We Meet Again

Allison:

"I'm hungry mommy."

Allison and Micah were walking down 116th street towards their brownstone. Allison looks down at her beautiful son, the only thing that came out of her crazy marriage to Jerome. He was the same light complexion as hers, and he had big expressive brown eyes almost like he was the character in an anime.

Micah had big curly hair that she kept in a ponytail and it spilled down his back and made him look like a girl. She had wanted to cut his hair several times, but Jerome wouldn't let her, saying that his sister was going to braid it up and make it look cute. Something that she soon realized wasn't going to happen, Jerome just refused to let her cut just because she wanted to cut. He didn't want her doing anything that wasn't his idea.

"Okay baby, what would you like to eat? Mommy hasn't bought a lot of groceries yet so I can see what we have and cook or we can go out to eat."

Micah scrunched his little face up like he was thinking hard. "I want to go out,"

Micah said jumping up and down. Allison smiled down at her son, "Okay little man what would you like? Do you want IHOP, Chipotle, or Chinese?"

Micah started hopping like a bunny, "look, mommy, I'm a bunny, and this bunny wants chi bees." Allison tried not to laugh at her sweet little bunny. She knew he meant to say Chinese not chi bees. But, he was only four years old he was still working on his grammar. "

Okay baby let's go to the small Chinese spot near our house and grab something to eat.

Allison and Micah walked a few blocks past their house to the restaurant Ho Lei Noodle. She liked the name it was a great play on words and she hoped their food was just as good as their name. They stepped in and she liked the look, there were about two to three tables off to the side so a few people could either sit and wait for their food or the could actually eat in.

Then, of course, the order window and the kitchen behind it where the cooks were preparing tasty dishes. Allison grabbed one of the little paper takeout menus that were in every takeout Chinese restaurant.

"Welcome to Ho Lei Noodle. What would you like to order?" Allison looked up ready to order and froze.

"Allison? Oh my God, what are you doing here?

Daniel wiped his hands on his apron and walked from the kitchen to the front. Allison froze with her hand on her mouth and tears streaming down her eyes. "Daniel! I can't believe that it's you. What are you doing here." Daniel hugged Allison, kissing her on the cheek.

He was going to stand and talk a minute until he heard Guo one of the night cooks yelling in Mandarin about something. Daniel looked at Allison and sighed, "hold on Allison I'll be right back."

Allison nodded excited that Daniel was here, she hadn't seen him in so long. He looked amazing, and she had missed him so much. Then she looked down at herself and immediately felt self-conscious. Her hair wasn't done, it was just hanging in a ponytail down her back. She was just wearing some gross sweats because it was the weekend and she wasn't slated to go to work. This was the one day she wished that she looked better.

Daniel appeared back at the window, "okay Allison sorry about that, I had to put out a figurative fire."

Allison smiled, that was Daniel Mr. fix it. "So, what are you up to now Daniel, are you a cook here?"

Daniel, looked at himself for a moment and his smile almost slipped. He felt self-conscious for a minute, he wondered if she thought that he was just a regular short order cook. Would she still want to be his friend or hang out with him?

"Yes, for the most part, I'm helping my mom out. She owns this restaurant and she hurt herself, so I've stepped in to help her until she could get back on her feet."

Allison, smiled her eyes lighting up, "So, your mom finally opened the restaurant she always dreamed about. That is awesome, how does your dad feel about it?"

Allison watched the shutters come down over Daniels' eyes. She remembered his mom wanting a restaurant being a big bone of contention with his dad. Daniels dad felt that his wife should stay at home and be a good little housewife. He felt that his coworkers would look down on him if they found out his wife was a "short order cook" as he called it.

"My father sad that it was okay for her to have it once I started college. He felt that it would give her something to do, now that I was an adult. So, when his coworkers or employees ask him about it. He says he's indulging her, letting her play around with it now that I'm an adult." Allison nodded her head, understanding.

"So, Allison what are you doing here and who's this little guy?"

Daniel pointed to Micah. "I'm not a little guy. I'm a big boy."

Daniel and Allison looked at each other and laughed. "I moved here about a month ago, and this is my son Micah.

Micah this is mommies friend Mr. Daniel. Say hello to him." Micah looked from his mom to Daniel.

"Hi, Mr. Daniel." Micah waved his little hand. "Hi Micah, it's nice to meet you." Daniel then looked at Allison, "So, where's your husband, is he meeting you here?"

Daniel knew he'd said something wrong when he saw Allison flinch and a flash of fear enter her eyes and just as quickly she masked it. If he hadn't been watching her and hadn't known her so well, he would have missed it.

"I'm divorced. It's just Micah and I here."

Daniel nodded, but inside he was jumping for joy and cutting cartwheels. This time he was going to get to know her again and let her know the new him. He hoped that they could rediscover their friendship and possibly more if he had his way.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Allison smiled down at Micah, okay baby let's order you some food." Daniel smiled and picked up his pen and pad, "Micah what would you like? I'll cook it myself." Daniel wrote down their order and did just what he said, he cooked it himself.

"Here you go, Allison and Micah." Daniel passed them the bag of food, putting extra fortune cookies in for Micah. "So, Allison do you live near here?" Allison paid for the food.

"Yes, I live about two blocks from here I bought a brownstone."

Daniel smiled, "nice so do you still have the same number?" There went that flash again, Daniel wanted to know what Allison was so afraid of.

Why was she scared, he was determined to find out and take care of her the way she took care of him all through high school.

"No, I changed it. Let me write it down for you." Allison wrote it down then grabbed Micah's hand and told him to wave goodbye to Daniel and she walked out.

Daniel was stoked, he had his best friend back and she was single. It was God's way of telling him that he finally had a second chance with the woman he truly cared about. Daniel quickly saved the number in his phone and shot her a quick text message so that she now had his phone number. Daniel pumped his fist and went to finish cleaning up the restaurant