DETECTIVE COPLER’S POV
Before heading over to Zara’s place, he stopped at a popular wine shop to get a non-alcoholic wine. He specifically asked the Sales representative to recommend a good wine a woman would like. It was his first time going to Zara’s place so he wanted to create a good and lasting impression.
After the wine was wrapped up in a nylon, he made payment and walked out. He got into his car and continued his journey to her place. Soon, he arrived and parked his car across her house before walking over to the front door. He knocked on it, and an expectant Zara opened the door, her face beaming with smiles.
“You are here. Come on right in.” She said and opened the door ajar so he could walk past her.
“Welcome to my humble abode, Detective. Make yourself comfortable,” she said, motioning to the couch. “Umm…a moment, I have to check on the potatoes.”
He nodded and sat down as he looked around. She had a lot of artworks hung on the wall, a proof of her love for artworks
She returned to the sitting room, holding a tray with a glass and a bottle of water. She opened the bottle and decanted the liquid into the glass. “Here you go, Detective. You must be thirsty.” she said, handing him the glass of water.
He took it and thanked her. “Thank you, Zara. I am really dehydrated.” he said, gulping the liquid down.
She walked over to the fireplace and started to light it, casting a warm orange glow in the room. Once the fire was crackling softly, she returned to the couch and settled down beside him.
As they sat down in an awkward silence, she suddenly initiated a conversation “So, Detective, how has work been for you lately? Any progress in solving the case?”
“Well, things have been moving really fast and we are making progress. We’ve uncovered a few leads and have been following up on them. Hopefully, we’ll be able to solve the last puzzle in the case soon.”
“I have faith in you, Detective. I’m sure you’ll get to the bottom of it. I have seen you do it countless times and I’m sure this time won’t be an exception.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
After a while, she excused herself to freshen up. “I’ll be right back, Detective. I need to get rid of this garlic smell,” she said, wrinkling her nose playfully.
He chuckled softly. “No worries, take your time,” he replied, watching her leave the room.
A few minutes later, She returned, looking refreshed and smelling like Rose. She had changed into comfortable cotton shorts and a faded t-shirt.
“So, I was thinking we should eat close to the fireplace. What do you think? The fireplace or the dining room?”
“The fireplace is okay. It brings back some sort of memories to me.”
“Oh, really? I would love to hear about these memories,” she said as she retrieved a picnic mat from a nearby closet and spread it out on the floor beside the fireplace. She then went into the kitchen and came back with a tray filled with delicious-smelling food. There was vegetable stew, perfectly grilled chicken, well-spiced roasted potatoes, and a bottle of water.
His eyes lit up with delight as he saw the well cooked home made food laid out before him. Taking the hint, he reached into the nylon bag, picked up the bottle of wine, and handed it over to her.
She accepted the bottle gratefully and smiled at him. “Thank you, Detective. We can enjoy this with our meal,” she said, before retrieving two wine glasses from a nearby cabinet and pouring the non-alcoholic wine into them.
They raised their glasses in toast. “To our new found friendship,” he proposed, and Zara nodded, clinking her glass against his lightly. “Cheers,” she replied.
With the wine poured and their glasses raised, they began to eat, enjoying the delicious food and the cozy atmosphere.
“This is really tasty. You cook really well,” he said as he took a sip of his wine.
“Thank you so much, Detective. That reminds me, you said something about sitting close to the fireplace bringing back certain memories. Care to share?”
He hesitated for a moment and she must have noticed because she hurriedly chipped in, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t feel comfortable. I totally understand.”
“No, it’s fine. I have always wanted to talk to someone about that day.”
“That day?”
“Yes. The day I lost my wife and daughter to a fatal accident.”
“I’m all ears if you feel comfortable talking about it.”
He nodded and began to talk. ” I and Lilian were college sweethearts. Head of heels in love and nothing else mattered to us. We got married a few years after graduation. She was a public relations expert and I got into the FBI and that was when things changed. We realized love was not enough as we could barely tolerate each other. She always complained about my job and how I was not always around. I on the other hand felt she was beginning to nag a lot. And so we went on like that until Lia was born. Lia, she was so beautiful like her mother. We both loved her equally as her parents, and I always tried to be present in her life. But, I was never present enough. I missed a lot of her school functions and Lilian never failed to remind me how much of an absent father I was. And then one Christmas, they wanted to visit Lilians parents for holiday and I was supposed to drive them there but, something came up at work and I couldn’t drive them. In anger, Lilian drove out with Lia that fateful day and it was raining.” He stopped to wipe the tears that had escaped his eyes. ” She had a head on collision with a truck driver and they died at the spot.”
He burst into tears now, his body shaking. ” I should have been present that day to drive them. They would have been alive today. My little Lia would have been five this year.”
She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. “Oh, Detective, I’m so sorry for your loss, but please, you mustn’t blame yourself. It was a tragic accident, and accidents happen. It’s not your fault.”
He leaned into her warmth, his tears staining her shirt. “I know, I know,” he choked out between sobs. “But it’s just so hard not to think about what could have been if I had been there that day. I should have been there, Zara.”
“I understand that you feel guilty, but blaming yourself won’t bring them back. It’s important to remember that Lilian made the decision to drive off in the rain. It was her choice, not yours.”
He took deep, shuddering breaths, trying to compose himself. “You’re right, Zara. It’s just… sometimes I can’t help but feel responsible for their deaths. I feel like I failed them, like I failed to protect my own family.”
She cupped his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. “You are not a failure. You are a strong and dedicated detective, and you’ve done so much good in the world. I can see it in you, and I believe in you. You couldn’t have prevented their accident, no matter how much you wish you could have. Sometimes life throws us curve balls that we can’t control.”
He nodded, his breathing steadying. “Thank you for your kind words. I’m sorry you had to see me this way.”
“I don’t mind. That’s what friends are for. And please know that I’m here for you no matter what. I’ll support you through the tough times.”
“I appreciate that more than you know. You’ve been such…
Without warning, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his, silencing him.