"The Beginner's Goodbye" by Anne Tyler

My friend Luke told me once that he'd been considering my question about whether the dead ever visit. It was true that I had asked him back around the time I had asked Nate, but this was weeks and weeks later. Apparently, he had been deliberating the issue ever since. "I've decided," he said, "that they don't visit. But, I think if you knew them well enough, if you'd listened to them closely enough while they were still alive, you might be able to imagine what they would tell you even now. So, the smart thing to do is pay attention while they're living. But, that's only my opinion."