Page 18 of All Your Firsts Without Me

“Hello,” I answer gruffly, trying to clear my throat.

“Hey, Giles, sorry to bother you so late,” Chief Brady says.

“No problem. What’s up?” I stare in the mirror, turning the water on, cupping my hand under the stream to get a drink.

“We have a situation and I thought you would be the best person to defuse it.” He pauses, a deep sigh following. I stand up straight. “It’s April.”

“I’ll be right there,” I say, already hurrying to find my clothes.

“Don’t come here. Head out to the cemetery. They’ll meet you at the gate.”

“Goddammit,” I rasp.

“Giles, if you or she need anything, you let me know.”

“Yeah. Shit. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Good luck.”

“Yeah.” I stare at my phone as it goes dark.

When I get to the gates, two officers are leaning against their car conversing with a tall, thin man.

“Howdy boys,” I greet as I get out of my car.

“Sorry to bother you, sir, but we didn’t want to scare her and since… well, we thought it would be best if someone she knows wakes her.”

April’s car is parked a few feet away, but I don’t see her in there. The man standing with them holds his hand out to me. “My name is Randall, I’m the groundskeeper here.” He shakes my hand.

“Giles. It’s nice to meet you,” I say, my eyes darting around, looking for April.

“She’s up there,” he tells me, pointing towards my partner’s grave. He shoves his hands in his pocket, rocking back on his heels. “The first night I found her here, I thought she would sit awhile and leave. No one’s supposed to be here after dusk, but I knew her story, who she was, so I let her be. But then she came back the next evening, and the next, and then I realized she was staying out here all night. I wouldn’t have let it go on this long but…” He rubs his hand over his forehead.

I nod. “No, I understand. I’ll get her.”

Fuck. This isn’t good.

One of the officers offers me his flashlight. “We’ll wait.”

Blowing out a long breath, I make my way to her. I stand there for a moment, watching her sleep. Her knuckles are white from gripping the grass. It’s like she’s afraid of falling off the world, clinging to it for dear life.

Crouching down next to her, I lightly brush the hair away from her face. “April.” She blinks at me slowly, then her eyebrows pull together.

“Giles?” she asks, confused.

“It’s me, sweetheart.”

She sits up quickly, smoothing her hands through her hair. Her cheeks turn pink. “Oh, I must have fallen asleep.” She stands in a hurry, her body swaying to the side as she catches a head rush from the swift movement.

I grab her elbow to steady her. “Slow down, girl. It’s okay.”

Her eyes slide to the headlights back at the gate. “Am I in trouble?”

“No, honey, you’re not in trouble, but you can’t stay here. They have a no visitors after dusk policy.”

“Oh,” she squeaks. “I wasn’t… it was an accident.” She scoops up her stuff, ready to head to the car. I know it wasn’t an accident, but I don’t want to have that discussion here. I need to get her home. We get a few steps away before she stops dead in her tracks.

I tug on her arm, lightly. “Come on, April, we have to go.”

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