The rains finally seemed to have passed. The mid afternoon sun was just starting to sink, and the air was warm. Alexa looked to Kat as they drove down the small two lane road, through thickets of trees and bushes and flowers. Kat still hadn't said much, not even today, simply remaining quiet with a ghostly thousand yard stare on her face at most times. Alexa had left her alone for most of the day, and Kat had spent most of it in her room.

Now, only the hum of the engine filled the air between them as Alexa drove onward. The trip to the cemetery was short; it was close to home, maybe twenty minutes away, in a private grove. They drove in silence, but Kat at least was looking a little better today, Alexa thought. Last night the girl hadn't wanted to eat at all, and at breakfast this morning, she'd tried to avoid eating too much. But lunch seemed to go down smoother, and some color was returning to her cheeks.

Soon, they were upon the cemetery. Alexa pulled off the road and onto a gravel path that cut into the treeline. Down the shady road she went, the trees rustling in the breeze outside, birds flying overhead. It was serene, she thought as the car came up to a fence covered in ivy. She parked just outside of it, setting the car in first, and sitting back. They were here.

Before them, enclosed in the old chain link fence, were headstones of white and gray, twenty or thirty in total. Alexa unbuckled and turned the car off, motioning for Kat to do the same, before stepping out of her car and wordlessly looking upon the graves. Kat got out of the car, and did the same, and the two stood there for a moment, quiet.

Alexa turned to Kat, and tried to read her face. She couldn't. It was blank, like an empty canvas. She watched Kat for a moment, before walking up to her and putting a hand on her shoulder, before turning to face the shaded cemetery once more.

"Well," she said, "she's waiting."

She'd told Kat they were going to visit Sarah, but that was all she'd told her. When Alexa mentioned it, Kat's eyes lit up with curiosity, the first spark of emotion she'd seen since Kat had come home. Kat wanted to know. Needed to know. And Alexa didn't blame her. It was time. But Kat remained silent, staring out at the quiet grounds.

Alexa sighed and looked away. The sun was setting into twilight now, and the wind had died down. The Earth itself seemed to be holding its breath, watching, waiting. Alexa breathed in deeply, and let it out as if she'd been holding it in forever. This was the first time she'd see Sarah in so long. It felt like a reunion. A visit. Here and gone, in remembrance. In memoriam.

"Come, Kat."

She stepped up to the fence, where a gate sat, and pulled it open. Its hinges whined as she opened it, as if crying out in sorrow. She motioned for Kat to follow her, and the girl did so without a word. Together, they stepped into the cemetery, and Alexa felt like she was stepping on hallowed grounds. She tread lightly.

She closed the gate behind Kat, and then scanned the graves. There was Sarah's, by the far left corner of the cemetery. A small block of marble sat on the ground, a plaque to remember her by. That was all there was left of her. Alexa's jaw clenched as she looked down, waiting for a moment, hesitating, before finally heading toward the grave. Kat was watching her carefully, she noticed, but when she looked back, Kat turned away.

"This way sweetie," she said, waving Kat on.

Kat followed her through the headstones and mausoleums, some ancient, some fresh. They worked their way through the graves, to the far left corner, where the plaque sat on the ground. Alexa looked down at it, and sighed. Sarah Ingles, 1995-2018, it read. Underneath it, Loved by all, Forgotten by none. Short, simple, sweet in a way. Longing filled Alexa's chest as pictures of Sarah floated through her mind. Her smile, her laugh, the way she would twirl her hair when she was nervous and the way she bounced around when she was excited. It all came back to her.

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The day at the beach.

The day at the park.

The day she'd hit her.

"Here she is," Alexa whispered. "Here she is."

Kat looked down at the grave, before bending down and wiping off a stray weed that had grown around it. Alexa watched her and smiled sadly. "She was like you, you know," she said.

Kat looked up at her, and she continued, staring down at the stone. "She was skittish, but cute. Lovable, and clever. She was my pride and joy," she said. "She was my everything, and I gave her all I had. But it wasn't enough."

She could feel a tear forming in her eyes. She wiped it away quickly and laughed. "You know, she disobeyed me once to see what I would do, too. I gave her the spanking of a lifetime for that. She never tried that again."

Kat stood and watched her closely. Alexa smiled at her. "We went everywhere, to the beach, the mountains, the fair, everywhere."

Kat looked down at the grave and frowned. "What... what happened?" she asked, the first words she'd spoken that day.

"I hit her," Alexa said. "Once. I struck her hard. I... I used to be a very angry person, Kat. And one day she just... well, I struck her. And she ran. God, I was so shocked," she said, sniffling and looking skyward, as if that would keep the tears inside, make them flow backwards.

"She ran. And I couldn't find her. She didn't have her ring. The one I gave you? That had a tracking device in it, just in case. So did hers. But she didn't bring it with her. She... left it at home, and I couldn't find her in time. It rained a lot that week. I mean a lot, too. Thunderstorms, almost every day."

Alexa wiped her eyes again, and frowned. "She got sick. I found her on the side of the road, huddled over. She'd gotten so sick that I had to take her to the hospital. Somehow she'd developed pneumonia, and it was just a little too late. I'd found her a little too late. She died in that hospital bed. I wasn't even there for it. I had a meeting to attend. God, I'm such an idiot."

"I worked hard, Kat," she said, wiping her eyes. "I worked really hard after that. I went to therapy, I vowed never to strike another slave again in my life. It was my greatest mistake. Well... until I struck you, of course."

She turned to Kat, tears finally starting to trickle down her cheeks. They locked eyes for a moment, and Alexa could see something in Kat's eyes. Something deep, something sorrowful, something sparking. Alexa turned away this time, unable to maintain the eye contact.

"Kat, when I hit you, I knew I'd done wrong. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Kat glanced down at the headstone, then back up to Alexa. Then, silently, without warning, she leaned in and put her arms around her. Alexa flinched, but then relaxed and looked down to Kat. She'd buried her face in Alexa's bosom and clung to her tightly. Alexa smiled softly at her, and returned the embrace. For a long moment, they stood there beneath an orange sky, just holding each other. Mistress and slave, quiet together. Alexa rested her head atop Kat's, and hummed softly.

"I wish you could've met her, Kat," she said. "You two would've gotten along."

Kat just squeezed her tight.

She chuckled softly. "You're cute." Then, a serious look falling on her face, she let go of Kat and put her hands on Kat's shoulders, looking her dead in the eye. "I want to promise you something. Vow, even. Okay?"

Kat watched her for a moment, and then nodded.

"I vow that I will do everything I can to make you happy. To protect you. To see your smile and hear your laugh. I vow that I will never strike you again, and I vow that I will love you," she said. "I promise."

They stared into each other's eyes, sharing a brief moment between them. Alexa felt a true intimacy in it, and wanted to savor it. It was sweet, her blue eyes locking with Alexa's hazel, both staring into each other's' soul, looking not past, not at, but into each other. She felt open, vulnerable, and could see it in Kat's eyes; she felt the same.

"Kat," she said, leaning in and kissing her forehead, "You're not a replacement for Sarah. But I will treat you right. I will make you comfortable. I will hold you and cherish you. I will. And I will not hit you. Ever. I'm sorry."

Kat looked down at the grave again, and somewhere far off, a bird chirped and sang. For a moment, they stood there, listening to the sounds around them, the nature, the peace.

Then, Alexa finally said, "C'mon Kat, let's go home before it gets dark. I'm sure Sarah was glad to meet you."

Finally, Kat spoke again, simply saying, "Me too."