Gabriel was fixated on the newly discovered documents for a long while, reading every word as if it was to dissect. He didn't really notice Mark bringing him the suit. He was too ingrained in the new literature to pay much attention to the perfect black suit with a black tie and plain white shirt to go with it.
"While you're here." Gabriel spoke to Mark without looking up at him. "Can you make sure that accessible ramps are installed throughout the house?"
"Of course." Mark agreed with raised brows but without asking any questions.
"The sooner the better."
"Of course."
This wish was fulfilled within a day, which came useful a day after the inquest into Claire's death has been concluded. Gabriel was startled by the call from security in the evening.
He walked down to find his bodyguards escorting two people in.
"Good evening, Mr and Mrs Thompson." Gabriel said with a weak smile as he walked down the stairs.
"Good evening, Gabriel." Leanne said with a friendly smile. A smile of a mother for a long lost child. He walked up and she pulled him down for a hug. Her arms wrapped around his neck in a welcome. Joseph gave him a half-hug which was much more reserved but still meant a lot to him. He was startled by Leanne's kindness and care. He was startled by her eagerness to show him that she thought of him as family. And he was startled that he saw so much for Claire in her.
Leanne's eyes looked around curiously even if she hasn't said a word. That alone reminded him of Claire and her recognition of the beauty in her surroundings.
"We came here to check on you." Leanne said calmly as she still held onto Gabriel's hand with both of hers.
"Please, come in. Would you like a warm drink?" Gabriel invited them inside. "Would you like anything to eat? Did you have dinner?"
"We don't want to bother you. I was just worried that you went quiet after your last visit. And seeing as the inquest was concluded, I was worried that you might've been upset about the results."
"What?" Gabriel looked at Leanne in surprise. "Oh. No. I don't think I cared for it. We both know that it's a lie." Gabriel shrugged. "Surprisingly, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would."
"That's good." Leanne nodded, not at all upset by his almost dismissive stance, but rather pleased that he took it that way.
"Nonna made you this." Joseph said as he picked out a tray from a bag attached to the back of the wheelchair. "It's a tiramisu."
"Thank you." Gabriel turned red in embarrassment. He was unused to the kindness shown to him. His family was far from it. Although his mother was the most wonderful woman, she was so hurt that she often isolated him and put on a brave face in front of him. His family drifted apart years before her death. "Come on, then." Gabriel led them to the dining room, and soon all of them sat down to dinner. As he learnt from Claire, he didn't really give them a choice. Feeding people was a way of showing their care for the family.
Sitting by the table with Claire's parents felt awkward at first but Leanne was a well-spoken woman with a truly kind heart.
"Your house looks spectacular." She said as she looked around her eyes landed on a crystal chandelier.
"It is better than a rat-infested apartment." Joseph nodded.
"Thank you." Gabriel blushed. "Frankly, it was bought with Claire in mind. She didn't like my other house."
"Surely not?" Leanne asked in disbelief.
"Well, she criticised it unknowingly. She expressed her opinion of it without a knowledge that it belonged to me."
"So, you went to great lengths to buy a house to appease her?" Joseph asked sarcastically.
"Indeed. It was the tenth house I viewed and this style seemed the closest to Claire's likes. Although, it still doesn't seem quite right. I've bought a plot of land recently and she was designing our new home for it. It looked magnificent."
"You've spoiled her." Joseph stated.
"Not enough, Mr Thompson."
"Gabriel, please don't be so formal with us." Leanne repeated. "If anything, we should be formal with you. We've barged into your house and all."
"The ramp on the stairs, who was it for?" Joseph asked directly.
Gabriel's gaze fell onto Leanne.
"As I've said, this was Claire's home too. You're always welcome here. I wanted to make sure that I was ready to accommodate you."
"Thank you." Leanne said but Joseph remained silent, focusing on the plate of food prepared by Jonathan.
"After the funeral, there's going to be a wake at my brother's house. Quite a few people are coming. And I'd like you to be there too." Leanne said carefully. "With us. With Claire's family and friends. And yours. You know Alex well, and I believe that you might know Claire's friends, Zoe and Gina."
Gabriel went silent. He hasn't thought of that. He hasn't thought of the funeral yet.
"It did seem quite crowded at Mr Best's house when I was there." He mumbled. "Will there be enough space for all?"
"I'm sure there will be." Leanne smiled.
"I mean that, perhaps, this might be a better place to gather. There's plenty of space for everyone." Gabriel felt as if something was stuck in his throat. "This was Claire's home."
"I-… I'm not sure." Leanne stuttered. But she nodded when Gabriel's pleading eyes landed on her.
"There's one more reason why we're here tonight." Joseph said carefully. More so than Gabriel would have expected of him. "Claire needs an outfit to be buried in. We thought that you might still have something of hers that would be suitable."
"Of course. Nothing of Claire's has been moved. It's as it was when she left it. Would you like to help me pick it?" Gabriel asked feeling stupid that he didn't even think of it.
"I'm not sure what she liked to wear nowadays." Leanne's eyes glassed over.
Joseph stayed downstairs, sipping on a freshly brewed coffee, but Leanne followed Gabriel up the stairs.
As soon as Gabriel opened the wardrobe, he knew exactly what the outfit will be. He picked the green flowing dress that Claire wore to meet his friends for the first time and a blue cardigan. He passed it to Leanne for approval and as he did, she broke into tears at the sight of the cardigan.
"My mum knitted it for Claire when she was alive. Claire loved it so much. She wore it almost all the time for weeks on end. I can't believe that she still had it."
"She still wore it regularly. She used to wear it almost daily at work. It was her comfort cardigan. She wore it whenever she worked on a big and tedious project." Gabriel explained, then he picked up a box with a necklace that he had repaired for Claire. "And this. I believe it was from you."
"It was. We had a rough time and she was doing so well. I wanted to show her how proud I was of her."
Gabriel looked around Claire's old room and thought for a moment.
"Would you be okay if she wore a ring?" Gabriel asked cautiously. "She took it off for the hearing to not give away her relationship with me in front of the jury. It's in our bedroom, on her bedside table. I think she had a spare pair of her glasses in her study too."
"That will be perfect." Leanne nodded following him cautiously across the house. Even with Claire gone, her presence was so clear. Her own bedroom was perfectly aligned with Claire's style and her interest. When Leanne stopped at the edge of their shared bedroom, what was once Gabriel's bedroom, she realised that everything of Claire's was still untouched in there. Her bedside table had a book still left that she was reading, with a bookmark in it. Her glasses were on top of it. Claire's nightgown was still placed on the chair on the side.
Gabriel's new suit hung on the side, ready for the ever-so-quickly approaching day.
"I know that it shouldn't matter what she wears but I wanted her to be herself," Leanne said quietly, still unable to speak about her daughter's death freely.
"Of course, it matters," Gabriel replied.
"Are you aware of the funeral arrangements?"
"Frankly, no. I think I'm still in denial." Gabriel passed the box with the ring to Leanne. "Alex offered to pick me up though. I'm sorry for not helping with this."
"It was an easy ordeal." Leanne smiled encouragingly. "Claire was very clear with her instructions. Besides, you've paid for it so it's as much of a contribution as you could've made."
Gabriel froze momentarily. Leanne's words didn't sit right with him. But for now, he dismissed it. It wasn't the right time to start interrogating his in-laws. Leanne's gaze fell onto his photo on the sideboard, one of two. He shamelessly displayed a photo of Claire beside the photo of him, his sister, and his mum.
He followed her gaze and stared at the photos.
"I knew your mum," Leanne said honestly. "We used to work together. She was very involved in charities and so was I. To be honest, I remembered you and your sister from one of her fundraising banquets. Your sister, Evelyn, isn't it?" Gabriel nodded. "She was running around and crawling under the tables. And you, you were so serious, so mature for your age. You sat as if you were an adult. Some might say that it's admirable but I suspect it wasn't because you wanted to. You know, I see so much more of Diane in you than Michael."
"I'm glad," Gabriel answered shortly. Leanne's words were the reassurance he wanted for so long.
Leanne started rolling out of the room and they made their way downstairs.
"I am so sorry for everything you must've endured. I suspected that your father might've been as bad at home as…" Leanne sighed. "You used to be such a cute boy. These dimples stayed!" Leanne chuckled. "When you came over a few times with Diane, Claire used to boss you around. Isn't it amazing how things find their way?"
"Claire?" Gabriel looked at her in surprise.
"Oh yes. I think you were around ten years old when you came around for the first time. Claire would've been around five years old. You let her put hair clips in your hair and then you both drew dinosaurs. She kept telling you that you weren't drawing them right and that you've mixed a few of them up."
A sudden memory popped up in Gabriel's head.
"That was Claire?!"
"Who else?" Leanne laughed at Gabriel's surprise. "Diane was worried that other kids didn't want to play with you. She brought you over a few more times, up until Claire was a teenager, and you've both gotten along really well. Most of the time you just did what Claire told you to do."
"Nothing has changed, then." Gabriel sneered.
As they came downstairs, they found Joseph in the kitchen, chatting with Jonathan.
"It was Claire who taught me that trick," Jonathan admitted.
"I thought as much." Joseph chuckled as he watched Jonathan's technique. "It was a trick passed down by generations."
"Joe, I think we've got everything we need to pass onto the funeral home."
"That's great, darling," Joseph said rather tenderly to his wife. "We should probably get going."
Leanne nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Gabriel. For everything."
"What do you need me to prepare for the wake?" Gabriel asked, feeling an increasing dread. All of his recent distractions were stopping working. He couldn't escape it anymore.
"My mamma was cooking for two days straight already," Joseph admitted as he helped Leanne get dressed. "If you're certain, I can have it dropped off here before the mass."
"I can have a driver bring it all here so you don't have to worry."
"I'll see you tomorrow. Stay strong." Leanne pulled him into another hug and then Joseph gave him a half-hug and half-back tap before they left.