Chapter 7 - up the ante

"What else would you do after a party like this?" I asked.

"Head home, and prepare for bed or in some cases do other things before bed..." Edward replied.

That made me look away, it was true that Derek and I hadn't been intimate in a long time mostly because of Edward taking over him at night to make him eat he was always stuffed and often fell asleep quickly after a stuffing. That didn't mean I wasn't interested in it, in fact it was the opposite I wanted it more but he was always sleeping after eating. Maybe I just wanted him to gain some more weight before I brought it up with Derek, or maybe I wasn't always sure which man was in charge of Derek's body. Edward moved me around the dance floor and held me closer to him; I placed a hand on his flabby chest.

"Maybe we should talk about this thing that seems to be going on between us here...I'm not sure what this is." I said.

"It's a dance as far as I know what else would it be?" Edward replied.

"No, I mean this thing between us. The kisses, the closeness..." I said.

"Is there something wrong with it? This is still your husband's body."

"Yes, that's what is confusing. It's his body but he's not the one in control of it. It's like a constant switch between things that shouldn't be switching. It's almost like you want to stay in control of Derek..." I said.

"I see, so you think I am becoming too attached to his body and that I won't leave?" Edward said.

"Yes, exactly and I'm worried about what will happen to my Derek." I replied.

"What will happen to your Derek is that he will finally be happy and living in the body that he's always wanted to have. I've been giving him the extra pushing he needs to grow it." Edward said.

"I know Edward and for that I'm grateful to you, he's never been happier. I missed seeing him smile the way he does now after he's eaten a huge meal." I said.

"You are afraid that I will take him away from you, is that right?" Edward asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"I wouldn't want to make you sad or uncomfortable, that's the last thing I want to do." Edward said.

"Did you have any kids when you were alive?" I asked.

"I had a son and a daughter, my son was supposed to take over the family business after I died in 1922 but I don't know where he is now or if he had children, he was eighteen when I died. My daughter was six, and I often thought about them after I died. I dreamed about them before I woke up the first time." Edward replied.

"I can look him up in the records if you want. Maybe you still have great-grandkids out there somewhere." I said.

"That would be nice to know, what happened to my children, when my daughter got married. If they had kids I never had the ability to find out before now."

What would I do if Edward's family was still around? Would they want to reclaim his things? I did know a bit about ghosts and how they attach themselves to objects they had in life. If those objects were removed would it take the ghosts away with them? I felt him draw me closer as we danced, it was all so confusing. Did I really want to lose Edward? He possesses my husband to get out of the house where he would normally be bound to and he was making him fat too. That was something we both wanted...but was it really right? No one knew the house was haunted and until I uncovered that false wall, no one knew there was a staircase to the attic that was filled with antiques. At least, I hoped no one knew; my fear was that owners before us might know what was up there. I decided to look up the property records to see who owned the house before us, if it was Edward's grandchildren.

"You seem perplexed my dear, what is it?" Edward asked.

"Did you ever see the people who owned the house before us? I mean after they woke you up thirty years ago." I said.

"Briefly; but I wasn't strong enough to go very far from the attic back then. Why?" Edward replied.

"I was just thinking that if they were your family that they might know what was in the attic and they could want your things back. If they're removed from the house I'm worried that it will take you away with them." I said.

"You don't want to lose me? I'm touched to hear you say that."

"I've gotten used to having you haunting; the house would feel so empty if you were gone." I said.

He held me closer, I gripped his shirt. It was startling to hear myself confess to that, perhaps Edward did mean more to me than I thought. Could you really fall in love with a ghost who possesses your husband? Does it count as cheating on him? I had no answer.

"Maybe we should head home, I want look into it now." I said.