“Good morning,” Ever greeted, closing the door behind him. He looked around the ice cream shop; only a few of the seats had been put down and the lights still weren’t on. It was 30 minutes until the store was meant to open.

  Taylor sat on one of the bar stools behind the serving area, shrouded in shadow. She had her arms crossed and was staring at Ever with an inscrutable expression.

  “What’s wrong?” Ever asked.

  “Who are you, exactly?” Taylor responded. The question sounded more like a demand.

  Ever slowly took one of the chairs down and slid it under the table. “Is this about the postcard you read last week?”

  “Come over here.” She asked. Her tone made Ever immediately stop and comply. He slowly joined his colleague behind the serving area, standing a foot away from her. Still sitting on the bar stool, she looked up at him, her forehead furrowed. Ever flinched when she reached out with both hands to his face.

  “What are you doing?” Ever asked, his heart beating faster.

  Taylor didn’t answer. With both hands outstretched, she reached forward until each hand cupped one of Ever’s cheeks. She pinched, pressed and prodded them. Did the bags under her eyes look even bigger than last week?

  “Dada doodoo?”

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  Ever laughed out loud and immediately flinched. Where did that come from? Taylor blinked in surprise and stepped back. “You look and feel like someone in their late 20s, maybe early 30s. It’s not possible that you have a grandkid. It’s not possible that you’re dead either, because I can touch you. Unless… I’m dead?”

  Death cackled in Ever’s mind. This is what someone looks like who’s questioning their insanity.

  Ever couldn’t help but smile to himself while he picked up the ice cream tubs and put them on the bench, ready to put in their spots.

  “Believe me, if you were dead, I would know.”

  “Oh yeah, why’s that?”

  Ever froze. The words had just slipped out. “Because… I’d come to work and you wouldn’t be there to unlock the door for me.”

  Taylor stood there for a little while longer, suddenly slapping her own face. “Snap out of it, Taylor.” She joined Ever in setting up the store for the day. Minutes later, the lights were on, the radio was playing the hottest hits and the ice creams and sorbets sat enticingly in the glass display.

  “I will find out who you are Ever…” she trailed off, eyes widening in horror. “I don’t even know your last name! You could be an axe murderer for all I know!” Taylor took a few steps back.

  He takes souls and he wields a sharp weapon, but an axe murder he ain’t, lass.

  “All you need to know is that I’m Ever, and I scoop a choc chip cone as good as anyone.”

  “Uhuh,” Taylor said. “I will find out who you are Ever, if that is your real name… but maybe next week.” She sighed. “I still haven’t finished my assignment and it’s due in four days. Unc’s said that he’s going to try and find another casual but I haven’t heard anything back from him yet. I’m going to lock myself in a room, bash some code out…” she fished the keys out of her pocket, “and I’m going to need you to run the store by yourself.”