This might seem like a strange chapter with a strange subject matter, but I thought this might be a "good way" to help Suzy overcome her fears. Anyway, I hope you like it and thanks again as always for reading!

October 21—"Tombstone"

Suzy frowned as she noticed the car turn down an unfamiliar street. This wasn't the direction of home…

"Daddy? Where are we going?"

Tom glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "I want you to meet someone," he answered. "Someone who I should have taken you to see long ago…"

Suzy frowned, but shrugged her shoulders, thinking nothing more of the matter…that is, until she noticed a certain place that the car was approaching.

Suzy's eyes widened…and then she sucked in a deep breath, clearly intending to hold it as she had done those other times she had passed the graveyard. Only…this time…they weren't passing the graveyard…

"MMMM!" she made a sound of distress, her breath still being held. Why was Tom stopping the car? What were they doing at the cemetery!?

Tom looked in the rearview mirror. "Breathe naturally, me darlin'," he firmly told her, though his voice was still gentle. "We're going to be here a little while."

Suzy's panicked look changed to one of annoyed confusion. A long exhale left her lips, and she glared back at Tom. "You said we going to meet somebody," she muttered.

Tom unbuckled his seatbelt. "We are," he confirmed.

"In a graveyard!?" Suzy hissed.

Tom didn't answer that, he simply came around to the back of the car and opened Suzy's door. "Come on," he coaxed, reaching over to unbuckle her own seatbelt.

Suzy looked nervous. "But…but Daddy, it's a cemetery!"

"Aye, it is," Tom agreed. "But nothing bad is going to happen to you, I promise."

She didn't look entirely convinced, but she sighed and nodded her head, before finally climbing out of the car, clinging tightly to her father's hand as she did.

"This way," Tom told her, giving her hand a little tug, but also squeezing it in a reassuring gesture. Suzy swallowed the nervous lump, before quietly following him, glancing every which way as they walked. Some ravens cawed from overhead, a few sitting on tombstones, some up in leafless trees. The ground was soggy (it had rained the night before), but the sky wasn't as gray as it had been that morning; the sun was making an effort to come out, so that helped (a graveyard wasn't as spooky in the sunlight). But still…WHERE were they going? And WHO were they meeting in a place like this?

"Just over here," Tom told her, leading her down a path between tombstones. Suzy mutely nodded her head, clutching her father's hand even tighter as they passed the various stones. Most of the stones had what her teacher described as "Celtic Crosses", while others were round or square-shaped. Finally, they came to a stop. An old stone bench was set in front of one of those Celtic crosses (though it was much smaller compared to some of the others Suzy had seen).

"Have a seat," Tom offered, sitting down on the stone bench in front of the cross.

Suzy did so, but never loosened her father's grip. She looked around, but didn't see anybody else. "Who are we meeting?"

Tom pointed at the stone cross in front of them. Suzy looked and gasped, reading the name for the first time.

"BRANSON" it simply read.

Suzy's eyes flew to Tom's face. "This is our family plot," Tom explained, his voice calm and tender. "My grandparents purchased the plot—they're buried right over there," he pointed to two small, squared-shaped stones just to the right of the cross. "And my father is buried here too—Aidan Thomas Branson."

Suzy looked to see if there was another stone bearing the name of Branson on it, but didn't see anything. "Where…?"

Tom pressed his lips together, as if trying to hold back a laugh. "We're sitting on it," he murmured.

Suzy frowned at his words…and then gave a little yelp as she sprung up onto her feet and off the bench. She whirled around and gasped as she saw the words carved into the bench's surface—how had she missed that?

AIDAN THOMAS BRANSON
Beloved husband and father

The words from Psalm 23 were carved into the edges of the bench, and wove around it.

"Da had always said that he wanted his tombstone to be 'functional'," Tom explained, still sitting on the bench, but running his fingers along the letters. "Said that if people were going to visit his grave, they might as well have a place to sit," he smiled to himself. "He said that he hoped when we did come to visit him, we would sit and talk—share our troubles, our hopes, our joys…" he looked down at Suzy, and reached out to stroke her cheek. "I came here not long after I met you and your mother," he murmured. "I came and sat down and told my father that I had just met this amazing woman and her beautiful little girl and I thought that I was falling in love…"

Suzy looked down at the bench, and just as Tom had done, also ran her fingers over the letters carved into the stone.

"I came here once, when you went missing," Tom continued, swallowing at the painful memory. "I came here the day before I proposed to your mother…I came here the day before the wedding…and I came here the day after your mam told me she was pregnant with Aidan."

Suzy carefully eased herself back down onto the bench. "Have you brought him here?" she asked.

Tom shook his head. "No, but I should, don't you think? I think your grandfather would like to meet his grandson." Aidan was at home with her grandmother, Tom had explained. He had told her he had a special surprise, just for her. Suzy was starting to understand that now, and in a way, she was glad she got to come here first with her father, just the two of them.

"I've told my father so much about you…that I thought it was time for you both to finally meet," he finished, smiling at her and squeezing her hand.

Suzy quietly nodded her head and gazed at the Celtic cross bearing the family name. She was a Branson now; both she and her mother were officially Bransons, so this place was for them as well. And as strange as it all was…it didn't scare her, not anymore.

"I know you've been told a lot of spooky stories because of Halloween," Tom continued. "And I know it's easy for our imaginations to run wild…but I wanted to bring you here, not just to learn a bit more about your family history, but also because…I want you to remember that things don't have to be scary…that they're not always scary…does that make sense?"

Suzy looked up at him and saw distress in her father's eyes. He was worried, as if wondering if he had done the right thing or if he had explained himself properly. But she eased his worry by nodding her head and even smiling.

"Thank you, Daddy," she murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm glad you brought me here."

Tom grinned and kissed the top of her head. "So, will you still be holding your breath when we pass this place?"

Suzy shook her head. "Nope, because granddad will keep us safe."

Tom laughed and hugged her close. It was a start.

To be continued...

When I was younger, I remembered my family taking me to see the old "family plot" and finding the place to be more interesting with its history, than spooky. I tried to convey that here with Suzy in this story :oP