The Ninth Ring

The next day, I called Grace. She invited me to her home, and for once I was more focused on the day rather then my job. Grace Elide was an insanely kind girl. Her mastiff, which she had named Luther, was bought by her father to be a guard dog. Rather then being strict with him and training him, Grace loved on that dog, scratching his head and petting him, and speaking kindly to him. That dog adored her, and even though he wasn't much of a house guard dog, if you threatened Grace, I can assure you that dog would bite your face off..
"Would you like something to drink?" She asked me once I entered her home.
"Um, just water please, thank you."
She smiled and poured water into a glass for me. While she was in the kitchen, I stood in her living room. The room was filled with books. A massive bookcase that stretched from floor to ceiling housed maybe a thousand books, if not more.
Grace walked into the room and handed me the glass of water. When she noticed me inspecting her mass collection, she said,
"Every time my dad has to go off somewhere on a business trip, he leaves me a few boxes full of books. When ever he gets a chance to call, we'll have something to talk about that way."
This amazed me in a way, "He must be gone a lot." I noted, "There are so many books." She put on a smile, but her eyes looked sad.
"Yes," she said, "But its alright. His work is important to him."
I looked around the room and was pictures of Grace and Luther, of her and her father, but of no one else.
"What about your mom?" I asked her.
She looked down and her hand rose up to a locket around her neck. "She died at childbirth. I never got to meet her."
The air in the room suddenly felt thick and and quiet.
"Grace, i'm really sorry," I started to apologize, but she stopped me.
"Don't be." She said smiling. "She's in a better place now."
This hit me harder then it should, because even though her mom may be in Heaven, I'd be the one taking her father to Hell.