Nick woke to the tightened grip on his hand. He heard Ivy mumbling in her sleep calling out to her mother as he shook her awake.

“Ivy, Ivy wake up. It’s just a dream… Ivy…” Nick called out as Ivy opened her eyes but she wasn’t able to move.

Her breathing got heavier as tears flow from her eyes. Nick began to panic.

“Ivy! Ivy, you’re alright?!” Nick called out and shook Ivy more. His loud voice was enough to alert Ray and Marcel to come in and check on them.

Ray instantly shook Ivy as he pinched her cheeks to help her get back her senses. She finally let out a loud gasp as she hid her face in Ray’s chest, breathing heavily to catch her breath while forcing herself to calm down.

“It’s alright Ivy… It’s alright…” Ray comforted her as he gently patted her shoulder.

“Is this her sleep… paralysis…?” Nick who was startled at his first time seeing her that way asked as Ray nodded. It reminded him of the time when he woke in the middle of the night in the hotel room to find Jason comforting her outside on the balcony after she ran out of bed abruptly.

“It used to be worse but it seems Phyllis must have helped her a lot,” Ray mumbled as Nick stayed quiet with a guilty face.

“She is alright. She will just need to feel some pain before she is able to regain her senses and always ensure she doesn’t hurt herself.” Ray explained to comfort Nick as he ensured both Ivy’s hands weren’t gripped.

“Here, some water…” Marcel suddenly appeared back in the room with a glass of water for Ivy. Ray took it from him and gently coaxed Ivy to sit up to drink.

Ray was surprised to not see her crying but instead, she was only still heavily breathing. She took a few sips of water.

“It’s alright… We are here… You’re safe…” Ray continued to comfort her. She nodded and gripped Ray’s chest tightly while he held her hands after putting away her glass of water to avoid her from hurting herself.

“Would you make arrangements for us to visit the graves tomorrow?” Ivy said in the midst of recovery which took Marcel and Ray by surprise. They knew it was Jason’s and Nancy’s graves that she was referring to. Even Nick was a little surprised at how fast she could adapt to the situation.

“Ivy, you didn’t have to rush the visit,” Nick said guiltily as Ivy turnaround remembering she was supposed to put him to sleep but instead woke him up.

“Sorry, I was supposed to let to a peaceful sleep but instead I woke you up with a panic.” Ivy apologised while still catching her breathe as Ray chuckled.

“Looks like the psychologist taught you well in controlling your disorders that you could joke this way?” Ray teased as Ivy chuckled a little before meeting Ray’s gaze.

“I’m serious. It wasn’t a joke. I really wanted to put him to sleep comfortably and also visit their graves tomorrow. Nick and I have discussed and agreed about it.” She explained again. Ray looked into her gaze worriedly.

“Let’s bring them there first thing tomorrow.” Marcel urged as he squatted by Ray’s side and held onto his left shoulder. Ray sighed before hesitantly nodding in agreement.

Ivy hugged Ray with a smile. She realised this time in her paracosm, Jason was still her shield for protection. She was going down the right track as she began to face her fears of heights and didn’t hesitate to take a good look at her mother’s face.

She reminded herself to visit her mother with Peter as soon as she settles matters in Manes with Nick first. She wondered what she looks like now and if she would recognise her. Her only hope she wished for was to hear her mother call her name again which she knew was only wishful thinking given her current mental state.

The next morning, Ivy woke rather early and got ready for the graves' visit. When she walked down the stairs, she realised Marcel who was sleeping on the couch wasn’t awake yet. As she tucked his hands into the blanket, she recognised the traces of Nancy in Nick’s house.

She sighed as she empathise with Nick’s situation. As she stared a long while at the picture of Nancy and Nick together to study her features and remember them for as long as she could, Nick come down quietly and stood by her side.

“It’s time to let go I suppose…” Nick said softly as Ivy turnaround and gave him a sad smile.

“Good morning…” She mumbled trying to hide her startle. “Good morning…” He said in return as he took the photo frame and kept it in the drawer.

“Let’s make them breakfast.” He suggested as Ivy nodded and trailed him to the kitchen.

After breakfast, on the way to the graves, Ivy dropped by the florist to fetch a bouquet of forget me not for Jason and for Nancy, she chose freesias.

“Why the different bouquet?” Nick asked when they were back in the car.

Ivy smiled which warmed Nick’s cold lonely heart a little. Nick noticed there was always something he couldn’t tell about Ivy that brings comfort to others but it seemed to hurt her every time she does that. He wondered if it was her way of hiding her sorrows.

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“Forget me not is a way to want to be remembered. Freesias meant… freedom.” Ivy explained briefly as Nick nodded, instantly understanding what Ivy meant.

“You’re right… She finally had gotten the freedom she always seeks…” Nick thought to himself as he looked out the window at the cloudy skies.

“Stay strong… Nick needs you, Ivy. You ought to not break down again like before.” Ivy constantly reminded herself that when they were close to their graves, Ivy didn’t notice she abruptly stopped midway at the stairs.

“No, no… Don’t stop. Not now, Ivy. You’re close. You’re about to see where he rests. Don’t Ivy. Don’t stop…” Ivy coaxed herself but her legs just felt weak to take the next step.

Ray wanted to help her to walk over but Nick beat him to it as he held onto Ivy’s free hand.

“I am here. We can do this, alright?” Nick encouraged as Ivy looked into his gaze and nodded before recouping her strength to continue on the stairs.

Ivy noticed Jason’s grave was side by side with his grandma. She quickly went to his grandma’s grave and paid her respect as she laid one stalk of forget me not on her grave. The three men paid their respects to her as well.

“Grandma… Thank you for appearing in my dream and staying in my paracosm. I hope you would come and see me there again soon…” Ivy’s eyes reddened as she thought in her heart.

She then sighed and walked over solemnly to Jason’s grave next to hers. Nick patted her shoulders to comfort her as they all paid their respect to him.

“How have you been doing boss? Is this place great? Are you resting well? Don’t worry, things are smoothening out. As always, you can count on me.” Marcel said in his heart as he stared at Jason’s picture solemnly, missing him.

“Hey brother-in-law, I finally bring your wife here… Be nice to her as she is still recovering…” Ray teased Jason in his heart as though they were visiting him in his new home, trying to stay strong.

“Hey buddy, I am sorry for not coming earlier but I brought you a surprise…” Nick said in his heart before placing down his simple bouquet of chrysanthemums.

“I promise you, bro, for all the sins I have done against you, I will repay them as my penance by protecting the girl you saved and didn’t have the chance to love properly.” Nick continued on in his heart as his eyes reddened before taking a deep breath.

Ray gently held onto Ivy’s hand as though giving her the courage to look up. The sight of Jason’s picture on the tomb's head pierced Ivy’s heart as though it was drilling a hole in it. She tried very hard to endure the pain and not break down only to succumb to her emotions when she placed the bouquet down onto his grave.

Ray held Ivy in his arms as she knelt and poured out her agonies in front of Jason’s grave. It was comforting as though she was in Jason’s arms again.

“Jason, words cannot express just how much this pain is. Actions may be comforting but it’s only temporary. Nothing I do could erase the fact that you are no longer here. How could you? Just how could you leave right after your brilliant confession which had finally convinced me to fight Nancy and be with you?” Ivy thought in her heart while she cried.

“You knew all along, didn’t you? About the pact, I made with Nancy to leave you? You know I was so stupid to have done that. If I was bold enough, you would still be here by my side and Nancy would still be alive. You didn’t have to protect me that way… This isn’t what I wanted from you Jason… I’m sorry, Jason… I’m so sorry…. What can I do to bring you back again? Jason…” Ivy questioned in her heart as her cries were turning into excruciating wails while Ray protectively held her to comfort her only to figure no amount of warmth he provided would be able to heal her wound which was still fresh despite so much time had passed.

He could only hope with Nick around, it would be Ivy’s motivation to move on. He looked over to Nancy’s grave when he heard Nick’s cries who was accompanied by Marcel. Marcel reached out to Nick’s left shoulder and gently patted him to comfort him.

“I know you might have never truly loved me but that’s alright sweetheart… Cause with you I learn what responsibilities meant, how important my friendship with Jason was, and what love truly was like…” Nick thought in his heart as he stared at her smiling face picture on the tomb head.

“I can’t forgive you for what you have done just yet. I hope I could before the end of my life. Some day… Just some day I hope I could walk up here and give you that forgiveness… For now, you have gotten the freedom you always wanted sweetheart… So, live a better life in the next one.” Nick said in his heart as Marcel gently helped him stand up when they hear Ivy’s sobs close by.

Ivy then calmed down a little and place her bouquet of freesias onto Nancy’s grave with Ray helping her. Ivy noticed it must be Nancy’s grandma next to hers. A part of Ivy felt at peace knowing that Jason had fulfilled his promise to Nancy’s grandma as she nodded in a mark of respect at Nancy’s grandma’s grave direction. The rest of them did the same briefly.

Ivy’s attention came back to Nancy’s smiling picture on the tomb’s head. She noticed she looked similar to her grandma.

“You get what you wished for all along didn’t you, Nancy?” Ivy asked indicating Nancy must have been happy to be buried next to her grandma and also having Jason die together with her. Ivy stood in front of Nancy’s grave trying not to blame Nancy but she couldn’t help it.

Ray then carried her away in his arms as soon as Ivy broke down in tears again while Marcel gently led Nick away from the grave too.

Nick’s heart ached a little as he wiped his wet face with the tissues Marcel handed him when he walked down the stairs and noticed Ivy was still sobbing in Ray’s arms. When Ray put Ivy to sit at the back of the car, Ivy didn’t want to let go as she continued to sob softly. Nick then held onto her hand as she let loose a little and took a little peep at Nick who was smiling at her.

“It’s me…” Nick said with a little playful tone.

“Be good. I will sit with you, alright?” Nick asked as Ivy began to let Ray go. Nick then climbed to the back seat and held her in his arms instead as she sniffed like a little girl. Nick helped her to wipe her wet face.

“Shall we head to your grandma’s place instead? I can’t wait to show you the succulents I planted in your grandma’s glass house.” Nick comforted as Ivy smiled a little and nodded.

“Alright, we shall head there and stay there tonight…” Ray agreed as Marcel nodded indicating he knew where to drive to.

“Ivy, I agree to take over the emcee post from Jason.” Nick decided there and then. Ivy smiled with gladness looking into his gaze.

“From now on, I will protect and support you in your fight against Jeremy. Do whatever you want and need to. You have all of us.” Nick promised. Ivy felt the gloomy days were leaving soon as she nodded and eased into his hug.

She sighed watching the faint scorching sun shining through from the sky.

“Even the sun is fighting its’ way through a cloudy day and succeeds. I am sure I can too…” Ivy thought to herself as she smiled while outlining the sun's rays.

Nick smiled and tease her by knocking her finger away. They both end up giggling which send Ray and Marcel in relief to hear them both had lightened their sadness.