That evening Melinda and Matthew went to the talk given by Judy Shepard. Melinda sat in a seat on the aisle and Matthew sat on a step next to her. Of course, nobody noticed him. It was a full house.

Melinda thoroughly enjoyed the talk. Afterwards, she stood in a corner of the theater until everyone had left. Matthew stood next to her. He stood watching as a man went up to Judy. "That's my dad," he said softly. Then another boy came over and Matthew said, "That's my brother, Logan." He looked at Melinda. "Can we go over to them now?" he asked.

"Yes," Melinda said. She pushed herself away from the wall and walked down the steps towards where the stage was.

Judy looked up. "Who are you?" she asked.

Melinda smiled and said. "My name is Melinda Gordon. I heard your talk Mrs. Shepard. It was very good."

"Thank you," Judy said softly. "Please, come up onto the stage," she added.

Melinda walked up the set of three steps onto the stage until she was standing in front of Judy. "You may not know this, Mrs. Shepard," Melinda said, "but a boy was almost killed here the way your son was. I was the one who stopped it. The ones who did it were…"

"The same ones who killed Matt," finished Matthew's father, Dennis.

"So you know about it?" Melinda asked.

"Yes," Dennis said. "I read about it in the paper this morning."

"Tell them about me being here, Melinda," Matthew said.

"I couldn't have done it alone, Mr. and Mrs. Shepard," Melinda continued. "I don't know if you will believe me, but I can see ghosts." Their faces, and Logan's registered shock. "It's true. Matt came to me and helped me catch his murderers right in the act of trying to commit the same kind of murder. He's here. Right now."

"Matt?" Logan said softly, speaking for the first time. "Here?"

"Tell him he looks like me more every day," Matthew said.

"Yes," Melinda said, "And he wants you to know he thinks you look more like him every day." Then she smiled and added, "I think you look a lot like him, too."

"I wish that we could have lived together the way we had planned," Matthew continued. "I was so looking forward to getting to know you again."

"He says he's sorry you two never got to live together like you had planned," Melinda said. "He was really looking forward to getting to know you again."

"Tell Mom thank you for being patient with me all those times I called her up in the middle of the night," Matthew said.

"Mrs. Shepard," Melinda said, "He says to thank you for being patient all the times he called you up in the middle of the night."

Judy jumped ever so slightly. She hadn't mentioned that the nighttime phone calls were something that happened often during her talk in Grand View, just that he had called her in the middle of the night when he told her about being gay. "How did you know about that?" she asked.

"How do you think?" Melinda asked.

"He's really here?" Judy asked. Melinda nodded. "Tell him it was no problem," Judy said, "I did it because I loved him and I knew that converting between my time and his was too much math for him."

Matthew chuckled, "You're right there, Mom," he said.

"I don't need to tell him," Melinda said. "He can hear you, and he says you're right."

"I don't believe this!" Dennis exclaimed, "It's all just a bunch of baloney."

"Dad, please believe Melinda. It's all true. Every word," Matthew said. He seemed sad that his father doubted.

"Matt's upset that you don't believe me," Melinda said.

"Tell him I was there at the trial of Aaron McKinney," Matthew said.

"He was there at Aaron McKinney's trial," Melinda said.

"I put my hand on his shoulder after he finished speaking," Matthew said. "After he had granted Aaron McKinney his life."

"He says he put his hand on your shoulder," Melinda repeated. "After you had given Aaron McKinney his life."

"I know he felt me," Matthew said. "He reached up to touch where my hand rested."

"He says he knows you felt him," Melinda said. "He says you put your hand up to touch where his hand rested."

Dennis looked startled, "I never told anyone about that," he said. "Not even Judy. When I touched my shoulder where I'd felt something, the spot felt warm. As if someone had their hand there. How could you…"

Matthew walked up to his father and placed a hand on his father's right arm. "I really am here, Dad," he said. He gave a gentle squeeze and said, "Believe."

Dennis put his left hand on the spot where Matthew's hand was. He looked at Melinda. "Ms. Gordon…" he said, and then his voice trailed off. His eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"He really is here, Mr. Shepard," Melinda said. "He has his hand on your arm. Right now."

"Don't be afraid to believe, Dad," Matthew said.

"He doesn't want you to be afraid to believe," Melinda said.

"Matt," Dennis said, so quietly it was almost inaudible. "I love you, my hero."

"I love you too, Dad," Matthew said.

Judy gave a sob and put her hand to her mouth. She leaned up against her husband and he took his left hand from the spot on his arm and took his wife's hand in his. Matthew slid his hand down his father's arm and took his other hand. Logan came over and took his mother's free hand. Matthew took his brother's other hand in his.

Matthew smiled at Melinda. Tears filled his eyes and spilled over. "We're a family again," he said. Then he looked up towards the door leading into the theater. Light reflected in his eyes. "What's that?" he asked, letting go of his father's and Logan's hands, at which everyone else released everyone else's hands.

Melinda smiled through the tears shining in her own eyes. "It's the light," she said. "It means you're ready."

"Ready?" Judy echoed, looking at Melinda. "What are you talking about?"

"It's Matt," Melinda said. "He's ready to go."

"Just when I got in contact with my brother, I'm going to lose him again?" Logan asked.

"No," Melinda said, "you never did lose him, Logan. He'll always be there in your heart. And someday, you'll see him again, and you won't need me to help you talk to him. But it's time for him to go where he belongs."

Matthew turned away from the light. "Melinda," he said, "I'm scared. What if the conservatives are right? What if that ghost you called Romano is right? What if I end up in Hell…or someplace worse?"

"Matthew," Melinda said. "They're wrong. That's not what it's like in the light. There's peace and love and joy and everything good. I've seen it reflected so many times on the faces of the ones I've crossed over. Don't be afraid, Matt. There's no judgment or pain over there."

Matthew turned back to the light. The anxiety left his face, and was replaced with peace. "Yes…" he said, nodding. "Yes, I see it now." He turned to Melinda. "It's so beautiful. I never thought I would see anything like it." He turned to his parents. "Goodbye Mom, Dad, Logan," he said. "I'll see you all again someday." Then he turned towards the light and smiled. His smile was even more dazzling than before because of the light shining on him. He suddenly bent down, removed the braces from his legs, and tossed them off to the left side of the stage where they disappeared. "I won't need these any more," he said. He ran then, straight into the light, laughing with delight at being free of the braces he had worn most of his life. There came a sighing sound.

Melinda turned to the Shepard family. "He's gone," she said. "He went into the light…without his braces on, may I add."

"So he was finally strong enough to walk without them?" Judy asked.

"Yes," Melinda said. "Though he didn't walk into the light…he ran. That kind of thing always happens when a spirit goes into the light."

Judy nodded and said, "Then I'm glad he went into the light."

"Me too," Dennis and Logan said at the same time.

Melinda left the theater and went home. It was dark out by this time, and the lights of Grand View were on. She smiled and realized that they sparkled.