As the years went on, Barrett came not only to look forward to Katherine’s visits, but to treasure them. Once she had finished telling him her life story (which took a few years, of course), the two of them began to discourse on everything from the weather to the latest gossip from Barrett’s workplace. Barrett would find himself filing little things away as the week went by, thinking they would be something Katherine would enjoy hearing. Katherine was fascinated by the internet and television, and Barrett eventually even convinced her to join him in the living room to watch the occasional movie, or even the odd infomercial (one night, in fact, she convinced Barrett to order a set of somewhat hideous hanging pots from the Home Shopping Network, so much did she claim to love them. They sat in a closet in the front hall for ten years thereafter). Barrett began to plan his other activities to accommodate Katherine’s visits, and after the tenth year, never missed a single one. Barrett himself never married, for none of the women he dated over the years could carry a conversation quite like his dear Katherine. She became the standard by which he measured all others, and as none had her years of experience with conversing, none managed to come close.

At the ripe old age of seventy-two, Barrett eased himself gingerly into the usual chair, eyes on Katherine’s usual seat. The now familiar appearance of the ghost’s figure commenced, and Katherine smiled at him as she became fully visible.

“Tonight is the last night.” she said. Her tone was gentle, and somehow wistful.

Barrett frowned. “What do you mean?” he asked, “The last night for what?”

“You have a choice tonight, dear Barrett. You will not wake in the morning. Your time has come.”

Barrett stared at Katherine. Strangely, he felt little surprise and less regret. His life had been long, and he had thought that the end would be soon. “What is my choice then?”

“You can go on, as I did not, into the light. Or you can stay, as I have, and we can keep company for the next owners of this house.”

Barrett thought. Though his life had been by no means empty, there was little he felt he was leaving behind. Save one thing, one constant in life. He smiled at Katherine. She smiled back, and offered him her hand. Barrett took it, feeling the momentary shiver her touch always brought for only an instant before it suddenly warmed. He realized that they were both standing now, and turned his head to look around. With a start he realized he was looking at himself, head cradled on his arms on top of the kitchen table, and he knew that he no longer needed that aspect of himself. Smiling contentedly, he turned back to Katherine, and the two of them stepped back behind the veil, to await their next good conversation.