Chapter 125 This is not ashes
Alexander opened the car door and asked, "Are you getting out?"
Grace nodded. "Yes." She still held a bouquet of flowers they had bought along the way, along with some snacks that children would enjoy.
Alexander lifted Grace from the car and asked, "Do you still remember which section and plot number?"
"Of course, I remember. I come here every year to pay my respects," Grace replied. She had always come alone, never bringing Max to this place.
So this was Max's first time here, too.
Liam huddled in the car, trembling with fear.
Looking at the rows of ominous headstones scattered across the hillside, his shoulders shook with terror.
Hadn't Max said he was going to show him his older brother?
What kind of place was this?
Max turned around and saw Liam curled up in the corner, couldn't help but shake his head with amusement. "Why are you such a scaredy-cat?"
Liam glanced around nervously. Suddenly, a flock of crows flew overhead with harsh, piercing cries, making him shrink back even further.
His innocent little face was filled with terror.
He didn't like this eerie place at all—his expression clearly showed his reluctance.
"Aren't you getting out?" Max asked.
Liam shook his head.
He didn't want to get out of the car.
Grace said gently, "Liam, it's not safe for you to stay in the car alone."
Alexander returned to the car door and coaxed him softly, "Come here, Liam. Daddy will hold you. Don't be scared, okay?"
Seeing Alexander's gentle face, Liam finally crawled from the corner to the car door, reaching out his arms for Alexander to pick him up.
Alexander lifted him into his arms and glanced at Grace.
Max thoughtfully took Grace's hand to support her. He was also here for the first time—only Grace knew where his older brother was buried.
"Let's go," Grace said.
Section 99, Plot 17.
Following her memory, Grace made her way to Section 99. Looking around, she could see that some headstones had disappeared entirely, turning into unmarked mounds. Others had toppled over from years of neglect, while still others had been cleared out when families stopped paying maintenance fees, leaving urns abandoned and unclaimed.
She walked with difficulty to a particular headstone.
The headstone was completely blank.
When she had buried the baby, she hadn't even chosen a name yet, so she had only inscribed: [Mother: Grace, in sorrow.]
The pine tree beside it, which she had planted with her own hands seven years ago, had unknowingly grown to about forty inches tall.
Grace knelt down, picked up a small brush from nearby, swept away the dust, and wiped the surface of the headstone clean.
"Why did you bury him at West Hollow Cemetery?" Alexander asked. He could see that this cemetery was severely underfunded, unmaintained, and utterly desolate.
"Because most other cemeteries were too expensive—tens of thousands, some even hundreds of thousands of dollars. I couldn't afford anything better," Grace replied.
Alexander stared at the blank headstone for a long moment, then asked, "Have you thought of a name for him?"
Grace gave a rueful smile. "When I buried him, I hadn't thought of a name yet. Later, I considered calling him 'Kevin.' I always planned to work hard, save money, and buy him a better resting place."
Her mother's ashes were still being kept by the Foster family.
She had always wanted to bury her mother and this child together.
"The Hayes family has a family cemetery. When the time comes, we'll move him there," Alexander said.
Grace's gaze grew distant for several moments.
Throughout this whole time, Liam remained buried in Alexander's arms, not daring to look at the headstone or glance around.
Max looked at Liam and offered comfort: "Don't be scared, Liam. This is my older brother." He pointed at the headstone. "My brother is here. His name is Kevin."
"Tomorrow, I'll contact the cemetery management to have his ashes retrieved," Alexander said.
Grace nodded. "Okay." Being buried in the Hayes family cemetery would certainly be better than staying here.
She had heard about the Hayes family cemetery—a place where all Hayes family members were laid to rest after death.
"Can I be there when he's reburied?" Grace asked.
Alexander turned to look at her. "Of course. You're his mother. So please focus on your recovery—I want to give this child a proper funeral."
Grace was somewhat surprised.
She was actually witnessing a rare glimpse of human warmth from this man.
In her eyes, Alexander had always been like a cold, emotionless machine. Now, however, she was beginning to see him differently.
"Alright."
The next day.
Alexander sent Jeremy to contact the cemetery management and retrieve the urn.
The urn was quite small, made of white jade. After being sealed in the tomb for years, it had lost some of its luster and was tightly sealed.
Jeremy carefully safeguarded it and brought the urn back.
Grace had been preoccupied with this matter, so early the next morning, she called Alexander. When she heard that the urn had been retrieved, she wanted to see it.
"I'll bring it over tonight," Alexander said. He had originally planned to take the urn directly back to Hayes Manor for safekeeping.
Since she wanted to see it, he would bring it to her.
That evening.
Alexander arrived with the urn.
Grace waited outside the hospital building.
Liam was still very frightened, but Max wasn't scared at all.
When Jeremy carefully brought out the urn, Max actually stepped forward boldly, ahead of Grace, and took the urn from him.
Grace immediately cautioned, "Max, be careful." She looked puzzled. "Max, aren't you scared?"
Max muttered, "Scared of what? This is my brother."
He looked at Grace and asked innocently, "Mommy, can I open it and see my brother?"
Grace froze for a long moment. Before she could stop him, Max had already begun opening the urn.
"Max, stop." Urns weren't supposed to be opened casually.
But Max had already opened it.
He peered inside, seeing grayish-white powder, and looked more closely. Suddenly, a look of confusion crossed his face.
"Mommy..." He stared at the contents of the urn, his eyes widening. "This doesn't look like ashes."
Grace was stunned. "What?"
Alexander also showed a look of surprise. "If it's not ashes, then what is it?"
Max frowned slightly and actually reached out to pinch some of the powder, rubbing it between his fingertips. His expression grew increasingly strange. "Ashes shouldn't look like this."
"How do you know?" Grace asked, bewildered.
"I read about it in books. After cremation, some bones don't completely turn to ash—there are usually bone fragments remaining. Mommy, look—what's in here doesn't look like ashes at all," Max explained.
Grace turned pale with shock. "If it's not ashes, then what is it?"
Max sniffed at it and rubbed it between his fingers again, then speculated, "I think it looks like concrete powder mixed with magnesium powder. There aren't even any bone fragments."