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By Laurel Ahlfeld Date: 2001 Jul 28 Comment on this Work [[2001.07.28.15.26.7648]] |
| Thoughtfully drumming my fingers against the hem of my skirt, I chuckle at friends' jokes as we catch up on life after a long summer apart. The eight of us who have crowded around a two-person coffee table are more than able to flood Starbucks with laughter and general chatter, but an empty chair still waiting to be occupied causes me to cast an anxious glance at each person entering the bustling café or the half empty parking lot outside the window. After too many weeks of missing you, these twenty minutes have been a strange mix of elation and torture. My friends have assured me time and time again that you are coming tonight. My heart races at the thought of seeing you so soon yet the minutes seem to pass so slowly that I wonder if I might die of anticipation before you even get here. The group erupts in a laughter strong enough to snatch me from my own thoughts again. Brock triumphantly crowns himself as victor of the "Penguin Joke" round and makes everyone cough up the seventy-five cents reward we all agreed on and makes his way to the counter to orders himself a tall caramel mocha frappuccino. My friends desperately try to compose themselves after receiving glares from the manager and several customers who were previously looking for a quiet cup of coffee. The bell above the entrance sounds a tinkling fanfare to announce the arrival of yet another customer. I subconsciously glimpse in that direction and discover nothing less than a dream walking through the door. The whole party rises to greet the late arrival with hand shakes and pats on the back. I stand in awe at the tail end of the line and can do nothing but stare into those soft hazel-brown eyes. I have missed you so very much. You finally come to me and gently embrace me in a hug filled with so much tenderness that I can hardly keep from crying. I do my best to take all of you in; the aroma of your Eddie Bauer cologne, your favorite white shirt, your hair remains perfect even at 8:30 in the evening. Tears still threaten their presence while the moment engulfs me. I realize it was worth every agonizing second of the wait. You bend nearer to me and as if you were reading my thoughts, request only one thing of me. "Please tell me you missed me as much as I missed you." My struggle with the tears is lost as one slides down my cheek in response. Your hand cups the side of my face as you softly catch the single drop with your thumb and brush it away to show me you understand. |