The air was cold and strangely empty the morning of the twenty sixth.

Looking across at his passenger, Nick forced himself not to frown. It was a difficult task. Betsy was usually lively and smiling – always smiling. Yet, as she stared out of the window, her face was pale and her lips were pressed into a thin line. Her arms were wrapped around her middle almost as if she was trying to hold herself together.

To give him something to do and to fill the empty air between them, Nick stretched out his hand and turned on the radio. Immediately overly chirpy pop music filtered through the speakers but it was preferable to the heavy silence. Even though he had experienced his own loss, it was difficult to help the small blonde when she was doing everything in her power to close herself off from him.

The song changed and a ballad filtered through the air, the sombre notes hanging between the pair so thick and heavy he could almost feel the weight of it bearing down on his shoulders. A strange mewling drew his attention briefly off of the road. Glancing over, Nick felt an ache in his chest as he watched Betsy stifle a sob on her fist, a solitary tear coursing down her cheek as she kept her gaze steadfastly upon the world flicking past her window.

Cursing softly, Nick smacked the button so that the music cut off abruptly. Betsy continued to try and stifle her cries. She failed. Clenching his hands around the wheel, he fought back the urge to pull the car over and comfort Betsy. Instinctively, he knew that she did not want his comfort right now. One kind gesture would cause her composure to shatter.

Nick clicked on his indicator as they approached the cemetery and then pulled into one of the parking bays. He cut the engine and remained perfectly still as he waited for the woman beside him to make a move. But Betsy did not move. It was as if she was looking but not really seeing the world around her. The only sign that she was still even alive was the shuddered rise and fall of her chest as she attempted to regain her composure.

Reaching out a hand, Nick placed it gently on Betsy's shoulder and gave it a slight shake. Gasping loudly, she whipped her head around. Her eye lids fluttered as she finally came back to the present.

"We're here." He murmured softly, his eyes watching her closely. "Do you need me to come in with you?"

Betsy still looking rather dazed turned and stared out of the window. As her eyes fell upon the fence and the row upon row of white headstones beyond it she gulped loudly. Her hand shook as she released the door and the chill air seeped into the car.

"Elizabeth? Betsy? Do you need me to come with you?" He asked, tightening his grip on her shoulder so that she would actually look at him.

She shook her head. "No," the blonde stated even as her tired eyes met his. "I need to do this by myself."

Ignoring the way that her voice cracked and the way that she attempted to dislodge his hand, Nick stared into her eyes, drinking in the overwhelming sadness within the depths of her gaze. Finally he nodded his head.

"Okay," he whispered.

It took all of his concentration to loosen his grip on her shoulder. But he did and moments later she had slipped out of the car and was walking through the gate into the cemetery. He rubbed at his chest as he watched her hunched form wander morosely through the rows of headstones, her eyes on the floor but her steps unwavering.

Leaning forwards, Nick rested his hands on his arms and let loose a long sigh. He hated this. He felt helpless – something he was not accustomed to. He had dealt with his own grief but until Betsy was ready to allow him in he could do nothing for her. He combed his fingers through his hair and tugged on the short strands.

Knock. Knock.

The sound jarred his head upwards.

The woman staring at his through the glass was tall and pale, her hair a radiant white blonde. She smiled sadly at him through the window, leaning heavily against the tall skinny man at her side.

Reaching for the handle, Nick waited until the couple had stepped back before he opened the door and stepped out into the chill air.

"Hello Nicholas." Claire greeted shakily as she stared up at him.

Nick smiled sadly. "You know that's not the proper way to greet me."

He held open his arms and a moment later the woman was in his arms and resting her chin on his shoulder as she held him tightly.

"It's good to see you Nick." She murmured as she pulled away, her eyes running up and down his form. "You've been eating properly I see."

Rolling his eyes, Nick smiled indulgently at Betsy's sister. "It's good to see you too, mum."

The smile quickly left his face however when his eyes flitted over her shoulder. The blonde before him stepped back into her husband's waiting arms.

"How is she?" Claire asked, her fingers tightening around her husbands as she too looked towards the cemetery.

"Not good." He sighed, "Not good at all. I think she feels worse because she almost forgot."

The blonde snapped her head around, her brows rising as she stared up at him. Her eyes, which were surrounded by dark circles her illness had wrought, were intent as she watched his face. "She forgot about the anniversary?"

Nick glanced up at her husband, giving the older man a nod in greeting before turning his attention back to the woman as he spoke. "Yes, things have been a bit manic."

"Manic how?"

Nick's gaze fell away from her but he could not stop his mind from wandering back to the kiss – the kiss he had tried so hard to forget.

"Just manic."

Clearing his throat, Claire's husband sent a look across to Nick before placing a hand on his wife's shoulder before she could continue her questioning. "Why don't we discuss this later? I think it would be best if you go to your sister now."

Opening her mouth, Claire hesitated before allowing it to fall closed. Nick's eye widened as he watched the woman backtrack and then nod her head in assent. In all of the years he had known Claire, never had he seen the woman backtrack so quickly. It appeared motherhood and marriage had finally curbed her need to get in the last word.

"You're right." She stated finally, her eyes going back to the cemetery. Her eyes searched through the rows but Betsy was nowhere in sight. Her eyes flitted back to Nick after a moment. "But we will come back to this."

His lips twitched up into a small smile. "I wouldn't expect any less from you Claire."

She escaped from the arms of her husband and headed towards the gate her sister had strolled through just minutes before. She paused before passing through the gates. She paused, her eyes watching the tall man as the wind whipped his long coat around his ankles.

"I know I haven't said it before Nick, but she would have been proud of you. " She blinked rapidly as her eyes became dewy with the first hint of tears. "She loved you and she would have been proud of the man you have become."

Nick felt as if he had been sucked punched as her words touched a place deep inside of him, a place which was finally starting to heal. But instead of feeling pain, Nick felt only a shadow of the sadness he had once felt at the remembrance of his late wife. He still missed her and he still regretted that she would not be able to play a part in his children's lives.

Yet it was another woman who consumed his thoughts.

He watched the woman disappear before turning towards Claire's husband, Lee. The man stood with his hands buried deep in his pockets, his glasses firmly against the brisk wind which was determined to make its presence known.

"How has Claire been doing?"

As he turned his head, Nick noted that the man had a few strands of grey mixed in with his black hair just at his temples. There were even a few lines around his mouth which had not been there before. The man smiled tiredly. "She's doing better. We were worried for a while. She caught an infection in the hospital and had to stay in for over a month due to the complications. We didn't tell Betsy about it. There was nothing she could have done and the girl already has enough on her plate." Pausing the man scratched tiredly at the salt and pepper stubble forming on his chin. "If this wasn't for Betsy I would have made her stay home on bed rest. But she'd never have forgiven me if I had kept her away today of all days."

Nick nodded his head in agreement. Claire was a stubborn woman who would do everything in her power to get her own way.

"How much do you know?" Lee asked, his eyes watching Nick closely.

"Not a lot. Just that someone very close to her died." He replied truthfully, bending his head so that he could look down at his feet. "Betsy hasn't really been forthcoming about her past."

"I thought you did background checks on all of your employees."

Nick laughed and shook his head. "I do and I did." Raising a hand, he ran it tiredly down his face as he looked over at the other man. "I just didn't look at the information. It just felt wrong. I don't even know why but I felt like she should be the one to tell me her secrets. I want her to trust me."

A sharp bark of laughter escaped the man's mouth. He held his hands up before him. "I'm sorry, it's just that I never thought I would see this day."

"What day?" Nick asked a furrow forming between his brows.

Lee shook his head. "I'm not telling you. It's something you need to figure out from yourself." His lips twitched up into a smile. He quickly sobered. "I shouldn't have to say it, but if you hurt Betsy I will make you hurt twice as much. That girl has been through a lot over the last few years. She doesn't need any more of it."

"You don't need to worry. Claire has already warned me off."

The man hummed in response, looking out towards the road. Finally, after what felt like eternity to Nick, the other man spoke. "Let's go and get the girls. It's too cold out here today." Lee murmured, turning on his heel and striding off.

Nick watched him walk away. He so badly wanted to follow but he hesitated. Betsy had not shared her full story. Would she hate him for intruding?

Opening and closing his hands at his sides, Nick let out a sigh so that his breath formed white mist in the air before him. And then he ducked his head and followed after the other man. It didn't matter if she hated him for imposing, he decided. He would help her through this.

It took only a few long strides to catch up to Lee. He didn't appear to be searching for the girls, he walked down the pathways as if he had followed the routes dozens of times before.

"Did you know them?" Nick asked quietly, his voice low almost on instinct.

"Yes, but only briefly." Lee stated, his eyes staring straight ahead while his mouth pulled down at the corners.

Nodding his head, the younger man retreated back into silence. His steps continued onwards, faltering only when he came to the row he had visited only a few weeks before. Even from the corner of his eye he could see the dying flowers laid upon her grave, the colours dulled and the leaves turning brown as death claimed them like the woman they honoured.

Nick ducked his head and carried onwards.

Past rows upon rows of gleaming white headstones until he finally spotted to blonde women just off to the left.

As he stepped closer, Nick started to feel uneasy. There was a vast array of vibrant displays around this section. Balloons, windmills and brightly coloured stuffed toys accompanied the smaller headstones. Flowers bloomed in bright displays which were out of place in such a mournful place.

Without conscious thought, Nick halted in his steps. Gulping he looked between the two blonde women who knelt side by side on the grass, removing weeds from between the budding flowers to the teddy bear shaped headstone they were in front of.

Closing his eyes, Nick drew in a deep breath as nausea swept through him. The person who had died was a child. The thought of losing either of his children was enough to send his stumbling back a few steps. No wonder she was so broken. The death of a child was an incomparable loss.

"Come on, Nick." Lee spoke quietly.

Releasing a breath and pushing back his own feelings, Nick approached the two women with Lee. The other man placed a supportive hand on Betsy's shoulder before helping his wife to her feet, pulling her into the safety of his arms as soon as he was able. Claire burrowed her face into his chest, her body shivering slightly.

Swallowing to clear the dryness in his throat, Nick stepped up beside Betsy. Removing his coat, he draped the material over her trembling form before kneeling down beside the blonde and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her body gave a great big shudder she lifted her face. The grief was etched into her features. Her face was blotchy from the crying, her eyes were red as tears continued to pour and snot streamed from her nose as she gave ugly heaving sobs.

Nick couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful even in her sorrow. Pulling her into his arms, he hummed softly as she buried her face into his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he held her closer.

He finally looked upon the writing etched upon the headstone and felt himself struggling to hold back the tears as he read the words.

Peter Markson

26th January 2013 – 26th January 2013

Beloved son of Elizabeth and Nathan

"We named him Peter after Peter Pan." Betsy explained through sobs, pausing frequently in an attempt to calm herself. "Because he was never going to grow up."

Any  composure  swiftly disappeared and with a heartwrenching wail the crying started once more.

"Betsy," Nick murmured. His voice broke as he squeezed her tighter and attempted to absorb some of her sorrow. "My poor Betsy."

Feeling eyes upon him, Nick lifted his watery gaze and met Claire's own teary eyes. She nodded her head and he finally understood her concerns for Betsy's welfare. The loss of a child was one no parent should ever bear. Now as he thought back over the time she had spent with his family, some of her expressions made sense. Those moments of melancholy where moments before she had been having fun with the children.

"I've got you now Betsy. Cry as much as you need to."

And as the tears continued to pour from the slight woman in his arms, he held her tightly. He held her until she could not cry any more. His heart broke. Yet he never let go – not for as long as she needed him.