Chapter Ten: Flowers and Silence:

February 11th, 2010.

The clock ticked in the background as Tsuzuki waited for Mr. Craig to return to the apartment. Anna laced her hands together in her lap. Stella's mother sat in the living room staring at them. Tsuzuki opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. Tick. Tick. Tick. He glanced at Anna.

"Should we say something?" his eyes asked.

"Like what?" her own asked back. The shinigami pressed his lips together as he nodded. Tick. Tick. Tick. Six o'clock is taking its sweet time getting here. Finally, all three heard the door open.

"Bethany!" they heard a man shout. "Where are you? I'm home."

"In here, dear," his wife said. She tried to keep herself together as footsteps came into the dimly lit living room. A big black man still in his suit looked around the room from the doorway. Tsuzuki gave him a little wave, but Anna put down his hand. The big wolf demon raised an eyebrow at them.

"Uh� Bethany," he said. "Who are these people?"

"Oh, they spoke to us on the phone about Stella," his wife answered. "Remember?" He frowned as Tsuzuki held up the urn.

"We brought you her�" Anna spoke up. The man held up his hand and she drew her mouth shut. Mr. Craig turned to his wife.

"Dinner ready?" he asked. His wife blinked.

"But dear�" she spoke up. Her husband brushed her off.

"We'll talk over dinner," he said. "Just get the food." Bethany bowed her head.

"Yes," she said. His wife went back to the kitchen. The man turned back to Tsuzuki and Anna. Tsuzuki held Anna's hand and she did likewise. Suddenly, this task got harder.

Tick. Tick. Tick.