Kneeling beside the gravestone, Vince placed a hand on Vanessa's back. Not to pull her away from the pain—just to let her know she wasn't alone in it.
"Is this Hanna?" he asked softly, offering her a warm, reassuring smile. "Your friend?"
Vanessa wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand and nodded.
"I see," Vince said quietly. "Let me help."
He reached forward and helped her arrange the flowers she'd brought, straightening them carefully in front of the stone.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Vince sat down beside her. Vanessa crossed her legs, facing the gravestone, her posture relaxed in a way that suggested she'd done this before. She smiled faintly as she began talking—telling Hanna about school, about small things, about life moving forward even when it didn't feel right.
Vince listened.
He could hear it in her voice—the joy when she laughed, the warmth when she remembered. But beneath it all were small cracks, moments where her voice faltered, where sadness slipped through before she pulled herself back together.
After a while, she spoke again.
"About Hanna..." Vanessa said quietly. "She passed away in middle school."
She let out a small, breathy laugh.
"We actually found this place by accident. Fell asleep on the wrong bus."
Vince smiled gently.
"Careless?"
"Very," she replied. "Seems like us."
"She sounds adventurous," Vince said.
Vanessa shook her head.
"No. She was shy. Timid."
Her gaze stayed fixed on the stone.
"But she saw the world differently. She saw beauty even when the world was cruel to her."
Vince's brow furrowed.
"Cruel... how?"
Vanessa exhaled slowly.
"She was bullied. A lot. Even at her old school."
Her fingers tightened in her lap.
"She always smiled through it. Pretended everything was fine."
Her voice dropped.
"I think that's what I can't forgive her for."
Vince looked at her—not confused, not judgmental. Just listening.
"For pretending she was okay?"
Vanessa nodded.
"For being strong when she shouldn't have had to be."
The sunflowers swayed softly around them, golden and quiet.
Vince didn't know what to say.
Vanessa talked about Hanna like someone who saw the world beautifully—someone who believed in kindness even when the world was unfair to her. A girl who found light everywhere, even when shadows followed her.
Before he could find the right words, Vanessa straightened slightly and wiped her face.
"Well... enough of the sad stuff," she said softly. "Thank you for being here."
Vince smiled.
"I'm glad you brought me. It means you trust me enough to let me meet Hanna."
She nodded.
"I think she would've liked you."
Vanessa didn't explain much more about how Hanna passed. Vince noticed that—how carefully she avoided the subject. He didn't push. Some wounds weren't meant to be touched yet.
They stood and began walking back toward the bus stop. The sunflowers lined the path again, tall and endless, glowing under the afternoon light.
Vince glanced around, still a little stunned.
"You really like this view, huh?" Vanessa asked.
"Yeah," he replied honestly. "It's different."
She stopped walking and turned toward him, a small smile forming.
"Then let's come back next week."
It was the first time she'd smiled all day.
And it caught him completely off guard.
"Cute," slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself.
She laughed softly and turned away, shaking her head.
"You're impossible."
At the bus stop, they waited a few quiet minutes before boarding the return bus to the city. The ride back was calmer, heavier in a peaceful way.
Not long after sitting down, Vanessa fell asleep again. This time, her head slowly tilted and came to rest against Vince's shoulder.
He froze for half a second—then relaxed.
Carefully, he lifted a hand and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face, his touch light, almost hesitant.
Cute, he thought again.
Eventually, the steady hum of the bus lulled him too. His head tilted gently, resting against hers.
And like that, they drifted to sleep together—
two quiet souls sharing a moment of peace,
as the city slowly welcomed them back.