Eric rubbed his forehead. Danny didn’t want to discuss anything metaphysical, anything paranormal… none of it. He didn’t believe. The tips of Eric’s ears heated, and his skin itched. He hated when Danny got irritated in front of their friends. He loved Danny more than anything, but sometimes the guy wouldn’t listen.

“It wasn’t bullshit,” Steve said. He lowered his voice. “The cancer was real. You saw me cough up blood. You saw the sores. I didn’t make that up.”

“I know.” Eric sighed. He waited for Danny to duck into the bathroom. “But he doesn’t think you came back.”

“He wouldn’t believe Bob, either.” Chris leaned back in his seat. “I didn’t believe. I mean, I got a letter and couldn’t open it right away. It hurt too much to lose Steve and when I finally read the letter, I didn’t think it was real. I mean, Jesus. The letter seemed to be from Steve and telling me to go to a shop. Then I go there and there’s a robot that looks just like Steve. It was uncanny.”

“How did you know it was him?” Eric needed to know everything. The concept of reincarnation fascinated him.

“I just did.” Chris shrugged. “It’s hard to explain. He knew things someone reading about me wouldn’t know. He had the mole on his ribs, the scar on his hip… He knew where to touch me. As much as I wanted to think it was, as Danny said, bullshit, my heart knew better.”

“Is that how it all came together?” Eric asked.

“It’s a spell. By falling in love with me, like he’d been before, he broke the spell and allowed me to live again,” Steve said. “I don’t suggest going through the spell a bunch of times or trying to die to have it enacted, but it gave us the second chance we needed.”

“Cancer didn’t win.” Chris patted Steve’s thigh. “We did.”

“God.” Danny strode back into the room. “Too mushy and a load of crap. Spells don’t exist and neither does reincarnation.”

“You don’t mean you wouldn’t want to come back if you died?” Steve asked. “You wouldn’t want a second chance to be everything you’re not right now?”

“No because it’s not something that happens.” Danny sat beside him again. “People don’t come back, and robots don’t turn into people. This isn’t Pinocchio.”

Eric toyed with his wine glass. “Sorry.” Embarrassment threatened to swallow him whole. Danny didn’t open up often, especially if something scared him, and that left Eric to clean up the mess when Danny spoke his mind.

“We need to go. I’ve got work in the morning,” Danny said. “If I don’t show up at the gym, then the kids won’t have anyone to monitor their basketball games.”

Eric finished his wine, then stood. “Can I take these to the kitchen for you?” He scooped up his glass and Danny’s, then nodded to the adjacent room.

“Sure.” Chris stood. He rubbed his hands on his jeans legs, then followed Eric into the kitchen.

Eric rinsed the glasses in the sink. “Thanks for the conversation this evening. I enjoyed myself.”

“Welcome,” Chris said. “I know it seems farfetched and hard to believe. But if something happens to Danny or you and you want to come back, consider Start Me Up.”