What I'm Dreaming Of

03

JULIE'S HOUSE

Carlos placed a fifth plate on the table.

Julie's father placed food on the table. "There we go!" Julie placed a bowl of salad on the table. "Okay. Let's do this." He sat.

Julie and Laila sat as the former said, "Let's do it."

"Your turn, Carlos."

Carlos prayed, "Thank you for our leftovers and the power of the mighty microwave. Amen."

"Amen," Julie repeated.

Ray chuckled as he dished spaghetti. "So... Carlos tells me he found you two in the studio."

"They were out there talking to themselves," Carlos said.

"Laila and I were rehearsing for a play," Julie explained to cover up.

"Hello, hello!" a woman exclaimed.

"Oh, busted!" Carlos said as he got up and removed the dishes from the empty spot.

"Yeah, we're in here," their father said. "Quick!"

Cutlery clattered to the ground as Julie pulled it away and Carlos sat in his chair.

"Huh!" the woman, Victoria, exclaimed. "Spaghetti. Again?" She set the dish on the counter.

"Yeah," their father replied. "Yeah."

"That's took bad. I brought you my pasteles and arroz con pollo."

"Yum."

"Mm," Julie hummed, turning. "Thanks, tia. It smells great."

"You can have it tomorrow." She put the food in the fridge. "I can't let you have leftovers every night. My sister would kill me, may she and Laila's father rest in peace." She noticed the table. "Oh... I see things here are going better?"

"Actually..." Ray began and sniffed, "Julie and Laila have been cleaning out Mom's studio. Hopefully we can get the house on the market and some offers soon." The three ghosts entered the house. "Well, I like the sound of that. Moving from here is only gonna help you move on. You've got to rip that Band-Aid off and get the pain over with."

Julie yelled, seeing the ghosts, and Luke exhaled sharply. Laila jumped as her eyes widened.

Julie chuckled awkwardly. "That's me. Ripping off the Band-Aid." She pretended to do so. "Aah!"

Carlos chuckled.

"There's my brave girl," Victoria told Julie, cupping her chin.

"Hey, Julie, Laila, I really like what you guys did with the place," Luke said.

Julie turned to Luke. "You shouldn't be here."

The aunt gasped. "Oh, I'm just here to help, mija."

"Oh... I think that's our cue to leave," Alex said.

Julie quickly thought of an excuse. "I mean, you should be at Pilates. Thanks for bringing us food." She hugged her aunt.

"Oh," Victoria said before she chuckled.

"We should've called first," Reggie said.

"It's nothing," Victoria replied. "And now that you're no longer in the music program, you can concentrate on classes that matter." She looked at her brother-in-law. "You got the e-mail from the school, right?"

"Yeah," Ray replied. "We're still discussing it."

"Bueno. I'm off to Pilates." She blew a kiss. "Mwah!"