Tiara

From the novel entitled “Between Wives”

 

After entering the trap house after a shootout, Officer Keylon walks out and is stunned that not only ten years have passed, but Tiara, who used to be on his task force, is his wife. It’s the event that kicks off the storyline and has Keylon baffled as to what just happened.

 

I can argue that Tiara is the main character in the book, definitely more so than Keylon’s actual wife, Dawn. When we first meet her, she’s more of a tomboy character. She’s part of the guys in the squad, carries herself as rough and tough, and reminds me of Juke Box from Raising Kanan. Unlike Juke Box, Tiara has a taste for men, which is why she and Rob get involved. It's this relationship where we see the real Tiara.

 

I wanted to make Tiara’s relationship with Rob matter to the story. As Keylon tries to investigate how he ended up marrying one of his old squad members, hearing the story of how they connected for the first time really hits home with him. As badass as Tiara likes to seem, she’s insecure, causing Rob to take advantage of her throughout their relationship. The two would constantly break up and get back together since Rob knew that no matter what he did, she would always take her back.

 

The future Tiara is nothing like her younger counterpart as in that reality, Keylon saves her from the abusive relationship she had with Rob. I really wanted to show how having the right partner in a relationship can change lives. Tiara spent many years crying over the treatment she received from Rob, but when she and Keylon got together, we are seeing her healed, confident, and at peace. Tiara is able to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher while leaving her police career behind her. Keylon’s love built her to that point, which is why the two are so perfect together.

 

The duality of her personality is what I wanted to show, so much so that you should be able to tell what reality Keylon is in based on how Tiara acts, talks, and responds to things. Keylon himself never considered a relationship with her in the Dawn reality, but he can start to see it after spending time with her in the future reality. To me, Tiara is a tragic figure and a blessed figure depending on the reality, and she definitely was one of my favorite characters to write.

 

“What’s crazy is it was the same night that I knew you were something special. That night was actually the worst and best night of my life” - Tiara when asked by Keylon to tell him when she knew he was the one.