Once Upon an Attic

For Kate, it’s about historical research.

For Jamie next door, it’s about Kate – and a meddling grandfather.

For Gramps, it’s about a secret.

For them all, it’s about a dusty attic full of old furniture and long-forgotten treasures.

As Kate cleans out the hundred-year-old attic, she imagines finding letters tied in ribbon, an entry into a romantic love story. More practical, Jamie hopes to find a love story in the real-life person of his next-door neighbour. His meddling Gramps helps matters along as he advises Jamie about how to win Kate, dispenses whirlwinds and wisecracks, and snoops.

Thing is… Gramps is a ghost. When the hoped-for letters turn up, he does all in his power to suppress the long-ago love story they reveal.

This novella can also be found in the collection Dreams and Promises, published for Canada 150.