Mark saw the familiar red box. A sudden chill, automatically reached his spine. He closed his eyes and counted from one to ten. He blinked and found the box of brownies still lying on the kitchen table.

“Hi, honey!”

Mark jumped at the sound of his fiancée's voice.

“What's wrong?” Liza threw him a quizzical look. “You look like as if you've seen a ghost.”

Mark said nothing. Instead, he marched up towards the table and grabbed the box of brownies. To Liza's horror, Mark dumped the food into the waste basket below the kitchen sink.

“What did you do that for?” Liza cried. “I was craving for those-!”

Liza stopped in mid-sentence. She realized something.

“You are thinking of her again, aren't you?” Liza was furious.

Again, there was no reply from Mark. Liza was crying when she stomped out of the room and out of her fiancée's apartment.

Mark slid into a chair in silence. He felt cold. He couldn't think of Liza or her angry feelings towards him. His focus was still on the box of brownies inside the waste basket.

He remembered "her". 

Yesterday was "her" death anniversary.... and he forgot.

*

Mark loved brownies back then. He also adored her only sister, Sarah.

Sarah was ten years older than him. She was like their mother- sweet, loving and kind. Mark was very fond of her.

When Mark was seven, he had been possessive of his sister. He would drive away of Sarah's lovers. Mark wanted his sister’s love and attention all by himself.

But Sarah fell in love with a guy.

Mark was left out.

Sarah didn’t totally forget him though. She did buy something for him during her "dates" and trips with her boyfriend. There were candies… donuts… chocolates but never his favorite- brownies.

Mark had been mean to his sister. He denied appreciation of Sarah’s friendly attempts by expecting something Sarah would fail to bring to him- the expensive kind of brownies in a red box.

Then, the car accident happened.

For a seven year old child, jealous and enraged, Mark never felt remorse for her sister's death. He had been angry at Sarah. He thought that she deserved to die because of her very own betrayal to him. It was her fault.

*

Mark's heart ached. He felt hate and loneliness at the same time. If Sarah hadn't been a fool to go out with her boyfriend that day, she would still be alive.

But Sarah was in love with her boyfriend. She wouldn't regret being with him at all cost. Even in death.

It was then that Mark realized his love for his fiancée. He would also do everything to be with her.

Marky…. Markky…

He heard Sarah's voice from a distance. Her voice was still sweet and tender. Mark felt the cool air swirling around the kitchen room. Sarah was there, reminding him of her sisterly love for him, persuading him to understand. And at last, he did.

It was time to leave his childhood grudges behind. He will focus his life with Liza from now on.

Mark sprang to his feet.

He will make up to his fiancée. Maybe buy her a red box of brownies?

As Mark head for the door, he accidentally glanced at the waste basket.

He didn't see the box of brownies in there.

He saw it on the counter near the sink. The lid of the box was opened as if inviting him to pick one of its contents.

Then he saw "her".

Mark felt goose bumps all over his body.

The ghost was almost transparent, standing in front of the counter. She was wearing a blue floral dress. The same one Sarah had been wearing during the accident. Slowly, the apparition turned to face him.

Mark couldn’t believe his eyes. He was guilty, delighted and terrified, seeing Sarah once again.

But he realized, he was not looking at Sarah. The ghost has his fiancées face.