Chapter 508Martin, How I’ve Missed You
Martin’s headstone was stark in its simplicity. It bore the inscription "Martin’s Rest.” Beside it, the words "Carter Erected” were etched.
Beyond that, it was barren—no photograph, no birth or death dates. Not even Patricia or the children’s names adorned it.
Had it not been for the names ‘Martin’ and ‘Carter,’ Patricia might have refused to believe that it was her husband resting below.
Patricia stood in front of the gravestone, and all the grief she had been suppressing burst forth uncontrollably. She collapsed to the ground, embracing the cold stone as her tears came in a heart-wrenching flood, her sobbing echoing through the cemetery air.
Ariel cried alongside her. Even Riley’s eyes were rimmed with red.
Patricia wept until no more tears would come. When her sobs subsided, her arms clung to the headstone, unwilling to let go.
They lingered there from dawn until dusk, and from twilight into the late night, until the insistent urging of the caretaker broke through their vigil. Ariel finally spoke up, "Patricia, let's go. I believe Martin would want us to leave this place."
Patricia's fingers gently stroked the headstone, tracing its cold surface.
"Martin, I’m here to take you home," she murmured, her voice tentative but clear.
After a pause, and as if responding to her call, a chilling gust swept through the cemetery.
Patricia convinced herself it was Martin's way of acknowledging her; a hint of a smile touched her lips. She tried to get up, but her legs, numb from kneeling for so long, betrayed her, and she stumbled back to the ground. Ariel was quick to her side, offering support.
Propped against the gravestone and steadying herself on Ariel’s arm, Patricia forced herself to her feet.
Meanwhile, Riley had gone to finalize the necessary arrangements with the caretaker. Before long, the caretaker opened the tombstone and handed Patricia the urn containing Martin's ashes.
Patricia held the urn tightly in her embrace, her fingers gently caressing it as though she were stroking Martin's face. Riley and Ariel flanked Patricia, protectively escorting her out of the cemetery.
Unbeknownst to them, as soon as they departed, a shadowy figure emerged from behind one of the tombstones.
Piercing ice-blue eyes locked onto Patricia, watching steadfastly until she vanished from sight. He leaned on a tombstone with one hand, coughing painfully with the effort. To avoid detection, he covered his mouth with his other hand.
Patricia couldn't wait to bring Martin back home, but her body was incredibly weak. Since returning home, she hadn't rested at all. Riley and Ariel, fearing for her health, insisted on taking her to a hotel to rest for a night before embarking on their journey back to Ivara City the next day.
Unable to resist their concern, Patricia was led to the hotel. Throughout, she clung to Martin's urn, afraid of accidentally dropping it.
At night, Patricia lay in bed holding the urn.
Seeing her unwillingness to sleep, Ariel sighed helplessly, full of sympathy, "Patricia, how can you regain your strength without sleep? Please rest. Tomorrow, we'll head back to Ivara City."
Patricia shook her head. "I can't sleep!"
Ariel's forehead wrinkled with worry, just about to speak when Patricia added, "I'm scared... scared that if I doze off, even Martin's urn will disappear."
Her voice was laden with helplessness and fear.
Ariel's heart ached even more. She gently patted her back, "Don't worry, I'll stay right here with you, watching over Martin's ashes."
Patricia wanted to shake her head; her neck stiffened for a moment, but then she nodded slightly and slowly closed her eyes.
After the previous night's incident, Ariel dared not close her eyes, vigilantly keeping watch over Patricia for fear of falling asleep and Patricia possibly doing something rash.
She had barely slept last night. Now lying in bed, she started nodding off within minutes. To keep herself awake, she quickly made a cup of instant coffee, forcing herself to stay alert.
Fortunately, when they returned to the hotel, it was already past midnight. Having sipped a cup of coffee, they managed to stay up until dawn.
She wasn't sure if Patricia had gotten any sleep at all; through the night, she had maintained the same position, lying on her side, cradling the urn, very quietly lying there.
The following morning broke.
As the first light of dawn streaked across the sky, Patricia opened her eyes.
Ariel felt a surge of despair. There was no denying it; Patricia must have stayed awake the whole night. To put her at ease, she had kept her eyes closed, feigning sleep.
Resignedly sighing to herself, Ariel took turns with Patricia to freshen up in the restroom before they drove to the airport to catch their flight back to Ivara City.
After landing, Riley concerned that bringing Martin's urn home might frighten the three little ones, suggested that they place it directly in the cemetery.
He had already arranged with Jeremy to purchase a burial plot for Martin before their trip abroad. Patricia had no objections.
When they arrived at the cemetery with Martin's urn, everyone was there except for Jade, who was caring for the children, and the bedridden Carter. Shane, Sebastian, Jeremy, and Ryan were all present. They were dressed in white clothes, each wearing a white flower on their chest.
Ryan, having shared so many years with Martin, choked up at the sight of the urn in Patricia's arms, crying out, "Boss..."
Tears fell with his outcry. He couldn't believe that the boss was gone so suddenly. He was so young. He hadn't reunited with his wife and child for long, and now he was gone.
The tears Patricia had fought to hold back spilled over again after hearing his cracked voice.
Together, they cried.
Jeremy stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice rough with emotion. "Patricia, Martin's grave is up ahead; I will take you there."
Though Patricia didn't speak, she followed Jeremy inside. Before long, they stood before an unmarked gravestone.
Sebastian questioned, "Should we notify the Langley family? After all, Martin was the head of the Langley family, and this is a matter of great importance."
Patricia's mind was blank, void of any excess capacity to ponder the question.
"I'll find the right moment to tell Grandma and Grandpa!"
Implicitly, she intended to inform only Mr. and Mrs. Langley. As for Samuel and his wife, she had no plans to share the news with them.
Sebastian said nothing more.
Patricia placed Martin's urn inside the tombstone, wiping away the dust on the urn with her hand. Thinking about how she would lose Martin forever, she held the urn tightly, unwilling to let go. "Martin..."
Patricia's voice broke as she began to speak, tears falling relentlessly, sobbing too hard to form complete sentences.
After a while, she stuttered, "I miss you so much... Martin, I miss you so much..."
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