The Way Back | ✓

3.2

The first few years were bliss. They got married close to the end of their third and final year at university, the marriage a rushed event that had such precise detail considering only two weeks of planning had gone into it. The marriage was so sudden that some of the Cai relatives couldn't make it from Taiwan, which saved Meiling from feeling even more shameful. As soon as Andrew graduated he got a job, which his father had arranged for him. Andrew, who was still finding his place in the corporate world, continued to accept his father's discreet financial support. With a wife who could not work because Aurora had come a few weeks after graduation, and a salary that he couldn't make a living out of, his father's help meant the world for him. As soon as he began to move up the ladder and Talia began part-time work, he told his father that he could make a living by himself. For that odd moment, Andrew could have sworn he saw pride in his father's eyes. They barely talked. Who knew what the old man felt?

As soon as Andrew found his footing with his career, his marriage began to fall at its seams. Talia wanted more time, she wanted a better house, better furniture. While she worked and got a decent salary, she expected Andrew to work harder so that their combined salaries could afford them luxuries which she felt she needed. But how was he to do that if Talia demanded more attention and time, always complaining that he was buried in work and gave his family no attention?

Ten years was a long time. Ten years together had changed them. But they had changed separately rather than together. They had changed at different paces and the couple who once loved each other and always fell into step was no more.

"Look at us," Talia said as they both shook the lawyer's hand and made their way out of the room together. "We were actually civil about one thing for once."

Andrew was half-expecting Simon to accompany her as moral support, as was encouraged by the lawyer, but was glad that Simon hadn't shown his face. Andrew wasn't too sure if he could be trusted around Simon's presence and he certainly didn't want to fuck anything up. Definitely not in front of the lawyer.

Andrew could have brought a friend but he was detached from most people. Talia had been his lover and his best friend for a long time until that all began to fall away. He could have brought his mother as a last resort but he could use some peace and quiet and knowing her she'd have some comment to say about something that would likely throw Andrew off.

"Talia," he called out before she could turn and leave. "I'm sorry if I held you back all this time." His words were sincere, his heart was in the right place but the timing of all this was not quite right. Everything had happened all of a sudden. The divorce was a long time coming but without any hint to it, it completely threw him off track. And there was no denying how emotionally taxing this whole process had been.

She nodded, a small smile on her lips. She turned around fully and held out an arm. He easily slid into the embrace, her arms around familiar. They say that there is comfort in familiarity and while it was not awkward hugging Talia, he had to admit there was something missing. He hugged her tightly nonetheless.

He pulled back and tucked a stray brown hair of hers behind her ear — something that he used to do so often, something that held no romantic sentiment anymore. "We didn't do such a bad job, you know," she confessed quietly.

"Yeah," he agreed, a light smile touching his lips. "Ten years, huh? And we made it out alive, without killing each other."

She chuckled. "Almost. There was one time where I almost ripped your head off."

"One time?" Andrew questioned laughingly. "Honey, there were many times."

Talia laughed as well, fully pulling back from Andrew. "It was time, Andy. We couldn't continue pretending everything was okay. You know they haven't been for a while."