Forgot to Remember

Preparations

Preparations

"Who can we approach? Who'll believe us anyway? There are no witnesses to my accident." Ant said cynically.
"But a confession straight from the culprit's mouth is better than witnesses isn't it?" Martin interjected calmly.
"But we still need a police officer who'll believe us. Who'll agree to go along with this sting." Dec said but only drew a blank.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Ali's face lit up, "I know someone who might help us."
"You know a police officer?"
All three pairs of eyes stared at her.
"Well... I know a few people ...here and there." Ali answered demurely. "I actually haven't spoken to her for sometime but she will help if can."
"So? What did she say?" the three men pounced on Ali, as soon as she entered the house late afternoon the next day.

"She will do a bit of investigation and then get back to me."
"Well I guess that's that." Ant spat out pessimistically.
"No, it's not." Ali slung back. "I know she'll call back."
And as if on cue her mobile phone rang.
"Hello,...Yes... Oh is that so? ... that's enough?"
As the conversation progressed a smile flowered on Ali's face which gave the three men hope.
"... Really! ... I'll tell the guys right now! ... Anthony it seems that there is a witness to your 'suicide'. Is there really no end to the incompetency and the sheer laziness of public servants' methods of working?" Ali growled
"You've lost us!" Dec said confused by Ali's ranting.
"You guys aren't going to believe this." Ali started speaking then and the men couldn't help but feel ecstatic by the new information that had been unearthed.

"Decorations?"
"Check"
"Catering?"
"Check. The menu approved by my Darling." Dec teased.
"Invites?"
"Check."
"So everything is set." Ant concluded in a whisper almost hyper ventilating
"Yup..." Dec replied trying to remain upbeat and not give in to his boyfriend's nervousness
"Do you think we'll be able to succeed?" Ant asked next
"I think so." Dec replied keeping his tone as neutral as he could. He didn't want to raise his boyfriend's hopes.
"That isn't very reassuring Decky"
"You're telling me?"
"What did 'they' say before 'they' pushed you off?" Dec asked again.
"That 'they' didn't want me getting my claws into what was truly 'theirs' only."
"'They' accepted the invite so now we only have to wait and watch as to how everything turns out."
He noticed Ali's frantic signal and quickly proceeded to end the conversation.
"Gotta go now Christine and Sarha have just arrived. Just one more night then this farce can finally end."
"I can't wait for it to be tomorrow."
"Me neither."
"Don't come out of that room until I signal you." Dec instructed.
"I know sweetie. Love you." Ant replied longingly
"Love you too. See you on the other side."

"Declan." Christine couldn't say anything more and tightly hugged the smaller man.
"I got the guestroom cleaned and ready for you." Dec informed her after his boyfriend's mum released him.
"Thanks."
While Christine went to put their luggage into the room, Sarha took Dec aside. "How are you doing?
"Some days are better than others," Declan whispered as tears came to his eyes.
"Oh sweetie!" Sarha instantly enveloped him in her arms, trying to sooth him. Dec sniffled hugging her back. Alone in his room, Ant giggled as he watched Dec's charade on the CCTV screen.
"Decky, my man! You deserve an Oscar for that performance." Ant chuckled addressing the screen
But then his mind flew back to the night he had returned home and witnessed the true devastation Dec had been through. So the uncomfortable thought that he was basing his current behaviour on the 6 days he had been sure that Ant had truly died made the hilarity he felt at his boyfriend's behaviour evaporate.

Unable to control himself once he saw that Dec was alone again, he called him.
"I told you not to call me. You know we could get caught" Dec scolded him in a hushed whisper.
"You were crying." Ant stated softly.
"I'm grieving for my dead boyfriend, remember?."
"Yeah, but..."
"...you don't like to see me cry." Dec completed and smiled straight into the camera.
"Uh ...Huh. Yah."
"Just one more night baby. Keep it together for just another 18 hours."
"I'll try but I can't make any promises if you cry again. Love you"
"Love you too." Dec looked around to check if he was alone and seeing only Ali, he discreetly blew a kiss towards the camera as he ended the call.