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“We’ll stay in touch,” “Catch up some time,” or “I’ll marry you if we're both 30 and unmarried!” That last one was mostly a joke. It was what people told each other before inevitably losing contact. It was what Mariah and Rafael told each other.
Rafael and Mariah met at Harvard, battling those four years of law school together. The two had grown close, but the dedicated scholars had resigned themselves to focus on their burdensome schoolwork, which ultimately led to burgeoning careers. Harvard had churned out a pair of exceptionally talented lawyers; their careers took off immediately after graduation. They quickly lost touch.
It wasn't complete radio silence; Rafael was a very well-known ADA. Mariah followed many of his cases; they were hard to ignore, as he often made the news. She was proud to see what the mouthy, scrappy, handsome young man she adored became. Rafael took notice of Mariah as well; the large companies she took on as a civil litigator, he'd brag that he knew her to anyone who'd hear it.
To Mariah, Rafael Barba was the 'one who got away.' Rafael missed Mariah deeply, the woman he had kissed in a moment of adulation as he realized she had helped him pass an exam. He thought highly of her, that she was brilliant and beautiful. The funny thing is, despite all these lingering feelings, neither of them ever thought to call.
It was by complete coincidence the two met again. A victim, Mariah, had been represented in the case against her employer, Barba was now helping. Rafael didn't usually accompany the detectives on their investigative interviews; only he had to see her again. Unknowingly, Barba made the best decision of his life that day; Mariah was more than happy to see him.
A date ensued after the case closed; the two reminisced about their Harvard days. It was jokingly mentioned that they were both over thirty and single. Mariah laughed, thinking of how silly a promise it was. Rafael, however, took it more seriously, and the two have been married for nearly three years.
The union of Mariah Santos and Rafael Barba was a joyous, powerful, and peaceful one. Well, as peaceful as a union between two lawyers could be. Rafael held Mariah in very high regard and vice versa, so any disagreement was promptly rectified with honest communication and a lot of Chinese takeout.
It was over said Chinese takeout, while they were still dating. Rafael told Mariah everything about his childhood best friends, Eddie and Alex; he seemed ashamed of Alex and what came out during his campaign for mayor. What he failed to mention was Alex’s wife, Yelina, his childhood love, his ‘one who got away.’