Chapter 10
After his parents got back home at the end of the week, some bit of routine settled back in. But Speed had one important thing to do. He knocked at Horatio's office door. "Yes?"
"Hi."
"Speed.
What can I do for you?"
He held up a sheet of paper. "Could you please sign my request for a leave of absence?"
"Leave of absence? What are you plans?" he smiled.
Speed looked a bit shy. "Well, it's not gonna be fun."
"Something private?"
"Let's call it coming to terms with the past."
Horatio nodded and sign the request. "You know, if you need someone to talk…"
"Yeah, I know. So long."
A few days later Speed entered foreign ground. He had to ask the man in charge for directions otherwise he had got lost at this huge place. After he reached the place he was looking for, he stood there helplessly. He didn't know what to do. Then he took a deep breath, reached into his pocket and retrieved a wedding ring. He looked at it and then knelt down to dig a hole in front of the tombstone. Silently he looked at the inscription. "Lisa and Emily Speedle +1990". He placed the ring into the ground and covered it up again.
Finally he found the strength to say his thoughts aloud. "Hi…I'm…so sorry that I didn't come earlier…it was just…I don't know. " He looked around. "I just…I just wanted to give you the ring back…it belongs here. I couldn't put it back on my finger again, even if I should meet another woman…" He stopped, because he could feel a hand on his shoulder. But he didn't look up.
"You don't have to justify yourself, Tim. She knows how you feel", his mother said understandingly.
They stayed a little bit longer, then he stood up and the both of them went back to path. Arthur and Andrew were already waiting. Surprisingly Arthur stepped towards Tim and hugged him tightly. "It's about time to let go. You did right", he encouraged him. Even Andy hugged his older brother although he was lost for words. "I thought long about the right words to say, but I came up with nothing. I'm sorry", he said hesitantly.
Tim looked at him. "No need to worry. The most important thing for me is to know that I'm not alone."
Back again in Miami Speed called Eric. "Hey. I was just thinking…maybe…I found an old tape in my room at home. Marked with 1988…"
Eric had to laugh. "Did you already have long hair back then?"
"I
have no clue. I haven't watched it yet…I didn't want to do watch
it…alone…"
"Should I stop by?"
"But
only, if you want to."
"No problem."
So they sat together in the living room, each of them holding a beer in the hand and watching the tape. Indeed Tim and Lisa were on it. They were working on a school project. After a cut several family activities and celebrations could be seen. Another cut. Both of them during the summer vacation, enjoying themselves at a pool. Lisa smiled into the camera: "Stop it, Tim. I don't want to be filmed. Let's go swimming instead." The screen went black.
Eric looked at his friend who was surprisingly calm. "Are you okay?"
Still looking at the blank screen Tim answered: "Yes. I think I finally found my peace."
The End