Love, Marriage, Love

Memories

Present

It was the night before her travel to America. She asked for leave to her boss. She was happy to give her some day off especially when she was the one to suggest that Tia should take some time off. She applied to the bar council for her to appear as an attorney on behalf of Keya and Owen. She got her license to appear in the case. She was nervous when she got the details of the case. She went through it and had some points to go over when she reached. She planned her trip on Saturday morning so that she can rest and catch up with everything during the weekend and then start working on the case fresh on Monday.

Memories came flooding back to her on just the mere thought of the place. There is no place where his memories werent there. The parks, church, house, school, library, movies, he was there in all the places. How can she be there alone without him when every place is a remainder of him. She just hoped that she dont come face to face with him. She dont know if she can walk away without saying anything to him like the last time.

Tia called Preeti

"Hey girl, wanna get drunk and eat pizza??"

"I am down for pizza but drinks, are you sure? We have a flight to catch tomorrow. I dont want to be Kevin Mc'Callister"

"Haha, I wont leave you dont worry. Come over I will order pizza"

"See you in 10" Preeti said and cut the call.

After 10 mins there was a knock on the door. She knew it was Preeti and let her in.

"Whats up?" She asked with a question on her face.

"Nothing" Tia said moving ger shoulders.

"Oh, please, I know better than that. Dont fool me. You are getting cold feet, arent you?"

"Yup, I dont know. Going there after all these years. Its been almost 10 years. I didnt leave exactly saying Goodbye or anything. I dont know, I am so nervous."

"I think you are not nervous about going there. You are nervous about meeting the people you knew."

"Yeah. That too."

"Come here" she pulled Tia into a hug. "You know you can tell me anything and I wont judge."

Tears filled her eyes when she hugged Preeti. They sat there when she cried herself and felt a little better. "I dont want to feel anything Pri. Being here I almost tried to forget everything. Going there I will re-live every heart ache. I dont want to feel all that again."

"You dont have to. We go there, help your friend, get her husband out, come back to Canada and live our life happily without thinking about America ever again."

"I'd love that Pri." They both laughed and talked over the night and slept around midnight.

It was almost noon when they knocked on the door. Keya opened the door. She hugged her and entered the house. They caught up with all the plesantaries. Tia got herself cleaned up and had a nice warm lunch. It was so nice to eat a warm lunch because after ordering food, Tia usually forgets about it so when she actually eats the food gets colder. After everything she asked Keya to tell her everything she knew about the case.

"I am not much of a help here Tia, but I will tell you what I know. As you know Owen majored in Finance, after his graduation he got a job in a bank and we got married. He changed jobs for a higher pay and everything was going well. He got an offer to become the financial assisstant in the Mayor's office. It was a pretty good pay too so he agreed. He joined the office and it was just one month when the police arrested him for the murder of Monica. First I didnt understand anything. I tried to get an attorney but it all happened so fast. They are covering up something Tia. I know it. They said Owen had an affair with the woman and then killed her. I know Owen, he is not that kind of person. I know what you are thinking all the wives say this about their husbands but trust me when I say that Owen didn't do it. The case almost got investigated and the court proceedings got finished in almost 10 days. You are a lawyer tell me any case that got closed in such a short period of time. The police are working with the mayor. The woman was seen many times with the Mayor's son. Heck I have seen them too. After she got killed the Mayor's son is nowhere to be seen. This all seems too wrong T. That's when I decided to call you. I know you are a big lawyer in Canada, you got to trust me and help me on this one please." Keya said with her eyes filled with tears.

"Its ok K. I am here now. I tried looking in to the case when I was given the file. Why did Owen go to her house? Do you know?"

"I dont know. Owen said that he got a call from her that day telling him to come over for a bit to collect some files. He wanted to impress his boss because he was new so he agreed to go and finish his work. He told me when he got there she was already dead. He didn't know that and he panicked when he saw her in that state, so he ran and thats when the police arrested him."

"So she was alive when she called him. How much time till he got to the apartment?"

"I dont know, you can ask Owen tomorrow. I told him we will appeal to the higher courts and prove him innocent."

"Ok, K. Let's all have a positive look out. Preeti you want to ask something?"

"Yeah, where is your home? You told me you would show me your house remember "

Tia smiled. "Yes we will go to my house tomorrow after we meet Owen."

Tia went upstairs to catch some sleep when Keya and Preeti started talking.

"So you know Tia since when?"

"Since she started writing her own name. We were friends since kindergarten."

"So you know everything about her right" Preeti asked

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know some things."

"Like what?"

"Like her childhood and everything. She never talks about it. I dont ask much because that may be painful considering her mom is no more."

"Yeah Shelly died when we were all in our senior year of high school."

"How did she die if you dont mind me asking?"

"Cancer. She didn't tell Tia until it was too late. She had some uncle in Canada. Her mom was from Canada but her family disowned her and then she came to settle down here. Tia came to know everything just before she died. She has also inherited a lot of money from her Grandparents. But she didn't want to move until everything happened."

"What happened?" Preeti asked anxious to know

"It's not my place to tell her story. She was heartbroken that's all I can say "

"Can I atleast get a name of this heartbreaker?"

"Trey. Trey Brent. Please don't tell Tia I told you his name. She might not want to hear that name again."

"If she hates him so much why didn't she move on? Why don't she date anybody? Do you know how many good guys asked her out? She never accepted anybody's offer. Not even a date. I want to see her happy, with a family and a loving person who will treat her right "

"Oh you don't know. I really don't want to say this but I see you are genuinely concerned about her so I am just giving you one information not more than that ok?"

"Ok, what is it?"

"They are married"

Preeti choked on her dessert

"Who is married?"

"Tia and Trey"