Slipperless Series (Book #4)(23)

My grandmother had her funeral plot picked out and paid for years ago.

She’d been married to my grandfather for more than thirty years when he died. In all the time she and I were together, she only ever had wonderful things to say about him. Towards the end of her life, she openly expressed what can only be described as happiness at the idea of being buried next to him. As someone in my early twenties, I found it hard to relate to that sentiment.

Of course, part of it was due to the fact that I never had a man like my grandfather in my life. I suppose when you spend the majority of your life with one person, it’s only natural to want to spend all of eternity with them as well. In any case, the day of my grandmother’s funeral arrived. Although I didn’t have any close relationships, the few friends I did have were supportive of me and accompanied me.

Next to the loss of my parents and siblings, the day was the worst experience of my life and so I was grateful for the support I did receive. Beyond the obvious emotion of grief, numbness was the only sensation I felt any longer. The sole reason I’d struggled to get to where I was now lay before me, gone forever. I’d been in such a daze in the immediate aftermath of her passing that I’d completely lost touch with everything happening at Hawkins Biotech.

I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d spoken to Gabe.

Where would I find the motivation to continue? I had no idea how much this latest round of hospital visits was going to cost, but if the total amount I owed now was closer to three quarters of a million dollars, it wouldn’t have surprised me.

Surrounded by my friends on all sides, I reached down into the casket and placed my palm on top of my grandmother’s arm.

I’d cried so many tears in the days since her passing that it didn’t seem as if any more of them remained. Yet in those final moments, when I began to realize I would never see her again, liquid heat found its way into my eyes once again. As the salty discharge made its way down my cheek, I clutched at a damp tissue, doing my best to dab away my sadness.

Just then, I glanced from one side to the other and said to my friends, “I’ll be fine. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone for a few seconds.”

After a series of shoulder squeezes and back rubs, my friends took their seats in nearby pews. Left alone with my grandmother for one last time, I looked down at her.

“Grandmother,” I began in a whisper. “I love you and I know I never told you this often enough, but I’ll never be able to repay you for what you did for me. You are my hero, and I will love you and miss you until I am reunited with you again someday.”

With that, I grabbed hold of the side of casket and leaned over towards her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead for the last time. I lingered there for a moment before returning to a standing position.

“Goodbye,” I muttered, choking back the last words I’d ever say to her. “I-I love you.”

As soon as I finished speaking, I raised the tissue to my nose and returned to join my friends. But, just as I did, I bumped into a familiar, solid presence. Freezing in place, I drew my eyes up towards his face.

“Gabe,” I said, as I looked away from him for a moment. “W-What are you doing here?”

With his hands in his pockets, Gabe looked down at me.

“Where else should I be, Fiona?”

I glanced around and noticed several pairs of eyes looking in my direction.

“That’s not what I meant--I mean, how did you know about this?”

Just then, Gabe pulled his hands out of his pockets and reached up towards my shoulders. He wrapped his fingers around my upper arms with a gentle caress.

“Why does it matter, Fiona? I’m just here to support you. Isn’t that enough?”

Finishing his thought, Gabe offered me a warm smile and released his grip. Turning away, he began to walk back towards the rows of pews and took a seat in one of the empty ones. I watched him in silence for several seconds, and soon after, I joined the entire group, taking a seat amongst my friends.

It was a lovely service, fitting for someone of my grandmother’s integrity, honesty, and strength. It went by far too fast, and before I realized it, today would mark the first day she became a memory to me.

Afterward, I spent a good bit of time talking with my friends and accepting their condolences. All the while, Gabe remained in the periphery. When it was just him and me that remained, I locked eyes upon him, not certain exactly what he might say to me.

Of course, I hoped for the best, but the truth was that things with the Link Protocol weren’t good. Despite the fact that it was the day of my grandmother’s burial, I wasn’t sure if that was enough to save me and my career.