She sank into a chair in the corner of the room while Charlie perched on the edge of his desk. "I�ve been trying to get you on your own since the beginning of the shift," Charlie began.
"Why?" asked Duffy, knowing full well what the answer would be.
"Well�isn�t today�a year since�" he paused.
"�Andrew died," whispered Duffy, finishing his sentence off for him.
Charlie nodded. "How are you doing?" he asked gently, placing his hand on her arm.
"Erm�not too bad. I was hoping you could let me of a bit early this afternoon, I need to do something."
"Yeah, sure you can," replied Charlie. He didn�t want to question her about it, but he knew Duffy � it would be a good reason whatever it was.
***********************************
The harsh wind whipped up the rain so that it blew against her face like a hundred tiny needles. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and buried her chin into the collar of her jacket in an attempt to keep warm. April? It felt more like November! Fortunately, the wind began to die down and the rain eased a little as she rushed along the almost deserted street. It was getting dusky and the boys would soon need to go to bed. She�d have to be quick about it, she didn�t want her mother to worry.
Duffy stopped outside a florist and stepped inside, grateful for the break from the cold. She picked up two bunches of assorted flowers, paid for them quickly and hurried back out of the shop and carried on down the road. Five minutes later she had arrived. She paused outside the gates of the cemetery, wondering for a moment, if there was any point in going in, if there had been any point in her making that journey. But she knew she had to, she owed it to him, and to them.
Duffy walked along the winding path to the far end of the cemetery, stopping when she reached that familiar gravestone, Andrew�s gravestone. She wiped the splattering of raindrops off the seat that as just opposite the grave and sat down, fingering the petals of the flowers she had bought. She looked over her shoulder, checking that no one else was around. When she was sure it was deserted she stood up and laid a bunch of flowers down at the base of the gravestone. "I love you," she whispered, the tears finally getting the better of her and rolling down her cheeks. She then proceeded to tell Andrew all about the boys: how much they were growing and changing, how well they were doing at school and good the older two were getting at football �they loved it! She stood up, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She asked herself a question, a question she had asked many times before: why was it her that had to end up without a husband? Why was it her boys that had to end up with no daddy? No matter how often she asked herself that there was never an answer, and never would be, she supposed. Duffy glanced at her watch. She should really be getting back, but there was one thing she had to do first�
In Loving Memory Of
Holly Miles
25th December 1974
To
28th April 2001
Duffy shook her head slowly. Why Holly? She had so much going for her and then this went and happened. She knew she had to do this, for Patrick�s sake. She knelt down on the floor, staring at the grave in disbelief. Why did someone so young have to die? "Holly, Patrick can�t be here today, if he could, he would. Believe me, he would. But unfortunately he was�he was killed�in a car crash. There was nothing we could do, we tried our best but�" she broke off. It was still so hard to tell someone that the person they had loved and cherished most in the world was gone, even though they were dead themselves. "These are from him," she said, placing the bunch of flowers on the grass in front of her. "Well actually I bought them, but on behalf of Patrick. If he�d have been he would have got some, but�" she stopped and stood up quickly, she thought she heard footsteps approaching. And nevertheless, when she looked round she saw a figure walking towards her. As it drew closer she realised it was Lara.