"Her mother???....like....like real mother..? I mean, weren't her and Alex orphans...I don't....I don't quite understand" I stuttered with each word and syllable because clearly it wasn't fitting my mind at best.

"They weren't 'orphan' orphan, they were abandoned by their father who later died when they were adults and were already living with the....the Woods. After he died they re-aligned with their mother and so she was going to meet her and also make her meet Nathan. I got together with Alex just a month before that and all this happened. You saw Derek's face today right? It was exactly how it was when he first heard about the accident. I pity you Iris for doing such to him."  And she sobbed.

My mind almost stopped working thinking that it was so unnecessary and useless to hurt Derek like that. It was all for nothing. And now what was I supposed to do, I had just goofed up everything so perfectly that I had no idea how to fix any single one of them. There was no explanation of me insulting Derek and saying all the meanest things to him in front of his family. No escape for it.
It was the moment when I realised that anyhow I had to finish what I started and not expect Derek to come back to me or even understand what I was doing.

"Naomi...now listen to me. I need Cathy and Nathan's important stuffs. Do you think they preserved something as remembrance at the house? I need it. Also, I need to go to Irving and contact their mother for the funeral....I can't just....organise it all by myself where she literally loathes me. There must be someone she loves and I don't have even a slightest of expectation from Derek after what I have done to him.
Can you......can you please help me one last time Naomi please....." I pleaded to her and for god's beautiful creature she is, she listened and believed me patiently.

I looked at her with my gloomy begger eyes and she just nodded wiping her face.

"Oh Naomi.....thank you.....thank you so so much....you don't know how much this means to me seriously.
Just get me things dear to Cathy and Nathan, things that reflect them and  don't tell anybody.....not a single one of them okay, not even Alex, he hates me too and I'm sure he won't like me doing things for his dear sister.  Can you do that for me?" I asked as I knew it was too much to ask for.

She sighed and then nodded positively. I clasped my mouth and tear escaped my eye. It was joy, sheer joy that I was so much thanking God for sending Naomi as my saviour.
We sipped our coffees later on and talked about other stuffs. She told me things, how it used to be when Cathy and Nathan were there and their family history and all. I told her about my whereabouts and upbringing. Talking to her about all this later reminded me of my mother whom I haven't talked to since last seven-eight months, I felt so bad for being so away from my mother.

Half an hour later Naomi looked at her wrist watch and got up to leave. I hugged her lightly thanking her once again for coming at such help. She turned to leave and I looked down at the table when suddenly she turned back to me and said " I hope that my faith this time won't go in vain and disdain, besides, Iris....her name is Mrs.Charlotte Jones. Call me if you won't be able to find her okay. Do not disappoint me again Iris." And I nodded in proper positivity and she turned around and left.
I sat again and  kept sipping my coffee thinking about Derek and only him.

Four hours later

I finally found the contact number of Mrs.Jones in Derek's phonebook. She was there in previous pages only. At first I thought I would just google her adress and go right through but then I thought she won't be able to even see me coz duh, I'm a ghost so it would be better if I'll just make her think about me beforehand.
I dialled her number and waited for her to pick up.  Forty seconds down till the ringer kept buzzing but no one answered. I started loosing hopes but I tried again. This time, three rings down and line was picked by someone.

"Helloo" I heard a quivering shaky hard voice.

"Um...hello...am I...am I talking to Mrs.Charlotte Jones?" I asked with utmost nervousness.

"Uh-huh this is she. May I know who is this speaking?" She asked

"Mam you don't know me certainly. I'm Iris Stevens. Uh...I need to meet up with you mam otherwise I can't make you understand the purpose of my call." I said trying to be more formal and polite.

"Heaven's sake young lady, how can I just meet somebody strange that too for what I don't know....what do you want from me..?" She said in rather hard and firm tone. She wasn't so easy-going perhaps.

"Mam pardon my annonimuosness and strangeness but it's......it's about your late daughter Cathy." I said and there was a pause from both of us.

"Who are you...?" She said and this time I could sense she was cold and untamed when touched on subjects like this.

"I'm no one to harm you or your family mam, please trust me and allow me to meet you tomorrow morning. Please, will you?" And saying so I crossed my fingers hoping for her to turn in.

"You, by any chance, don't happen to be related with the Woods, are you?" She suddenly asked and oh boy was I scared as shits to hear that. She had viles of hatred for Woods and I could sense it in her voice.

"Um..no...no no mam. I don't...." I lied again and hoped for it to work.

"Come next morning. D-786 Mike Lewis Park." She replied coldly only and immediately cut the line.
I inhaled breath of relief and relaxation.

Now it was time to do the next thing.

"Hello Derek Woods speaking" the moment he picked the call and said so, my throat filled with another set of hurtful lump making it almost impossible for me to speak. I clasped the mic of the phone with my palm and sobbed a little sideways and came back to the phone again.

"Hello....who is it....?" He said annoyingly and I knew if I didn't say anything now, he will hang up on me.

"He...hello...Derek...." I said with my quivering voice. Silence on both lines.

"Ire..." He said and tears trickled down my eyes instantly the moment I heard him calling me Ire. I couldn't just fix my every mistake, could I?

"I....I need a car....I have to.....I have to visit my mom to Seattle, I was hoping if...." And I couldn't lie more.

"(He inhaled) um yeah....yeah sure...I'll...I'll send my car.... you leaving....now?" He asked and I could sense he was confused over my sudden decision. Little did he know!

"Yeah...yeah...I...can't stay alone...need to leave.....now..." I said and tears kept wetting the neck of my t-shirt.

"Alright...alright....I'll send the car. How....how many days should I expect you....I mean the car back...?" He asked.

"Not more than a week...I suppose. I'll return it to you as soon as possible I promise." I said as I knew how shameful it was to insult your boyfriend and then use his luxuries. No wonder his family hated me. Who wouldn't?

"Fine enough....okay...I'll send" he said and the line went dead. Wish he could have yelled on me for behaving like a bitch to him, or just.....just have said that he was missing me....or....expecting too much aren't we? I'm dead meat now!

Now the last thing I had to do was to call Naomi and tell her to send the stuffs with the car Derek was sending for me as I was leaving tonight only. Naomi freaked at first and then said she will send it without a doubt. I also told her about my conversation with Mrs.Jones emphasising on her hatred for the Woods. Naomi said she had no idea about it because Alex rarely told her things like that. We cut the call as Naomi had to make sure about the things and also about the secrecy of our plan. I had no idea why she was helping me or believeing me but of course, whatever happens, happens for good.

I was just stuffing my bag with clothes, the black dress Derek bought me for the funeral, food for the journey, other basic stuffs like pillow and sheet for the journey, when I heard honking outside the house. I looked through the window, the SUV was here. Derek sent me his SUV. Couldn't love this man less....just more. I waved at the driver and asked him to wait for five more minutes as I was coming down only.

Locking the door I stood there thinking this might be the time when I'm actually leaving this house and going away for always. I had no chances and hopes for returning back here.
Putting out a hundred dollar note, I said to the driver "take me where I'm asking you to and do not open your mouth about it, neither to me nor to anyone...do you understand Hike" and forwarded the note to him. He looked at me with perplexed expression and slightly horrified too. Of course I was acting like a mafia asking him to pass my drug consignment.

"Don't worry I just have a secret liaison and I can't tell anybody about it. Not even Derek." He gulped his throat and taking the money he nodded nervously.
I stepped inside the car and putting my stuffs there I sat. I found a bag on the right side of the seat. I took the bag and opened it but couldn't ses through it as it was dark outside and inside.

Giving the little paper with address written on it to hike, we started our journey to Irving. It was almost 10'o clock by now when we were zooming out of New York.
I was yawning already and my back wasn't supporting me much so I took my pillow and covering myself with the sheet and laid on the seat not before instructing hike "wake me up when we reach Zoar Valley south, cliff road" he looked at me through the glass and nodded in positive.

My eyes opened and I found myself on a car seat and panicked. I woke up haphazardly and found Hike looking at me nervously. He seemed scared as if he had done some crime or what. I looked at him quizzically.

"You....you asked me to wake you up....when we....reach Zoar Valley" he said nervously and then it stroke me that I was on a journey to Irving. I looked around, it was nearly dawn time, most probably 4 in the morning. I opened the door and came out of the car stretching my body a little. We were stopped on a side of the road. The roadway was cut through from a big mountain and on it's another side was the deep down forest. I couldn't even imagine Cathy and Nathan falling from here. The vibe was beautiful at once for such presence of nature and its beauty but the very next moment I was getting everything on the contrary. I started feeling like they were still here somewhere hoping to be saved and secured.
I hurriedly got back in the car and asked hike if he wanted to eat something or so, otherwise we should resume journey. He didn't say much and resumed the car again.

For next two hours or something, I kept my head out of the window gulping the paced force of air on my mouth and inhaling all the essence of the journey till Irving. We entered the city of Texas and then in Irving. It took us some time to find the address of Mrs Jones but finally after forty-five minutes or what, we found her.
I asked Hike to stay in the car and not even peep until I call him. He obeyed me silently.
It was a small cosy house with good neighborhood. I went to the door and knocked it twice politely.

After a few minutes, a lady probably in her early sixties, wearing a round glasses which were right above the tip of her nose, having her apron still intact with her dress, her almost-white blonde hair were coming out a little from the hairband, opened the door and looked here and there, she mustn't been thinking of me, I assumed. She look behind me and saw the car and  then only when her mind travelled to thought of mine and she gasped suddenly when she found me in front of her eyes out of blue. I smiled nervously at her to make her feel light and casual.

"Mrs.Jones" I said bowing my head a little like they used to greet in classic times although I knew she wasn't that old.
She kept staring me with strange eyes and then at my bump. She clearly had no idea how far a pregnant lady came in touch with her all of a sudden that too related to her dead daughter.

"Um.." she pursed her lips to probably remember my name from the call last night.

"Iris.... Iris Stevens. We talked last night and I told you that I'll come to meet you this morning." I said smilingly to not make her feel embarassed.

"Oh yeah yeah....yeah sure......come inside....you are.....how many weeks due?" She asked suddenly looking at my bump. I held it and said smiling "just a week mam". Her lips turned in a big 'O' wondering why a lady in last weeks will be visiting her. I did learn a little mind reading in all these times from Lucifer I assume.

"I know you must be terrified with this sudden contact." I said as she led me inside her home. It was beautiful house filled with fragrance of fresh sweet danish, she must have been baking.

"Oh alright...do sit down...did you.....drive yourself?" She asked quizzically and I nodded in a no.

"No my driver is out there...." I said pointing towards the door.

"Oh okay I'll call him inside too...." She was such a generous lady I thought, she was totally different in person from what she sounded on the call.

"Oh no Mrs.Jones. I need to talk to you in private." I said immediately as calling hike wasn't a good idea as such. She looked at me with her old orbs like fathoming what's in my mind all at once. She indeed looked an awful lot like Cathy.

"Oh if so then...I must....I must ask him to sit in my bakery next door." She said finally clasping her hands together. I beamed a smile at her in agreement. She turned around and left the drawing hall.

I looked around the house, it was mainly old and rustic but maintained perfectly which each appliance at a perfect place and no extravaganza done to its decorum. The fresh fragrance of Danish were driving me crazy for instant. My eyes were searching for pictures and frames hung or put somewhere of their family or something but couldn't find any. I was looking here and there only inspecting the home when she came back frightening me a little.
I jumped in my seat and looked at her chuckling nervously.

"Are you....are you fine my dear..." She asked looking at me leaning her head a little.

"Oh yes...yes Mrs.Jones I'm absolutely good. Please join me."
She nodded at me and with her little limped walk she sat beside me.

"Mrs.Jones..." I began when she stopped me suddenly.

"Call me Charlotte only, it's more welcoming." And I nodded with another warm smile. I wanted to hug this little plum lady.

"Charlotte...I know your daughter and I came to talk to you about it only." I saw the sparkle in her face vanishing with mere mention of it. I thought she probably didn't remember actually why I was here and now that I made it clear she must be regretting all her good behaviour of hospitality with me.

"What about them.." she said little coldly.

"I was accquinted with the Woods when I got to know all about you and your children." And she looked at me with rage and horror.

"You know the Woods. I knew it was them only. What do you want from me..." She said with rather more pitched and hoarse voice. I could see her pain coming back in flashes.

"I don't....I don't connect with them now....I have broken all my liaisons now. Please listen to me " I said in my defense but she wasn't much believing in me. She kept nodding negetively.

"Charlotte...I need you to organise a funeral procession for your daughter and little grandson for they deserve to leave this world and go back to heaven" I cried my purpose out and she stared at me with her glassy eyes.

"She is suffering...isn't she? I knew it. I told them to put a funeral but that...that bastard Derek and his father....they never did it...." She started sobbing and wiping her face with her apron. I held her shoulder as her agony was compared to no one's.
She lost her child.

"Charlotte please help me in getting your daughter and your grandson peace and a better afterlife. Please.." I said and she looked at me wiping her face.

"But who are you to them..." She asked and I paused for a second.

"No one" I said and smiled my weirdest.

"I don't....I don't understand. Someone suddenly comes and asks me to help her in setting a funeral for my dead daughter who is no one to her.....what's... what's going on...?" She asked with her stunted in curiosity eyes.

I looked downwards thinking as to what to explain to her. Truth or lie.

"I.....I was with derek....then I found out about Cathy....and Nathan....now I broke up with him but......I want to do this with you because I can feel your daughter here and there and it's not right. Neither for her nor for Derek's family." I said nervously and she kept looking at me as I knew she  was having the weirdest day of her life.

"Why...... What....you....saw them?" She asked with her horrified face and voice almost not believing in what crap I was making in front of her.

"Charlotte, I know this sounds anything but true and everything regarding crazy but please think about it, wouldn't you want your beloved daughter and your little grandson to be free and  liberated soul. I know you do." I said holding her hand in mine, she was warm and pulsating right in my hands. I felt myself too cold to be alive.

"Yes I do....she was coming to me.....(she bursted in another set of tears) I do want to give her every little peace and respect and love of God. I do....." She said and cried on our aligned hands. I exhaled my breath of worries out above in the air and nodded positively at her.

Next day

"Charlotte......the minister said he will be down here soon, let's get ready with coffins" I said to Charlotte who was tieing ribbons on every desk of the cathedral chapel, where we were doing the procession, by her own. Hike, Derek's driver, came at every help an old and a pregnant lady needed from a man. He ran all our errands, arranged the coffins and every other little thing in such less time and foreign place. We were all set with black dresses except hike, as he didn't bring one of course.

I took the bag Naomi sent me with Cathy and Nathan's belongings preserved as souvenirs, and put out the stuff. There was the ring (Derek wanted to propose her with) a red colored scarf of knitted wool (which Charlotte told me was made by her for three years old Cathy) and a little stuffed dog toy (which Nathan used to sleep with).

We had two coffins, a big one and a small one. I put their respective belongings in each of them and closed it. Charlotte had invited people from her town as Alex and Cathy grew up for ten years here only. I was feeling very guilty as all of this was happening in absence of Alex and Derek as they loved her too but it was okay as Cathy had her mother and her childhood town here for her last rituals.

Gradually people started coming and they were definitely all confused about this sudden turn of events and stranger, me, in there. Charlotte introduced me to everyone as hers and Cathy's long lost friend and didn't explain more than required.
The minister came and started with holy verses and songs as it happened in Sarah's funeral. Then both of coffins were brought to the stage and put at the catafalque. Charlotte's eyes got damp again and she sniffed while the minister of the chapel was reading verses to us.

Moments later, Charlotte went to the podium to read her eulogy for her daughter.

"Nothing can be more grievous and ridiculous than saying words for your own daughter and grandson. I should have been the one instead of them going. Three years......three years my little darlings spent without liberation. She.......she was coming to meet me....mama...mama I gave birth to a son mama....when will you come mama......if you won't come then I'll....and she did....my poor Cathy...(she wailed, along with everyone else sitting there) my Cathy......they didn't even find their bodies......down the cliff.......Cathy and Nathan my babies....mama loves you... and will always love you..." And she bursted into lot more tears. I walked to the poor old crying woman and consoled her making her sit back in her seat.

"Now, we shall proceed to finally submit them back to God and bid them our last adieu" said the minister and we all rose to move towards the grave.

"Iris"

*****************************
Finally Cathy and Nathan coming to an end.

Don't forget to vote comment and share the story people.

Lots of love and danishes to you all.
Signing off
Shruti!