51. Jiya
JIYA
Ibarely remembered leaving the church.
One moment, I was standing inside watching Caleb at the altar, and the next, I was rushing into a cab with tears blurring my vision.
“Grand Excelsior Hotel, please,” I whispered shakily.
As the car pulled away, I forced myself not to look back.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I texted Harper quickly before calling Geeta and telling her to pack everything because we were leaving immediately. I switched off my phone before she could ask any questions.
By the time I reached the hotel room, Geeta already had the bags packed.
“Is everything okay, Didi?” she asked gently.
I nodded too quickly. “I just need to go home.”
She did not push further.
The children were still asleep when I walked into the room. I stood there watching them quietly for a moment, wishing life could stay that peaceful forever.
Then Lucas opened his eyes.
“What’s wrong, Mama?” he asked softly.
My throat tightened instantly.
“I thought maybe we could go home tonight instead of tomorrow,” I said gently. “Would that be okay?”
Lucas frowned slightly as he studied my face.
“I thought you guys might miss home… your friends… Milo and Oreo,” I added softly.
“Pool, Mama?” Emma asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
“We can go to the pool back in our village. Is that okay?” I asked, silently praying they would not ask more questions.
Lucas studied my face for a second, then climbed across the bed and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.
“Let’s go home, Mama,” he whispered.
Emotion swelled painfully inside my chest as I held him close.
A short while later, I changed out of my dress, packed the last of my things, and drove us out of Vancouver without looking back.
The ferry ride home felt endless.
Talking to the children helped a little. Their endless chatter about the ferry and the dogs pulled me back into the present whenever my thoughts drifted back to the church.
Seagulls screeched overhead, their cries sharp against the wind, while the rugged coastlines, jagged mountains, and moss-covered rainforest stretched endlessly around us beneath the fading light.
The beauty of it all should have soothed me.
But that evening, it felt distant.
The children spent nearly half an hour racing up and down the deck while Geeta watched Lucas, and I stayed close to Emma. Eventually, exhaustion caught up with them. After buying food, we sat quietly together near the window, sharing tired smiles between bites.
Later, we returned to the deck.
I sat on one of the benches with Emma curled asleep against my chest while Lucas rested his head on Geeta’s lap nearby. The four of us watched the vast waters stretch endlessly into the distance beneath the darkening sky.
The world felt still for a while.
But my mind wouldn’t rest.
It drifted back to the church… to Caleb standing at the altar in his suit, looking heartbreakingly handsome and impossibly far away.
My chest ached.
My phone was still switched off.
I borrowed Geeta’s phone and messaged Elle, telling her I had left and would talk to her later. I could not bear to hear anyone’s voice right then—not when my heart felt like it had been split clean down the middle.
Caleb and Tatiana were probably cutting their wedding cake right now while cameras flashed around them.
Would it be chocolate? Or something elegant… something sophisticated… like a cannoli layer cake with cinnamon sponge and mascarpone filling?
I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to stop.
The ferry finally reached the port.
Reality returned with a quiet jolt.
We loaded the children back into the car and began the drive to Jack’s house to pick up the dogs.
The familiar roads, winding through the small town, brought a strange sense of comfort. This place had become my refuge—my safe harbour when everything else in my life had fallen apart.
When we pulled into the driveway, Maureen stepped outside immediately, her warm smile lighting up the evening.
“You’re home early,” she said gently, wrapping me in a hug. “Jack’s still at the restaurant.”
“That’s all right,” I replied softly. “We came to pick up the dogs.”
Maureen pulled back slightly and studied my face, her expression softening almost instantly.
“Sweetheart... did everything go okay?” she asked quietly.
My throat tightened.
I shook my head once. “No,” I admitted softly. “It didn’t go well.”
Concern filled her eyes immediately. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I swallowed hard and forced a small shake of my head. “Not right now.”
Maureen nodded without hesitation and pulled me into another hug. “Okay,” she whispered gently. “Whenever you’re ready.”
At the sound of our voices, Oreo and Milo came bounding out of the house, barking excitedly and wagging their tails. The children squealed and jumped out of the car to hug them.
I barely had time to kneel before Milo jumped up and licked my face enthusiastically.
“I missed you too, boy,” I laughed weakly, rubbing his head.
And suddenly I thought about Cole.
He had brought Milo home a year and a half earlier.
I wished, in that moment, that he were there again... steady and patient... telling me everything would somehow be okay.
“Thank you so much for taking care of them for me,” I said sincerely.
“Anytime, sweetheart,” Maureen replied warmly. “The cleaning ladies did a good job yesterday. I monitored them the whole time.”
“Thanks so much for that,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”
After saying goodbye, Geeta helped the children back into the car while Milo and Oreo jumped into the backseat beside them. A few moments later, we pulled out of the driveway and headed home.
The drive to the house was short.
Once inside, I helped the children get ready for bed, kissed them goodnight, and tucked them in.
Then I helped Geeta load the clothes into the washing machine before stepping into the shower. The hot water washed over me, but it did nothing to ease the heaviness in my chest.
When I stepped out, I felt emotionally drained, as if the last six hours had wrung every ounce of strength from my body.
“Geeta, I’m going out for a bit,” I said quietly. “Call me if you need anything.”
I switched my phone on but turned off the data, not ready to face messages or calls from anyone.
After setting the alarm, I locked the door and slipped into my car.
The drive to my favourite spot felt automatic, my hands moving on instinct as my mind drifted elsewhere. By the time I parked near the dock, the last traces of the sun had disappeared completely, leaving shades of blue and charcoal stretching across the sky.
I walked slowly toward the gazebo, the wooden planks creaking softly beneath my feet while cool, salty air brushed against my skin.
When I reached the bench, I sank onto it heavily.
The last time I had sat here… Caleb had been beside me.
The children had been laughing.
Geeta had been smiling.
And for a brief moment, my world had felt whole again.
Now everything felt broken.
Caleb was probably dancing the night away with his new bride after a lavish dinner. Maybe they were already preparing to leave for their honeymoon to some exotic destination like the Maldives or Bora Bora.
Fresh tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them. Soon they came faster, and I covered my face with my hands, trying to quiet the sob threatening to escape.
Then I heard footsteps behind me.
I quickly wiped my tears away, straightening instinctively.
“Do you have it? Have you seen it?” a voice asked.
My entire body went still.
Heat rushed through me, chasing away the cold that had worked its way into my bones. My heart began pounding wildly against my ribs as I slowly turned around.
Caleb stood a metre away.
He still wore his wedding suit. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and his bow tie hung loosely around his neck, as though he had ripped it free moments earlier.
“What?” I asked, rising slowly to my feet.
He looked at me, his eyes intense and raw.
“My broken heart.”
I sniffled, my breath catching.
“I thought you would be getting ready to leave for your honeymoon by now,” I managed quietly.
“I would be,” he replied, taking another slow step closer. “If I had gotten married.”
The knot in my stomach loosened so suddenly it almost hurt.
Hope flickered painfully through my chest, cautious and fragile, as I searched his face for signs that I had misunderstood him.
But there was no hesitation in his eyes.
No regret.
Only exhaustion… and something deeper that made my pulse stumble wildly.
“Oh,” I whispered shakily.
The wind moved softly around us, carrying the distant sound of water against the dock while my heart pounded hard enough to drown out everything else.
“Caleb…” I breathed carefully, afraid the moment might disappear if I spoke too loudly. “Why didn’t you get married?”
I bit my lip and held my breath, waiting for his answer.