Chapter 19

“No, I’m not,” Sienna said, trying to sound offended.

“Stop the nonsense,” Josiah interrupted, clearly exasperated. “Today is the day. Not later, not tomorrow—right now! Do you think I have all the time in the world like you?” He hung up.

Sienna chuckled helplessly, her grip tightening on her phone. How could she explain that her cherished way of treating him was long gone?

“Okay, let it be today, then,” she thought, rubbing her stomach where the pain felt sharper than usual.

Fiona was laid to rest at Bacchus Bridge, in the west of the city. The weather was dreary; the sun hidden by thick clouds drifting lazily across the sky.

The cemetery was on a hill. Sienna, battling stomach cramps, ascended slowly, clutching her bouquet. By the time she arrived, she was exhausted, her brow and temples beaded with cold sweat.

She casually wiped the sweat away, then gently placed the flowers on Fiona’s gravestone. She looked at Fiona’s photograph etched into the stone and offered a small smile.

“Grandma, I’m here to see you,” Sienna said, her eyes welling up. “I’m sorry it’s been four years since my last visit. I wasn’t in a good place, and the trip back home was simply too expensive.”

After meeting Hannah, life had improved considerably, but it was still a struggle, and returning to Jeiacrity felt impossible. Without the Flynn family’s financial assistance, she wouldn’t have been able to come home now.

Sienna sniffed. “I’m back for good this time. No one can make me leave. I’m from Jeiacrity, and I belong here now. I’ll come see you often.”

Through her tears, she smiled and pulled out her wallet. “Oh, you haven’t met Joyce yet. I’ve got her picture.”

She pulled out a photo. “Look, this is your granddaughter. Isn’t she adorable?” Bending down, she placed the photo beside the flowers, then took out a cloth and gently wiped the tombstone clean.

“Grandma, I’m sorry these flowers are just cheap ones from the market,” she whispered, her throat tightening with emotion. “Once I’m back on my feet, I promise to bring you something nicer.”

With the tombstone clean, Sienna composed herself. “Things are going to get better, Grandma. I’m tough, so don’t you worry,” she vowed, her eyes still a little red, but the tears had stopped.

“I’m leaving now. I promise to visit again, okay?” Sienna murmured, glanced at Fiona’s photo, her heart heavy, and turned to head back down.

On her way down, she unexpectedly spotted several people approaching. She froze, quickly retrieved a mask from her bag, and put it on.

The group drew closer, and soon brushed past her. Her heart pounded—it was them.

Abruptly, she turned to stare at their retreating backs, a smirk playing on her lips. How dare they come to Grandma’s grave? Were they here to disturb her spirit?

Sienna clenched her fists. She didn’t want any trouble—there were too many of them, and she wasn’t feeling well. She decided to wait until they left.

About half an hour later, the group began descending. Sienna, still masked, was heading up, and they crossed paths again.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man in the group turned, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on Sienna’s retreating figure.

“What are you looking at?” one of the group members asked.

“Nothing,” the man quickly replied, shaking his head and chuckling awkwardly. “Let’s go.”

Meanwhile, Sienna hurried back to Fiona’s grave. Beside her bouquet, sat a much larger, fresher one.

She scoffed, picking up the larger bouquet. “Grandma, I’m taking this away so it doesn’t clutter your space.”

Sienna had considered discarding it but didn’t want to disturb Fiona’s neighbors. So, suppressing her disgust, she carried the bouquet out of the cemetery and tossed it into a trash can.

Feeling satisfied, Sienna started heading back. Because of the cemetery’s location, Bacchus Bridge was a bit off the beaten path, making it a ten-minute walk to the nearest bus stop. She checked her watch—it was 11:00 AM, and she had plenty of time.

As she walked, she glanced up at the sky. It was growing darker, with thick black clouds rolling in—rain seemed imminent.

A few minutes later, just before reaching the bus stop, it started to sprinkle. She gasped, quickly lifting her backpack over her head. She picked up her pace and jogged to the bus stop.

Fortunately, the bus stop offered some shelter from the downpour. ‘No worries, as long as I get on the bus, I’ll be fine. Maybe it’ll stop soon,’ she thought.

When the bus arrived, Sienna boarded, still holding her backpack overhead. She found a seat and settled in. The ride from Bacchus Bridge to downtown would take about an hour.

Her stomach ached, so she leaned against the window, trying to distract herself. Having woken up too early, she felt a bit dazed, slipping into a light drowsiness.

Suddenly, a loud noise jolted her awake. Opening her eyes, she saw chaos inside the bus. Passengers were standing, craning their necks to look outside, and the driver was gone.

Confused, Sienna peeked out the window, noticing they were gridlocked in traffic. She turned to the passenger behind her and asked, “What’s happening?”

“Seems like something’s gone wrong,” the passenger replied.

Another voice chimed in. “They’re saying a part of the overpass ahead has collapsed.”

The passenger looked shocked. “It’s terrifying. I can’t imagine how many people might be hurt, or worse.”

‘How could something like this happen? I’m not going to be late to the courthouse, am I?’ Sienna frowned, a wave of unease washing over her. “Any idea how long until we can move?”

The passenger shook his head. “Hard to say. With the overpass down, they’ll need to clear the road first.”

‘Oh no, this is bad—just my luck,’ Sienna sighed inwardly.

Just then, the driver returned. “Everyone, please stay calm. They’re working on rescuing people and clearing the road, so we won’t be moving for a while. Please be patient.”

Immediately, the bus was filled with grumbles and complaints.

“How is this supposed to be okay!”

“No one’s saying when we’ll get going again! I’ve got plans later!”

“Well, what can we do? We’re stuck here.”

“Just sit tight.”

Sienna felt equally anxious. She could wait, but Josiah couldn’t. All she could do was hope the road would be cleared sooner rather than later.

But time wasn’t on her side. She prayed and checked the clock repeatedly, until it was 1:30 PM—she had only an hour and a half left. If they didn’t leave now, she would definitely be late.

Out of options, Sienna grabbed her phone, took a deep breath, and dialed Josiah’s number.