Grace was just pulling out of the car park as Neil got into his car and started to follow her. She drove for ages until Neil saw her pull up outside the cemetery. He frowned as he got out of his car and followed her, a little distance behind so that she wouldn't see him.
Eventually Grace stopped in front of a white marble gravestone and sat down on the soil as she started to talk. Neil stood a little way behind, but could see the inscription clearly in the marble. It nearly made his heart stop as things started to slot into place.
Anita Rose Dasari
15th October 2003 – 15th October 2010
Beloved sister and daughter
May she always fly with the angels.
Neil closed his eyes as he heard Grace talking. Now it all made sense.
"Your big sister was naughty today Annie. I hit a man that I work with, and that was wrong. You should never hit anybody. Okay? So if anybody annoys you in heaven, don't hit them. But I'm sure Grandma Ally's looking after you. Do you know why I did it though? He called me Gracie. And you're the only person who is allowed to call me that. Just like I'm the only one who calls you Annie. Well, Mummy calls you that sometimes doesn't she? But we both know that the name was my idea. We were quite the double act, weren't we? Gracie and Annie. I miss you so much Annie."
A tear trickled down Grace's cheek, and Neil suddenly felt guilty for listening in. So he stepped forward and cleared his throat quietly to alert her of his presence.
Grace turned to look at him, and stood up.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see if you were okay."
Grace shook her head and chuckled humourlessly. "No you didn't, you wanted to find out all the facts."
Neil ignored her remark. "I'm sorry Grace, I was out of line earlier. I should have realised that the way you were acting today had something to do with how you've been over the last few weeks."
Grace nodded. "Do you want to know everything?"
Neil moved slightly closer to her until he was standing at her side, arms touching, but only slightly. "Only if you're ready."
"Do you mind if we move somewhere else? I don't feel comfortable talking about it here."
Neil nodded. "There's a café across the road?"
Grace agreed, and five minutes later they were sat across from each other, Neil with a coffee, and Grace with a hot chocolate, her favourite comfort drink, as she started to talk.
"She was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was four and a half. At first the doctors said that the prognosis was good and that they thought that they had caught it early. But no matter how much chemo she had she just kept getting worse. My baby sister was dying right in front of me and there was nothing that I could do. Then about six weeks ago my mum phoned me and told me that Annie had suddenly deteriorated. She was in St Hugh's and she wouldn't be allowed home. We were basically waiting for the day when she would go. About four weeks ago I went to the hospital with mum and dad on my lunch break, and we had to explain to her that she wasn't going to get better, and that she was going to go to heaven. But Annie wouldn't accept it at first. She just kept saying 'Gracie will make me better. Gracie makes everything better'. She put all her faith in me, and I failed her."
Neil moved his chair round and sat next to her, grasping her hand in his, showing his moral support. "You didn't fail her Grace, you did everything you could."
Grace, whose hand was palm down on the table, turned it over underneath Neil's and interlaced her fingers with his, before continuing.
"Anyway, last week, we were getting close to her seventh birthday, and three days before I asked you for the day off so that we could spend it together as a family."
Neil frowned slightly, "But you didn't take the day off."
Grace shook her head. "She died just after midnight. Actually, she died at 12:43am. She died exactly seven years after she was born."
"So why did you come into work?" asked Neil.
"I needed to take my mind off it. I went home, had a shower, got changed, and came in about 2:30am. But I must have fallen asleep. I haven't eaten more than one meal a day, or slept for more than three hours for the last six weeks. I think my body's giving out on me."
"Anyway, yesterday was her funeral," Grace continued, "And then when Max started calling me Gracie today, I just lost it. I was overtired, I was grieving that fact that my little sister had died, and I couldn't take anymore. Anita was the only person who was allowed to call me Gracie. It's what she has called me ever since she was a baby. Not even my parents call me Gracie."
Neil nodded, now understanding, "And Max wouldn't stop calling you that, and it was as if he was rubbing salt in your wounds."
Grace nodded, relieved that he understood her, and Neil tentatively put his arm around her. This small gesture was enough to break the barriers that Grace had been building over the last six weeks, and as the tears started flowing she buried her face in his chest as Neil held her tight, just letting her grieve.
A/N: There you go - hope the reveal was okay for you. Just thought I'd update this before I go to bed - I have to be in work for a stocktake tomorrow at 6:30am, so I'm getting an early night! Kill me now! :)