Michael Gray- Mystery Man

chapter nineteen

"Ada." Michael greeted as he welcomed her inside his home. "Anna." He smiled as he hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?" He asked searching for any bumps or scratches.

"I'm fine." She smiled. "I didn't mean to worry you." She admitted.

"No harm done." He smiled back. "Just glad you're safe." He hugged her again.

"Well now everything's good to go. I'll be on my way." Ada butted in.

"You won't stay?" Michael questioned.

"Oh no. I've got business up in Birmingham. This was just a pit stop. Come up and visit soon." Ada smiled as she headed out of the door.

Silence filled the room. The pair not sure where to go from here.

"What've you been up to?" Both partners asked at the same time.

Michael smiled, "you first."

Anastasia smiled back, "I visited my mother. Told her everything really."

Michael nodded in response. "I've not done a lot. Just some paperwork for Tommy."

"I'm sorry about everything." Anastasia blurted.

"No, you have nothing to be sorry for. I shouldn't have blown up on you and I should have told you everything about your dad earlier." Michael apologised. "I just wanted to keep you safe."

"It's okay." The girl smiled, looking from the floor to her husband's eyes.

"Come ere." Michael ushered as he moved closer to rest his lips on his wife's head.

༄ؘ ۪۪۫۫ ▹▫◃ ۪۪۫۫ ༄ؘ ˑ

The day was closing to an end and Anastasia clearly had something on her mind, she had ordered a maid to start a fire in the living room. The girl was knelt near the edge of the fire... staring. It was as if she had some sort of connection, like she was longing for something; whatever it was Michael could see it was bothering her.

"Alright?" He asked as he sat on the red velvet sofa opposite the fire.

"Yes." Anastasia strangely replied, her back to him.

"Come sit up here." Michael patted to the empty spot next to him.

"You know what, I think I'm fine." Anastasia politely declined.

Michael sighed and shifted uncomfortably as he watched his wife gawk into the fire. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"Will you help me burn some things?" Anastasia asked, clearly ignoring her husband's question.

"Sure." Michael replied as he moved from the couch, next to his wife on the floor. "What kind of things?"

"Just some things to do with my father." Anastasia responded as she pulled out a diamond plated jewellery box. It was dark green and had silver diamonds on each of the edges. She carefully ran her hands down each side and opened it up to reveal photos, letters and small objects. "These are memories I kept of us together." She smiled.

"Are you sure you want to burn them?" Michael asked. Anastasia nodded in response.

"I have this belief where... never mind it's silly." Anna laughed it off.

"No go on." Michael insisted, clearly interested.

"It's stupid. But I have this belief that if I burn anything that reminds me of someone, it'll reach them instead. So my father will receive these and treasure them until I join him." Anastasia smiled.

"Anna I-"

"I know what my father's done. I know who he is. This is just my way of mourning."

"No, no it's fine. I understand. I'll help. Of course I will." Michael smiled, leaning in to hug his wife.

"Thank you." She sighed, the sorrow within her passing through Michael.

"Hey, it's alright." He hated the guy and what he'd done to his daughter but then again it's his wife's father and he had to be there for her. "What's um, what's in the box?"

Anastasia sat up, taking in a deep breath as she opened the box to reveal some black and white photos.

"This was my first ever photo. My mother had this photographer come to our house but I wouldn't stop crying." Anastasia laughed at a photo of her dad doing his best to hush her. Anastasia gave Michael the photo. "You do the first one, I don't want to put it in."

Michael nodded understandingly as he gently placed it in the fire watching the orange flames engulf the photo whole. The next thing to be pulled out of the box was a scruffy painting of what looked like a man.

"It was Father's Day and my mother insisted I painted a picture of my dad." Anastasia explained as she held it for Michael to see. Michael smiled with Anastasia but could see the pain behind her face. He edged closer and wrapped his arm around her. Anastasia leant her head on his shoulder as she tossed the picture in the fire.

"This was my fathers watch, it was in his will to give to me." Anastasia stated as she took out a very expensive all-black looking watch. It was lined with gold but the clock had stopped working, a deep smash through it, most likely happened when he was shot. Anastasia didn't gently place it into the fire; no she threw it as hard as she could. "Money truly can't buy happiness." She muttered.

Michael was tired of seeing her pain so he tried to change the subject. "There's one left." He pointed out. He reached over to pick out the last photo. He scanned it carefully, the photo looked the most recent. Anastasia was standing, smiling in a purple dress Michael had bought for her. "This was taken when you knew me." He stated in shock.

"Let me see." Anastasia snatched the photo. "Oh, this was the day I finally joined the family business. Mother wanted a photo to remember." The girl scoffed. "I've been lied to my whole life." She threw it into the fire but not as aggressively as last time.

After a long silence, Michael rubbed her arm. "I'll always be here for you. Just remember that." He smiled.

"I know." Anastasia whispered. "Can we go to bed now?"

"Yeah, yeah we can." Michael stood up and held his hand out for his wife to take.