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“Yeah. It was really romantic. We made eye contact, and the next thing I knew we were deep in conversation. He was really sweet and just… different than a lot of the guys up here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, he just seemed so…”—Sheila searched for the words—“… so full of life.”

Erin laughed. “Well, that’s no surprise. The guy had just died. I know it’s charming, but let me tell you, that doesn’t last. I once dated a guy who’d just died. At first it was great. But then, after a couple of months, the novelty of it wore off, and then he was just another dead guy like every other guy around here.”

“But this was different.”

Erin could see how excited Sheila was, so she tried to seem interested. “So, then what happened?” she asked.

“Well, we were talking and laughing, really connecting, and then out of nowhere he started to float backwards. And then he was gone.”

“Oh,” Erin replied.

“What do you mean ‘Oh’?”

“I mean ‘Oh’ as in ‘Oh, he’s gone.’ They took him back.”

Sheila looked puzzled.

“Back to his life,” explained Erin.

“What?”

“I’m sorry to tell you this, sweetie, but this George guy is back on Earth. You won’t see him again until he dies again.”

Sheila didn’t want to believe it, but she knew Erin was right. Erin knew a lot about life. She had been obsessed with it ever since she died.

Sheila was disappointed. She really liked George. And, even though they had only spoken for a few minutes, she knew they had real chemistry. But she also knew there was no way to date a living person, so she tried to forget about George and get on with the rest of her afterlife.

About a week later, Sheila’s phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Is Sheila there?”

“This is Sheila.’s this?”

“My name is Stew. I work over in Visitation. I understand you’re interested in someone on Earth.”

“Well, um, yes, I was. I mean I guess I am but… wait, how did you get my number?”

“I’m a friend of Larry’s. He is seeing your friend Dianne. Erin told her about your recent encounter. I think I can help you.”

The next day Sheila met Stew for coffee. He explained that if she really wanted to see George, she could visit him on Earth by obtaining a visa.

“How do I get a visa?” asked Sheila.

“Well, there are two options. The first is reincarnation. I don’t recommend that though, because it’s risky. You could end up as a lizard or a dog or some sort of insect. Plus, even if you’re lucky enough to become a person, there will be a pretty big age difference to deal with once you get there.”

“What’s the other option?”

Stew took a sip of his coffee. “The other option is that you go as a ghost.”

Sheila thought for a moment. She wanted to see George again, but as a ghost? “Ghosts are scary,” she thought. “And on top of that, I’m not a night person.” On the other hand, dating had not been going well. And she couldn’t stop thinking about George.

Stew continued. “All you need is some unfinished business. I can help you submit a proper request, and then, if it’s approved, you’ll be able to visit Earth as a ghost with an unfinished business visa.”

“Hm,” said Sheila. “Well, what qualifies as unfinished business?”

“Unfinished business is usually solving a murder or helping to solve a murder, or… well, it’s pretty much just stuff involving murders.”

“I see,” said Sheila, disappointed. “I guess I don’t qualify then.”

“Well, not necessarily. That’s where I can help you. I have a friend in the department. He can put together the paperwork. It’ll take some favors, but if you’ve got the money, I think I can get you that visa.”

Two weeks later George was brushing his teeth when he heard a strange noise. He figured it was the wind and shrugged it off. Then it came again. He walked into his living room. There, next to his coffee table, he saw a strange light shooting around the room.

“Hellooooo, George,” said the light, trying its best not to sound spooky.

“Oh my God,” said George. “What do you want?”

“It’s meeee, Sheila,” replied the ghost.

George looked closer. It was Sheila. She looked different,