She came very close, and looking into my eyes, she said, "My Jenny," and then she bent her head and kissed me-here, on the left-hand corner of my mouth. And nobody knows better than I that I couldn't have felt anything, because Tamsin was a ghost-but nobody but me knows what I felt. And I'll always know.
In "Tamsin" by Peter S. Beagle, the protagonist experiences a profound moment with Tamsin, who manifests as a ghost. As she draws near, she affectionately refers to him as "My Jenny," and gently kisses him on the mouth's corner. This intimate encounter is rendered poignant by the fact that she is a spirit, yet it evokes deep emotions within him. He acknowledges the impossibility of feeling physical sensations yet understands the significance of this moment in his heart.
This moment illustrates the power of emotional connections that transcend the physical realm. Though Tamsin is not alive in the traditional sense, the protagonist’s feelings remain undeniably real. This highlights the novel's exploration of love, loss, and memory, emphasizing how some experiences can linger and shape our understanding of intimacy, regardless of the circumstances surrounding them.
