thing. It has rips and tears; some have been patched up, some have had other memories sewn into it, but it’s still beautiful because it’s real . It’s not some fairy-tale ideal of what it should be.”
“Okay,” the photographer said. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.” Her eyes flicked across to find his. “I’m sure about a lot of things now.”
As the photographer started taking pictures, Gareth walked outside and took out his phone, looking through his history of incoming calls until he found the number he was looking for.
A woman answered. “Hello?”
“Kyra, it’s Gareth.”
“Gareth?” Brian’s fiancée sounded almost as surprised to hear from him as he was to be making this call after all this time. “Is everything all right?”
He thought about Anne in the next room and the way she’d smiled, not for the camera but for him. “It’s better than that. Is Brian there?”
“Sure, I’ll get him. Just hold on.”
He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say to his former partner. He only knew that he had to say something.
“Gareth?” Brian’s voice still sounded the same as it always had, warm and ready to laugh as if they’d only just been speaking to one another an hour ago, rather than a year.
“Hi, Brian.”
There were so many memories to sort through. Memories of working together as partners along with memories of what Brian had done. Those hadn’t gone away. It was just that Gareth thought he understood a little better now.
“I’m phoning about your wedding,” Gareth said. The other man hadn’t just been his partner. He’d been his closest friend. “I know I didn’t make the engagement party, but I was hoping I wouldn’t miss your wedding too.”
He could practically see his ex-partner grinning. “I wouldn’t want that either,” Brian replied, and then, “What changed your mind?”
“Plenty of things.” Gareth looked over at Anne through the windows. “Is it okay if I bring a plus one?”
“That would be Anne Farleigh?”
He tried to work out how his former partner might know that. One answer immediately sprang to mind.
“You’ve heard from Richard Wells.”
“He called into the station with some crazy story about you both breaking into his office.” His friend laughed at the thought of Gareth breaking and entering.
“Listen, Brian,” he said. “What I did, I did, and I’ll deal with the consequences. But Anne wasn’t a part of anything. She didn’t know about any of it. I know I don’t have the right to ask, but whatever fallout there is from this, make sure it falls on me . Just me.”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Brian said. “He didn’t even have any security footage. Evidently, it went on the blink for a few minutes yesterday afternoon. Too bad technology is so hard to count on.”
Gareth had to grin at that. He’d missed bantering with his old partner. But Brian’s upcoming wedding wasn’t the only reason he’d called. “How’s Bobby doing?”
“Good. He’s making a lot better choices when it comes to his friends these days. He’s even on course to get into a good college.”
“You must be proud.”
“I am.”
“Brian, I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I finally understand why you did what you did.”
“I’m sorry too,” his friend said. “I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”
They talked for a few more minutes, and Gareth felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders by the time he hung up. When he turned his attention back to the photo shoot, Felicity Andrews was back being photographed beside Anne and her mother’s wedding dress.
“It’s such a different take on the theme,” Felicity declared. “I love it! It’s almost as perfect as the one you made for me. You’ll see. This time six months from now, everyone will want dresses like this with the whole history of a relationship in them. It’s such a great idea.”
Rose came into the room. “Felicity, I don’t want
“Okay,” the photographer said. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.” Her eyes flicked across to find his. “I’m sure about a lot of things now.”
As the photographer started taking pictures, Gareth walked outside and took out his phone, looking through his history of incoming calls until he found the number he was looking for.
A woman answered. “Hello?”
“Kyra, it’s Gareth.”
“Gareth?” Brian’s fiancée sounded almost as surprised to hear from him as he was to be making this call after all this time. “Is everything all right?”
He thought about Anne in the next room and the way she’d smiled, not for the camera but for him. “It’s better than that. Is Brian there?”
“Sure, I’ll get him. Just hold on.”
He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say to his former partner. He only knew that he had to say something.
“Gareth?” Brian’s voice still sounded the same as it always had, warm and ready to laugh as if they’d only just been speaking to one another an hour ago, rather than a year.
“Hi, Brian.”
There were so many memories to sort through. Memories of working together as partners along with memories of what Brian had done. Those hadn’t gone away. It was just that Gareth thought he understood a little better now.
“I’m phoning about your wedding,” Gareth said. The other man hadn’t just been his partner. He’d been his closest friend. “I know I didn’t make the engagement party, but I was hoping I wouldn’t miss your wedding too.”
He could practically see his ex-partner grinning. “I wouldn’t want that either,” Brian replied, and then, “What changed your mind?”
“Plenty of things.” Gareth looked over at Anne through the windows. “Is it okay if I bring a plus one?”
“That would be Anne Farleigh?”
He tried to work out how his former partner might know that. One answer immediately sprang to mind.
“You’ve heard from Richard Wells.”
“He called into the station with some crazy story about you both breaking into his office.” His friend laughed at the thought of Gareth breaking and entering.
“Listen, Brian,” he said. “What I did, I did, and I’ll deal with the consequences. But Anne wasn’t a part of anything. She didn’t know about any of it. I know I don’t have the right to ask, but whatever fallout there is from this, make sure it falls on me . Just me.”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Brian said. “He didn’t even have any security footage. Evidently, it went on the blink for a few minutes yesterday afternoon. Too bad technology is so hard to count on.”
Gareth had to grin at that. He’d missed bantering with his old partner. But Brian’s upcoming wedding wasn’t the only reason he’d called. “How’s Bobby doing?”
“Good. He’s making a lot better choices when it comes to his friends these days. He’s even on course to get into a good college.”
“You must be proud.”
“I am.”
“Brian, I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I finally understand why you did what you did.”
“I’m sorry too,” his friend said. “I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”
They talked for a few more minutes, and Gareth felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders by the time he hung up. When he turned his attention back to the photo shoot, Felicity Andrews was back being photographed beside Anne and her mother’s wedding dress.
“It’s such a different take on the theme,” Felicity declared. “I love it! It’s almost as perfect as the one you made for me. You’ll see. This time six months from now, everyone will want dresses like this with the whole history of a relationship in them. It’s such a great idea.”
Rose came into the room. “Felicity, I don’t want
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