The next day was a Sunday. Leo and Dana met up at the same coffee shop where they had coffee before. It wasn't their usual date. They have a mission: to find the whereabouts of Leo's wife, Marlene. Dana volunteered to look for her, much to Leo's reluctance. But the girl was pushy enough to convince him to say yes. Dana wanted to bring Marlene to Leo, despite the possibility that Marlene might throw a fit if she finds out that Dana was almost Leo's lover. Well, they were almost a step away from that.

Leo had Marlene's planner, which he found in one of her dresser drawers. He pore through it as Dana looked on beside him. They scanned all the addresses and phone numbers that they could find. Maybe the planner had some clues as to where Marlene could be found.

"Dr. Cartwright, the flower shop, her friend Molly, and the pizza delivery. Seems like there's nothing much of interest here," Leo mused as he thumbed through the pages.

"Have you checked her weekly entries?" Dana asked as she sipped her coffee. "Maybe she wrote some number or place in there."

"I haven't thought of it," Leo said. All he scanned was the address book part. He leafed through the weekly portion of the planner. Most entries were about socials, thoughts on daily TV shows, and a cryptic line that says, "I'm sick of this." Leo gulped at the sight of it, knowing very well that Marlene thought of him as she wrote it. Her was her husband that never made his presence felt with her.

"Nothing much in here." Leo finally closed the planner. Dana gently took it from him and said, "I do believe there is. Let me search instead."

Dana went through every page in a careful and thorough fashion. It took her a while, then she became fixated on one page of the planner.

"I'm finding my heart again... Sweet home Alabama," Dana read.

"Sweet home Alabama?" Leo asked, frowning.

"This sounds like a clue," Dana said. "This was dated four weeks ago."

"Let me see," Leo requested. Dana handed him the planner and Leo eyed the page intently. Four weeks ago. The week Marlene left after their last fight. True enough, the line was dated on the day Leo drank by his lonesome in the living room. 

"Alabama... Alabama," he mouthed.

Then it hit him. "I know what this means!" he exclaimed. He turned to Dana excitedly. "She's at her parents' farm in Alabama!"

"That's great!" Dana smiled. "Should I go after her now?" she offered.

"Why does it have to be you?" Leo asked sadly.

Silence fell over them. 

"Because, I feel that she has to know the truth about us," Dana answered seriously after quite some time. "I feel the need to apologize."

"Dana..." Leo placed a hand on her shoulder. "You might cause some more damaged than expected," he warned her.

"That's a possibility. But I think it's more of my fault," Leo broodingly stated. "After what happened, I realized that she's still important to me."

"Maybe we should go together instead," Dana suggested.

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The trip started on Friday the next week, in the late afternoon. Leo and Dana rode a bus to Alabama, where Marlene's childhood hometown was located. To be sure, Dana was seated an aisle away from Leo. Both chose window seats. The trip lasted late into the night. Sometimes, Leo would steal glances at Dana, who fell asleep fast. The love he had for her was still there, but he realized that Marlene weighed more. He can't simply throw away the years they spent together, ending just like that. Dana was still young, and Leo knew she deserves better when it comes to love.

Dawn came, and they woke up at their destination. Dana and Leo boarded down the bus and checked in first at a local motel, in a single bedroom. No, there was no sleazy undertones to this, especially now that Leo wanted his wife to be reconciled with him. After eating breakfast, they rode a borrowed car to Marlene's hometown, Oakdale. It was an hour ride away from the motel they stayed in.

Leo was uneasy as he drove the car. Will this trip work out for all of them?

At last, they came to the town sign of Oakdale. Leo parked the car nearby and he, along with Dana, went out of the car. "Marlene's family is rather well-to-do here," Leo narrated to Dana. "Their house is the biggest in this town."

"She's quite a catch, isn't she?" Dana remarked smilingly.

"At first, it was hard to win her parents over. But I succeeded," Leo recalled fondly. He thought of their farm wedding, where only intimate family members and friends were invited. That was a long time ago now, and as they came to Marlene's family farm, Leo felt that feeling when he was getting married to Marlene. "We're here," he stated.

In front of them was a regal-looking house with a red roof and three floors. It had the elegant and homey feeling at the same time. Dana marveled at the beauty of the house, along with the surrounding trees and a farm house nearby. "Who goes in first?" she asked.

"That would be me," Leo replied. "I think you should stay outside."

"No, let me go in with you," Dana insisted.

"Just be there, okay?"

Leo bravely walked up the front door and buzzed the doorbell. The door cracked ajar and a household help started to talk to Leo. Then Leo nodded his head and walked away. "How was it like?" Dana asked.

"The house help said that Marlene didn't wish to talk to anyone." A wave of disappointment was obvious on his expression. 

"Maybe some other day will do," Dana said. 

"Let's go back. This trip is for nothing," Leo replied grumpily. He was about to walk off when Dana pulled his arm. "Wait! I've got an idea!"

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After a long horse ride, Marlene was content to sit underneath her favorite tree in the farm. She rested and drank from a water bottle. She had never felt freer in her life. But sometimes, guilt would cloud her heart. She shouldn't have left her husband like that. But then, she wanted to break away from it all. She had no idea when she'll return home in the city. For now, she didn't want to deal with Leo. It was childish, but she wanted to think things over by herself. That would give Leo time to think also. Maybe this cool-off departure would work wonders for them.

"Hello," a female voice said.

Marlene turned her head and saw a young girl in her early twenties, wearing a plaid button-down blouse and jeans with boots. She had on a black baseball cap. Marlene started to wonder where this girl came from and the gall she had to greet her like that.

"Are you a horse rider here?" Marlene asked politely as she stood up. Their farm had horseback riding rentals. For some reason, she didn't liked this girl bothering her when she wanted to be alone.

"Yes, I just went on a horseback ride. I found this tree and I wanted to rest underneath it, when I caught sight of you. I have an apple with me, let's eat this together," she offered.

Marlene frowned. "You're acting like you know me so well," she wondered.

"I'm Leo's friend, Dana," she introduced herself.

"Leo's friend? Wait, how did you know about my husband?" Marlene asked. This girl is indeed suspicious.

"I met Leo during my morning bus rides and we became friends. Then I found out you left, and since then, Leo's been despondent," Dana narrated casually as she stood in front of Marlene. "Now he wants to find you, and this bought us here. He found your planner and the line Sweet Home Alabama."

"Friends..." Marlene stated, venom in her voice. "Don't tell me you had an affair with him." The thought of it filled her with silent rage.

"No, we never went far from that," Dana said softly.

"How do you make me accept your explanation?" Marlene questioned.

"The reason why I came here is because, Leo realized that he still loves you. Judging from the look on your face when I introduced myself to you, it's obvious that you're not really over him," Dana revealed knowingly.

Marlene slumped against the tree trunk. "Oh my God, the woman he had an affair with just wants me to be reconciled with him," she whispered in disbelief. 

"I can assure you that we were never lovers. We never slept with each other. Nothing. I just made him learn what's in his heart all along. Either you believe me or not. But only you, yourself, can decide where your heart is," Dana said. "I have to admit, I did had feelings for him, but I never pushed it far.  Now that you know, it's up to you where you stand. As for me, I accept Leo as a friend. But then I think it's time for me to part ways with him, so both of us could think clearly."

Dana smiled for the last time and walked away quietly. But she looked over her shoulder. "Leo traveled with me just to see you again and talk to you."

That was the last line she spoke before she finally departed.

Marlene slumped on the ground, in shock. 

So Leo had an affair all along.

No, the girl said they never went far except for their morning bus rides.

How was she supposed to believe this?

But this Dana girl seemed like a good one. If not, she wouldn't go out of her way just to speak with her.

The ball is now in her court. With Leo here, in this very farm, this might be the answer to their dilemma.

What was in her heart?

Marlene was sure she heard the thumping of her heart loud and clear.

This might be the answer.

(to be continued)

Image courtesy of: http://www.cahabavalleyfarms.com