At first, she thought that Ace did not hear her. His back was turned to her, but she could tell his head was tilted back so that he was looking up at the sky. But a few moments later, when he turned back around, she could tell he had heard her.
Maybe it was because of the way she had sounded, or maybe it was just because he was sick of talking. He probably spoke as much as he did these past few minutes in an entire year or something.
"Forget it," he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut, and pinching the bridge of his nose. "You will read everything in the documents anyway."
She wanted to retort, but his tired face made her eat back her words. Instead, "Are you okay, Ace?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.
He lifted his head to look at her with a curious look on his face, his lips tilted down in a frown just the slightest bit.
"You know, you look a lot like your mother." Said Ace, which was uncalled for.
Indeed, she looked like her mum, same honey-brown eyes brown hair, and a heart-shaped face.
Shaking her head, she asked again, "Don't change the subject, tell me- are you okay?"
He took a few moments to register the question in his mind before answering, "I'm fine," he answered in a stony voice. "What else would I be?"
"No, I mean, really," she said quickly. "Are you okay?"
"Does it matter?" He asked her scathingly.
"Yes, it does."
He stared down at her in surprise, his eyes wide, and she, like an idiot, blushed bright crimson.
"Fine," he said after a moment. "I'm fine."
He tried to sound more convincing the second time around, but he did not succeed. Of course, she wanted to interrogate him further, but she knew that probably was not going to go over so well with him.
She was struck then with an idea that was probably considered pretty stupid. She did not know where the idea came from, but she decided to go with it.
"Come with me," she said, reaching to grab his hand.
Before he could object, Chloe dragged him back down the sidewalk, a destination fixed firmly in her mind.
"Where are we going?" Ace demanded, sounding annoyed.
Trying to keep her heart from pounding against her chest, like she was going to commit a very big mistake and ignored his question. He would occasionally keep asking in an annoyed voice where they were going, but she kept ignoring him. If she had told him where they were going, he definitely would have objected.
"Oh, no," Ace all but shouted, yanking his hand back from Chloe. "I am not going in there with you."
Without listening to another word, "Come on, Ace." Said Chloe, sounding like a little kid going to a carnival.
"But the cemetery?"
Chloe stopped walking at the front gates, turning around to stare at Ace with wide eyes.
Did he seriously just whine?
"What?" Ace snapped; his lips pursed.
Shaking her head, held up a hand to cut him off. "Come on, just do me this one. I'm sure you haven't visited here for a very long time."
And it was the least he could do after telling her everything, well not everything, only some of their family history and then suddenly ending the conversation, right?
That was probably a little below the belt, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it?
"Please, spare me," said Ace, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to be so considerate about my visits to the graveyard. I hate shitty gravestones and the epithets."
Ignoring him, she gripped his hand again as she yanked him towards the large iron doors, Ace stood behind her, no doubt he would be sulking behind her back.
"Just once, okay," said Chloe, trying to force some positivity into her voice. "And I have got somewhere; I want to take you."
"This better be worth my time," Ace grumbled, looking very annoyed.
Gingery, they stepped through the grounds, until they were there, her eyes resting on his name, her heart hearing the sound of his voice as if he were right there with her.
Chloe sat down while Ace stood behind her with his hands in his pockets, wearing an uninterested look on his face while she clasped her hands together, crouching down on the ground. Within a week, grass shards sprouted over the top, and a little soil was scattered over. In one swift movement, everything went away as her fingers traced the carved letters.
Beloved Grandfather ~James Sinclair
Though it wasn't just her grandfather's grave lying there, it was her whole family laid down in this graveyard. Although they lived a major portion of their life in London, as this was her ancestors' graveyard, final rites were performed in Florida itself.
"I met Gina here for the first time…" said Chloe, looking for something in the space in front of her.
"I didn't know who she was at that time," turning around in the crouched position, she looked at Ace who too found a place to sit beside her, giving her a look to continue, "I was maybe crying at that time, and she found me here when she looked at me, it was my mother's name she uttered. I was shocked to learn that at least there is someone whom I know. But ... she never, you know, revealed anything about herself and when I asked, who she visits here in the cemetery, she said something about her late husband .... but she is a great woman, she always took care of me in need, and I just saw her as my employer. But now I know."
Ace did not intervene as he wanted to listen to what Chloe had to say.
They walked along in silence, Chloe practically knew the way by heart, she had been here so many times. She used to come to the central park and the cemetery nearly every Sunday.
Just as she was expecting, her favorite spot in the middle of the woods was empty when they arrived. Big stones were lying on the ground, which was where she led him. Taking a seat up at the top of the larger stone.
He sat beside her, putting as much distance between the two of them as he could without seeming rude. She tried not to let this bother her so much.
Leaning back against the trunk of a tall tree, watching the clouds pass by, the entire point she came here was to feel serenity.
They say the universe is all connected, as are we all, and at this moment it was so tangible, real.
The comfortable silence fell upon them, she did not have to look at Ace to know that he was undoubtedly thinking about one thing.
She had no idea what to think of everything. Everything in her mind was so jumbled at the moment.
How on earth did Ace manage to be like this, with everything that had happened to him resting on his shoulders?
"What are we doing here?"
Jerking in surprise at Ace's voice, Chloe turned to look at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Ace gave her a pointed look as he said, "The cemetery? What are you trying to establish, want me to tell you about my family and all the shitty things that have happened in our life?"
Perhaps.
"No," she said, blowing out a sigh. "I'm trying to make myself feel better, but if you're ready to share, go ahead, nobody is stopping you."
Sighing, Ace veered around away from her, "It's not just Sinclair's Ancestral Cemetery…. This graveyard was built for Sinclair, Jonathan, and..."
"King," completed Chloe for Ace.