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partner?” Loretta grew curious.
    “Mattheus and I
saw important things differently,” Cindy slowly said, strangely glad to
    be talking about him.
“He was upset that I wouldn’t take time off from cases just to be with him.”
    “He wanted you to
put him first?” remarked Loretta as if it were the most obvious thing on earth.
    “Over everything else,”
replied Cindy, surprised that Loretta got the picture so quickly.
    “Well, of course,
he was right,”  Loretta looked puzzled, “everyone knows that. You have to put
your man first and spend lots of quality time alone together.”
    “The work we do
is different though,” said Cindy.
    “You could take
off between cases, couldn’t you?” Loretta didn’t want to let go.
    “Sometimes you
can,” Cindy replied disconsolately. “But then there can be a rash of
emergencies.”
    “Mattheus didn’t
want you to take my case?”  Loretta suddenly got it.
    “Your case and
others,” said Cindy.
    “Is that why you
broke up? Because of me?” Loretta’s eyes grew wider.
    “No, of course
not,” said Cindy. “You had nothing to do with it. It was a pattern we had.  
Mattheus could be volatile, wonderful one minute and selfish the next. Very
selfish.”
    “Does he still
love you?” Loretta’s became calmer.
    Cindy felt jarred
by the question. “I don’t know, I don’t care. Why should I?”
    “Of course you
care, dear,” Loretta replied.
    “No, I don’t,”
Cindy insisted. “Or, even if I care, I’m not taking this roller coaster ride with
him.”
    Suddenly Loretta
turned into a consummate professional. “Cindy, I’ve seen this happen over and
over at the wedding boutique. The gown is chosen, invitations have been sent, then
comes the last minute fights between the couple. It happens over and over.  They
call me frantically to stop alterations, tell me the wedding’s being called
off.  I never pay any attention to any of it, just ask if they still love each
other. If they do, they can get over last minute nerves.  

 
    I tell everyone it’
normal.  Just remember why you decided to get married in the first place.”
    Cindy shivered.
Loretta was giving her heartfelt guidance just after her own husband had died.  “Thank
you for that, Loretta,” said Cindy quietly.
    “Do you love Mattheus?
Does he love you?” Loretta asked again, repeating a tried and true formula. “If
you love each other, take my advice. Don’t let anything get in between you.
Not  lies, not rumors, not families or disappointment. There’s nothing more important
than having a beautiful marriage, like the one Pete and I had.”
    *
    After Cindy and
Loretta spent a little more time together, Loretta went back to be with Angela,
and Cindy went downstairs to the hotel lobby to meet Pete’s friend and
colleague,  Andy.
    As Cindy sat in
the lobby, she thought about what Loretta had said. It was strangely comforting
to know that many couples wanted to call the wedding off at the last minute. It
made Cindy feel better about herself for getting this far down the road with
Mattheus. But, on the other hand, she had no intention of going back.  Even
though she missed him, it was  freeing to be here taking the case on her own, made
her feel strong and independent. Although she missed going over evidence together
and hearing his views, Cindy also liked not having to check in with him about her
choices.
    Cindy sat
drumming her hands on the edge of the sofa as she waited. Soon a lovely
looking, suntanned man, dressed in slacks and a blue shirt, came walking
towards her. It had to be Andy.
    “Cindy?” he asked,
stopping where she sat.
    “Andy?” replied
Cindy as they both smiled at exactly the same moment. “Please sit down.”
    “You’re a doll
for coming down here to help with this,” said Andy, sitting down beside her.
    “I’m sorry about
the loss of your colleague,” Cindy started.
    “Not just my
colleague, my friend,” Andy insisted. “Didn’t Loretta didn’t