She glances at me but keeps talking into the phone. “Yep. She’s wearing the hoodie. Hmm, I don’t know how to do that.”

“Mom.” I try again. “Are you talking to Maddox?”

She turns her head away from me.

I pick up one of the jersey cookies and bite the sleeve off.

It’s good. Very vanilla-y.

“Okay. Okay. Alright, I’ll look,” Mom says to Maddox before she pulls the phone away from her ear and taps the screen. “Is it working?”

“Yep, I can see you.” A male voice I know too well sounds through the speaker of Mom’s phone.

Mom lets out a sound of enjoyment as she holds the phone out, letting us all see Maddox’s handsome face on the screen.

“Hey, Smidge.” He greets Chelsea.

“Hey.” She only spares the phone a glance before going back to decorating the next cookie.

“Let me see the sweatshirt,” he says to my mom.

She tries to hold it at the right angle but gives up and hands me the phone. “You can do it.”

Taking it, I walk out of the kitchen and sink into one of the dining chairs.