Lulu sat at the small two-person dining table in her apartment, now calm, while her 'guest' sat across from her.
Having to methodically scrub and sanitize the floor of her apartment while the old man kindly pointed to areas saying, 'Missed a spot,' did wonders for her ability to quickly get accustomed to his presence.
She sat across from him with two steaming cups of tea she prepared while trying to cool her overheated mind.
Yeah, he couldn't drink it, but seeing the small breakfast in front of each of them—tea and a croissant for her, and the muffin she still had for him—allowed her to somewhat trick her brain into thinking she was conversing with a living person.
"Mmm…" she couldn't resist making a noise after biting into the flaky, buttery pastry. Nothing—not even the dead—could distract her from the delicious treat.
Once the croissant was reduced to only a few crumbs on her plate, and she drained the last of her tea, she finally faced her tablemate, who still had a kind and gentle smile while watching her eat.
"So…" she began, brushing off the crumbs she could feel sticking to her lips. "What do you need?" After all, since he'd followed her home he must need something right? Isn't that how it always works on TV? Once you help the ghost solve their lingering regrets they can pass on and leave you alone.
The old man blinked, as if surprised by the question, then shrugged. "I don't really need anything."
"…."
Lulu stared at him, expression blank. 'Then why are you here?!' she wanted to scream but bit her tongue. It was hard to yell at someone who looked so old and sweet, even if he was a ghost.
Instead, she tried a gentler approach. "Are you sure? Otherwise, why did you follow me home?"
The man tilted his head slightly in contemplation before answering, "I suppose I am just lonely. It's nice to have someone to talk to."
'God, this is going nowhere. At this rate, I'll have a ghost as my permanent roommate…'
Even if she was about to be evicted, she had no intention of spending her remaining days in this apartment being haunted.
"Well, I suppose there is one thing you could help me with…" he finally admitted.
'Oh, thank god!' Lulu straightened up, hopeful. "Yeah? What is it?"
The old man let out a soft sigh, his expression turning wistful. "My daughter."
Lulu blinked. "Your daughter?"
He nodded. "We were… estranged. I didn't support her marriage. I thought her husband wasn't good enough for her. I let my pride get in the way and refused to give him a chance. We fought. And then she stopped talking to me before their wedding."
Lulu frowned. "How long ago was this?"
"A long time. Years." He lowered his gaze. "I regretted it, you know. As time passed, I wanted to make amends. But I didn't know how. I wrote her a letter, but I…" His voice wavered slightly. "I never got the chance to send it."
Lulu's stomach twisted slightly. This was starting to sound way too emotional for her comfort level. "So… you want me to deliver it?"
"If you could," he said gently. "I know I don't have the right to ask. But I would like her to know that I'm sorry. And that I love and am extremely proud of her."
Lulu stared at him, tapping her fingers on the table. On the one hand, this wasn't that difficult. It wasn't like he was asking her to do some impossible mission. Just find the letter and mail it—easy peasy.
On the other hand, why was this her problem?! She was already at risk of becoming homeless, and now even had to solve the problems of others from beyond the grave. But after staring into the misty pitiful blue eyes of the kind-looking old man, she finally relented.
"Fine. I'll do it."
The old man's face brightened. "Really?"
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "If it gets you to pass on and stop following me around, I'll do it. It's not as though I have anything else to do anyways…"