by G. Benson
“Really?”
“Really.”
“She offered, and I hadn’t realised I wanted her to until then.”
Her mother squeezed her arm. “Sometimes it takes someone giving you a nudge to realise what you want.”
Anna heard the door downstairs open and close and felt her pulse speed up, knowing Lane had just let herself in with the spare key she kept in a fake rock.
A glance at the clock told her it was eleven at night.
The afternoon had been draining, though not in the way it would have been months ago. Anna, Ella and Toby had sat between the two headstones. Ella, who had been before, liked to talk to them. The first time she had gone, Ella had been nervous and jittery. Now, she settled in, comfortable in a place where she felt closer to her parents.
Anna had sat with her chin resting on Toby’s head, listening to Ella tell her mother and father about school.
Kym stayed at Simon’s grave on the other side of the cemetery. She wanted to go alone, and she wore a red top, which she’d smilingly said always made Simon forget whatever he’d been thinking.
Anna’s hands left Ella’s hair to rest between her small shoulder blades as she talked. Softly, she kissed Toby’s head as he chewed on a muesli bar before resting her chin back against his soft hair.
More than anything, she wished those two children didn’t know what death was. Not like this. She wished it wasn’t a part of their lives, that Ella didn’t have this understanding about cemeteries, that she didn’t have the knowledge that came with it. When Ella found out Kym’s husband had passed away, she had hugged Kym and then said, “I think my daddy and your Simon will be friends in heaven.”
It had been almost peaceful at the cemetery. The grass was kept green, it was filled with trees, and a soft breeze always seemed to be blowing. The dog tags had made a soft sound when she moved, and Anna wished she could ask her brother if he found it weird that she was wearing them.
Toby suddenly pushed up from Anna’s lap, and she watched him, steadier now on his little twenty-one-month-old legs, run up to Kym as she approached. She scooped him up and sat right next to Anna, her cheeks dry and her eyes clear.
Relaxed, Ella stopped talking and leant back into Anna. “Do you think they hear?”
Anna wrapped her arms around her. “I think they do. Do you?”
“Mummy always listened before, so why would she stop?”
The words that fell from Ella’s mouth sometimes blew her away. Anna kissed the top of her head and rested a hand over Kym’s.
“Exactly.”
The bedroom door opening brought Anna back to the present, and she heard clothes dropping to the ground. She lay still as Lane brushed her teeth in the bathroom. Cool air brushed her skin as the covers lifted, and Lane settled on her side, flush against Anna. Her fingers ran gently through Anna’s hair, then came to rest splayed over Anna’s lower back. Lane’s touch was always soft.
“Hey.”
“Hey. You’re awake.”
Rolling over, Anna nodded. “I was waiting for you.”
“Bold move with hospital hours.”
Through a yawn, Anna said, “Very.”
“How was today?”
“It was okay. Ella likes going to see them, I think. Toby doesn’t get it.”
“How was Kym?”
Anna kissed Lane’s jaw before pulling back and answering, “Honestly? She was okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You could tell it was hard, but…she’s okay.”
“Good.”
When Anna leant over and kissed her again, the dog tags made a slight noise as they fell between them.
Lane’s fingers ran along the chain around Anna’s neck. “Is this—?”
“Jake’s dog tags. Uh…Dad gave them to me.”
Lane ran the chain through her fingers before taking the tags and moving them back and forth, unable to read them in the light. “That’s nice.”
“It was, actually.”
The chain fell back between them, and Lane shifted so she could wrap her legs around Anna. “Did you still want me to come next week?”
“Definitely.”
Kissing Lane, Anna ran her nails lightly up her side, rocking her hips and swallowing Lane’s soft gasp. As Lane’s hand buried in Anna’s hair, Anna rocked her hips again, slowly.
A knock sounded at the door.
They stopped, foreheads resting against each other.
“Was that—?”
Lane nodded.
“Thank God we finally taught her knocking.”
Anna smirked, stood up, and grabbed Lane’s shirt, throwing it to her. “One second, Ella,” she called softly.
Quick as she could, Anna opened a drawer and pulled out two pairs of shorts, one she threw at Lane and one she pulled on herself. When she opened the door, Ella stood there, blinking at them blurrily. Anna squatted down and opened her arms, and Ella stumbled into them. Tousled hair fell over Ella’s cheeks, and Anna smoothed it off her face. “What’s up, Ella Bella?”
Ella shrugged. “I can’t sleep.”
Anna wrapped her up tighter. “Well, that’s no good. Want me to come read you a story?”
At first Ella nodded, then shook her head.
“No?”
“Can Lane read me one?”
Anna smiled. “Let’s ask Lane.”
They both turned to the bed, but Lane was already standing up and walking over to them, holding her hand out. “Come on, Miss Ella, I think we’re up to chapter six in Matilda.”
Sleepily, Ella took her hand.
Lane looked back to wink at Anna, who mouthed, thank you.
She stood and watched them walk down the hallway, then checked on Toby, who was sprawled out in his cot, sleeping soundly. Soon, she would probably have to get him a big bed.
The idea of that made her a little sad and also slightly horrified about how on earth she was going to keep him in it at bedtime.
As gently as she could, Anna pulled his blanket up over him, fingers trailing softly over his hair, and went back to bed. Wrapped in her blanket, she listened to Lane’s soft voice come from down the hallway. Despite how sleepy Ella was, Anna heard her giggle softly.
The chain lay warm against her skin.
ABOUT G BENSON
Benson spent her childhood wrapped up in any book she could get her hands on and—as her mother likes to tell people at parties—even found a way to read in the shower. Moving on from writing bad poetry (thankfully) she started to write stories. About anything and everything. Tearing her from her laptop is a fairly difficult feat, though if you come bearing coffee you have a good chance.
When not writing or reading, she’s got her butt firmly on a train or plane to see the big wide world. Originally from Australia, she currently lives in Spain, speaking terrible Spanish and going on as many trips to new places as she can, budget permitting. This means she mostly walks around the city she lives in.
Connect with G Benson
E-mail: [email protected]
Tumblr: http://gbensonauthor.tumblr.com/
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All the Little Moments
© by G Benson
ISBN (mobi): 978-3-95533-342-3
ISBN (epub): 978-3-95533-343-0
Also available as paperback.
Published by Ylva Publishing, legal entity of Ylva Verlag, e.Kfr.
Ylva Verlag, e.Kfr.
Owner: Astrid Ohletz
Am Kirschgarten 2
65830 Kriftel
Germany
www.ylva-publishing.com
First Edition: July 2015
Credits:
Edited by Michelle Aguilar and Alissa McGowan
Proofread by Melissa Tapper
Cover Design by Streetlight Graphics
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
