5 years later…

Bachelor party is tonight. Last chance to join in on the fun.

Tobias sighs as the text from Will pops up on his phone. He tries to feel bad about not going to his friend's bachelor party, he really does, but Tobias is exhausted from work, and just in general not in the mood for a rowdy party. He knows this makes him the worst friend of the year, since he also declined to be in the wedding party, but he knows that Will is understanding. Well, he hopes.

Sorry man. I'm swamped. Save me a souvenir?

Tobias sends off the text and then pockets his phone, sighing to himself. Chicago is ruthless during this time of the summer, he doesn't know why he opted to walk over to Saint Laurent, he supposes he has to live with his choice now, but he still grimaces as two beads of sweat run down the back of his neck into his shirt.

The corners of his mouth tug up when he passes the Erudite Coffee and Bookshop. Tris's favorite place. And now, for probably the millionth time these past few weeks he wonders if Tris will be in attendance at the wedding. He thought about asking Will or Christina, but he didn't to save himself from the merciless teasing, and because he's not sure what he wants the answer to be.

He'd be delighted to see her again, no doubt. It's been just about over a year since their paths last crossed at Marie and Matthew's first birthday party.

He hadn't known that she'd be there, Zeke and Shauna had failed to alert him of the minor detail that his ex would be attending their twins' first birthday. Apparently, they didn't even know themselves, and it was a last minute invite that Uriah had extended to her after he found out she was back in town for the week.

Tobias didn't mind. It was good to see her. They caught up, made small talk, and nothing was super awkward. But after she left town again he fell into a funk for a couple of weeks. He's tried and tried again to come up with a reason as to why she has as big of a hold on him as she does… She's Tris Prior, that's why.

Their initial breakup when she left for college was rough on him. He had no idea how much he'd become accustomed to her being around, how much he came to rely on her sense of support and love. But it was good for him to learn to grow on his own, to have to be proactive and sure of himself even without Tris by his side. He missed her, though.

The summer after her freshman year when she returned to the city they attempted to restart their relationship. Both of them had missed each other a lot, after keeping in loose contact while Tris was away, and they were both sick of trying to do the mature thing and move on.

Tobias doesn't regret that summer, it was wild, and fun, and full of her… But the both of them were trying to squeeze in a whole long term relationship into one summer and it just wasn't working out and even caused them to get into many petty arguments. They weren't meant to be casual lovers together, with them it was going to be either all or nothing, and they were both aware of that.

So, they said goodbye again that fall when Tris had to leave once more. They agreed to stay in touch, but maybe a little bit less than her first year of college. They texted one another every few months, whether it be Tris telling Tobias she just went to an art museum she knew he'd love, or Tobias letting Tris know that he finally got a chance to pick up the book she used to rave about, and he finally understood her obsession.

But after a few months, he realized he couldn't live in the city anymore. Everything just reminded him of her. So, he packed up, and moved down to Peoria, to be closer to his mother and Richard and the girls, and the second gallery. It was the right choice for him, for a couple of reasons, another one being that he hasn't had to see his father in nearly six years now.

After that came Zeke and Shauna's wedding. It was about time they finally tied the knot after years of dating, and they both finally had stable careers– with Shauna working in bookkeeping and Zeke becoming a computer programmer. When Tobias moved away to Peoria, they finally moved out of the apartment themselves and into a small, charming house. They held the wedding in their backyard during the spring. It was an intimate affair with just close friends and family, and Tobias was proud to stand as one of the groomsmen. Zeke has been his oldest friend after all, so watching him finally get married to the love of his life made Tobias really happy, even if he was a tad bit envious.

Tobias had tried dating around for a bit since his second break up with Tris. The next person he'd consider he had a real "relationship" with was a former artist of his; Jennifer. She was confident and gutsy, and very talented. The two of them enjoyed one another's company, and she even came as his date to Zeke and Shauna's wedding. But in the end, they decided they were better off as friends, there was no real spark between them. He hasn't seen or spoken to her in years, last he heard she moved to New York City to explore other avenues in the world of art besides painting.

His next attempt at dating was with an art buyer named Alana. She was smart, observant, and very down to earth. They lasted slightly longer than he and Jennifer did, about four months, until she broke it off because she had to move back home to care for her dying mother. Truth be told, Tobias is glad she did. Obviously he's not happy her mother fell ill, but things weren't developing between them. It just felt like they were just hanging out together to kill time, not because either of them had an active desire to. He knows he probably would have never ended it if she hadn't done so first, and they definitely weren't serious enough for him to move back home with her or for them to keep up long distance while they could.

In between those two relationships, and after, he's engaged in a few one night stands, but that's it. No one has caught his eye like Tris has, and he knows deep down that it is highly likely nobody ever will.

Tobias isn't sure how many people Tris has dated, or what her romantic life has looked like since they parted ways. A few months ago Christina and Will took a trip to LA to celebrate their engagement, and they saw Tris while they were over there. Tobias found out through the grapevine that she was seeing someone. Matthew. From what he heard, it sounded as if it was getting serious, but as the wedding has been approaching he decided to indulge in some subtle stalking of Tris's facebook a couple of weeks ago. She seems to be newly single, no photos of a boyfriend in sight. Tobias hates to admit that he felt relieved.

He's not entirely sure what else Tris is up to. She graduated from USC last year, and he's heard that she's currently working as a freelance journalist, though Tobias is sure that will change soon, and she'll get permanently hired by a company. He's read a few of her works here and there when he can find them, taking whatever small pieces of her he can get, and he thinks they're marvelous.

As for Tobias himself, things are going well for him. Both galleries are moving up steadily, and he loves getting to work with all different sorts of artists, and selling to people who are as passionate about art as he is. Every time he thinks about how good he's got it, he remembers that he'd never be in this position if it weren't for Tris.

He feels relieved when he finally comes up on the block that the Saint Laurent store is on. He's picking up his suit for Christina and Will's wedding in two days, and they only have the best. The crisp air conditioning is a blessing to him as he walks in the store, smiling in acknowledgement to one of the greeters.

He lets the employee at the checkout desk know that he's here to pick up his suit, and begins rocking back and forth on his heels as they head into the back to retrieve it. He's been waiting long enough to where he feels he should take his phone from his pocket to look busy, when he catches sight of a familiar, blonde figure emerging from the changing rooms just a few feet away.

She looks like Tris, he thinks, and then he has to do a double take because it is Tris, standing in the same room as him, staring at him, looking just as shocked as he feels.

Tris detests airports. The bustling of people, the terrible customer service, and the waiting. Oh, the waiting. Whether it's waiting in the security line, waiting in line for a cheeseburger from McDonalds, waiting to board your flight. It's excruciating.

Though, after this month, she might not have to fly for a long time, if she accepts Natalie's job offer. She never saw herself in fashion journalism, but she has to give herself some credit in having a lot of knowledge about the couture world.

It does sort of feel like cheating to her, though, letting your parents get you a job, but she's been out of college for over a year now, and she's tired of freelance writing. Sure, there are good things about it too, but she wants a steady job, with steady pay. And taking the job would mean moving back to Chicago. She can't deny that a part of her really does miss the city, and with most of her family and friends living here now, she wants to be closer to them. It's been lonely in California. Most of her friends there were Matthew's, and because they knew him first, they sided with him in the breakup. Tris hates to admit it, but it still stings.

But of course there have been good things about California, and moving away. She's had a chance to be her own woman, and not just Natalie and Andrew Prior's daughter for once. She got to put herself out there, to have friends who actually wanted to be around her, and not just because their rich parents knew one another. She loves the beach, and the sun, and going for morning runs, and the food. There's a lot she'd miss if she moved back to Chicago. And she doesn't want to go back to living in her mother's shadow if she returns.

The uber car she ordered is already waiting for her when she exits the airport. She waves to the driver and he exits the vehicle, assisting her with her luggage and opening the side door for her. Thanking him, she slides in, sinking down into the plush seats. Her body is sore from a day of traveling.

Her father offered to pick her up, but she said no thank you. Even though it's been five years since he reappeared into their lives, things still feel somewhat awkward between them. He's been making an active effort to change, he has, but it's hard to bond with him when he and her mother still despise one another and the entire family can never be in the same room together for long.

Thinking about this, she also begins to wonder how Tobias is doing. Are things now smooth with him and Evelyn? Does he truly feel integrated with Richard and his daughters too? It wouldn't take a genius to guess that he probably hasn't spoken with Marcus in years, and last she heard Tobias had moved down to Peoria, so she guesses things have been steadily improving with Evelyn.

She wishes they could talk about these things. She understands why they can't, but it doesn't stop her from lingering over his contact name on her phone, or wondering what would happen if she sent him an email. Would he answer? Would he reply? For all she knows, he's dating somebody new.

Her biggest nightmare would be that he is dating somebody new, and that he's going to bring her to the wedding this week. If that happened she might regret coming. She might. Though her pride was too big to ask Christina if Tobias would be in attendance, or if he was bringing a plus one, so she supposes she put all of the unknowing on herself. It will be okay. It will be.

Besides, she knows it's important that she be there for Christina and Will's big day. Christina is practically family now; since she quit Eaton Enterprises and took a job at Tris's mother's company. Natalie adores her, and she's become an integral part of the company. With Christina happier than ever at her new job, and Will an up and coming architect, they both felt ready to finally tie the knot.

Tris is glad that she can make the wedding, even if she opted not to attend the bachelorette party. In a way, it somewhat assuages her guilt for missing Zeke and Shauna's wedding. She'd heard Tobias was seeing someone at the time, and she also knew he'd most likely be in the wedding party, and she just couldn't handle that. She hopes she somewhat made it up to them by attending their twins' first birthday party last year, even if it was a bit of an impromptu invite via Uriah.

Next to Christina, Uriah is probably her closest friend back in Chicago. They text and call frequently, and she's happy to hear that he and Marlene are still going strong. Marlene recently finished nursing school, and Uriah is working as a pharmacy tech. They're living together and are fostering a puppy that they're considering adopting, so things seem to be going well for the both of them.

For most of the ride home, she thinks about random things, though her mind still takes her back to the question of whether she'll see Tobias this weekend. Does she want to? What would she do?

Finally, the car stops in front of her mother's building. The driver gets out to help her with her bags, and she thanks him, reminding herself to put a generous tip on the app later.

"Hello, Ms. Prior. It's nice to have you home," Hector the doorman greets as she approaches.

"Thank you, Hector. You're looking well."

"Likewise. Let me help with your bags."

When they get up to the penthouse Natalie is already waiting for her in the foyer. "Oh, Beatrice! I was just about to call you"

"Hi mom– oh, and dad…?" She trails off, now incredibly perplexed to see her father standing behind her mother in the living room. The fact that her parents were here alone and the place is not on fire bewilders her.

Natalie rolls her eyes slightly. "Your father also insisted on waiting here for you to arrive. He wanted a chance to see you this weekend, too."

Tris smiles at her mother, squeezing her shoulders gently. "Well, it was very nice of you to let him wait up here, and not in the street."

Natalie chuckles, "Yes, I know. Hector, thank you for assisting Beatrice with her luggage," Natalie says, handing him a 20.

Tris goes over to give her father a hug.

"I'm glad I get to see you, Beatrice. I thought we might do dinner tonight or tomorrow before you have to leave?"

"Sure dad, tomorrow would probably work better. I'm exhausted today and I still want to go to Saint Laurent to try on some dresses for the wedding."

Natalie makes a disapproving 'tsk' noise. "I still don't know why you won't wear one of my dresses, free of cost."

"Because, mom, the whole wedding is going to be Natalie Prior-esque. Christina's dress is designed by you, you're wearing one of your own designs, so will half the attendees because they're all your employees and Christina's colleagues."

Her mother sniffs. "I didn't realize that was a bad thing."

"It's not. But… I wanna be different," Tris smirks. "Plus, it's Saint Laurent. They only have the best."

"I'm going to ignore that." Natalie says in mock offense.

"Okay, okay, the truth? I'm a little overdo for a shopping trip." Tris smiles sheepishly.

Natalie sighs contentedly. "Oh, it is music to my ears to hear you say those words. You are your mother's daughter. Here," she reaches into her purse and pulls out her credit card. "This should do the trick. Consider it a homecoming gift."

"Oh, and not a bribe to take the job?"

"Hey, go. But we are going to be talking about the job when you get back. Maria is out doing a grocery run right now, so you'll see her when you get back. Also, sorry you had to uber. Alex was picking me up from an important fitting, he should be near to drive you now, though."

"It's no problem, I can walk. And if Maria gets back before me, tell her I say hi."

"Will do."

"Bye, dad." Tris waves to her father. "Text me about dinner tomorrow."

"Of course, darling. Have fun."

After trying on dresses for a good half an hour, Tris finally found one that suits her. It's a red midi dress, with cutouts just under the breast bone. It's more provocative than anything she's worn in a while, but she liked the way she looked in it, and the thought of maybe seeing Tobias this weekend kept reiterating its way through her mind as she was trying on all of her choices.

She's exhausted when she exits the changing room. Luckily, the line at the checkout desk seems to be short. Only one man is waiting there before her. As she approaches and gets a closer look at him, she blinks a couple of times. It certainly can't be Tobias Eaton standing before her… It's just someone who resembles him immensely.

But then those deep blue eyes meet her own, reflecting the shock that she feels. It's him. Tobias is here.

Due to high demand, I am posting the epilogue chapters. You guys are the best. Part 2 will be up soon :)

-Kiki

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