A mechanical voice announced: "St. Michael Cemetery" and the bus pulled into the stop abruptly. Giselle got up and quickly walked out. "Hey, where are you...", she heard Annie yell after her. Then she was outside. The entrance to the cemetery was a couple of meters from the bus stop, an old gateway made of old bricks, crumbled and overgrown. The old gate, just like the fence left and right of the gate, consisted of vertical iron bars that had to have been at least two decades old, judging by the rust and damage. Her footsteps went from a light clicking into a crunching noise when she entered the gravel path into the cemetery.

Through tear-filled eyes Giselle glanced straight ahead and then upward to the clouds. Maybe it'd rain later, the forecast wasn't sure about that. Wind carried the cloud cover swiftly across the sky, allowing the sun to appear only briefly through the gaps between the clouds. Slowly she walked down the path and felt quite like Alice in Wonderland. The tree up ahead, a very old willow, could've easily had Cheshire appear on one of its branches. Tombstones were overgrown, the engravings hardly readable through age and weather. Ivy grew everywhere.

Tears still rolled down her cheeks, but somehow she was taken aback by this place. It radiated a calmness that completely engulfed her. Then suddenly a hand clutched hers. She jumped in surprise and pulled back. "It's just me", Annie said quietly and smiled. The brunette didn't respond. Her vision was blurry and everything felt numb. "Quite the place you found here. I didn't know there was an old cemetery here. Granted, the bus stop could've given that away", her friend said and reached for her hand a second time. Giselle let it happen and got pulled down the gravel path further into the old graveyard.

A couple of meters later, an old bench stood next to a crossroads. Annie sat down and ignored the creaking. She pulled at her neighbour's hand and the unspiritual Giselle followed. As soon as she leaned back and glanced up through the canopy, everything unleashed. Crying turned into sobbing and ended in wailing. Her face fell into her hands and Annie pulled her close. "There there. You'll be fine, sweetie. You'll be fine", the blonde soothed. Giselle sobbed quietly, "He's fucking her, Annie. Why doesn't he tell me?". A hand brushed a curl behind her ear and her friend sought her eyes, "I don't know, Giselle. It does not matter. Trust me, it doesn't matter". Then both women embraced and Annie winced when the older woman hugged her tightly.

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Minutes later, Giselle finally started to get a grip again. The numbness faded away and her heart ached. When she reached for Annie's hand and intertwined her fingers with hers, she was trembling. One deep breath, another deep breath, and another. Slowly her vision cleared and she took in her surroundings. "You're right, this place is beautiful!". "Almost tranquil", Annie added and smiled. The brunette also forced herself to smile. Her friend was right. She'd be fine. Focus on the positive things for once. She had gained a friend in Laury since this started, maybe Kamal and Rachel were nice people, too. And there was Annie. Gorgeous Annie. There and then she decided she'd be fine.

Her free hand wiped her tears away. The smudge on her fingers was quite a clear indicator that her face was a mess. "I look like crap, don't I?", she said with a slight curl on her lips. Her bench neighbour nodded and laughed, "Like a goth. Wait, I'll fix that". From the handbag, Annie took a tissue and water bottle. After pouring water on the tissue, she carefully wiped the smudge away. Somehow being cared for like this made Giselle feel safe and secure. "There you go, all beautiful again", the woman announced and packed the bottle into the bag. A huge grin and a squeeze of the hand affirmed the support she'd offer Giselle. She'd be there and that made Giselle's heart warm up. Part of the heaviness left her and she stood up, "Why don't we walk downtown? Are you up for that?". Annie beamed at her and nodded, "Do you want to stay quiet for a while?". The brunette shook her head and started walking, "Tell me about your hectic work". The blonde laughed and said, "Fair enough". They left the cemetery, holding hands. Before it was out of sight, Giselle turned and glanced back at the old gate. A strange sensation came over her, as if part of her was still back there, on that bench under the canopy of that old oak tree.