A Christmas Spark (Part 2)

My childhood friend stood there with the same facial expression. He was entirely different the last time I saw him. Golden brown beard, surrounding his lips. Before, he was stocky. Now he was slim, which I should get used to it. He must’ve been working out while I was gone, I guessed. What remained the same was his curly brown hair, hazel-green eyes, and his square jawline.

“Aster?” I breathed, still astounded by his presence.

“Belle.” Slowly, his lips curl into a shy smile, one that Aster would give me every time he saw me. “I forgot that you’re here for a visit.”

I smiled back at him and went over to give my friend a hug. “Well, it’s good to see you.” When I pulled away, my smile remained plastered on my lips, but curiosity etched on my eyebrow. “But what are you doing here?”

“That’s what I wanted to tell you,” my mom interjected. “Aster was willing to help us with some of the stuff, including the Christmas decorations.”

My grin grew even more with playful astonishment. “Is that so?”

“Guilty,” he said, raising his hand before pulling it down. Then, Aster bends down to retrieve the plastic bags, containing some groceries. “Here are the items that you asked, Mrs. Willoughby.”

“Thank you, darling.” My mom grabbed the shopping bags and left to place them in the kitchen.

“Well, that was very thoughtful of you,” I told him. “taking care of my parents while I was gone.”

Aster shrugged and dug his hands into his coat pockets. “It’s the least that I could do. After all, I was close to you and your family.”

I could feel the warmth in my cheeks, as I smiled fondly at my friend. My friend meant a lot to my family and me. Mostly, it meant a lot to me to see Aster, showing up at the door on my first day back from London.

“I should get going,” he continued. “I was thinking of spending time with you, today, but you just got back and--”

“Oh, don’t worry,” I interrupted. “I think it would be great to catch up.”

He was startled by my response. “You don’t want to rest up?”

“Nah, I think I need to stretch my legs.” I stretched my arms and back, bending backward until I straightened my posture.

“Besides, you know how long I’d been cooped up in the airplane and car ride.”

“Too long,” he joked. “Hope your mom doesn’t mind.”

“Not at all,” she hollered from the kitchen. “Don’t stay out too long, Belle.”

“Mom!” I laughed as I get dressed in my coat, scarf, and all the necessities before I joined my best friend out into the winter’s air. My friend and I walked side-by-side, having our hands in our pockets when we were out of the house. Quiet.

But it did not last long when Aster broke the silence. “Are you up for Christmas espresso?”

“Honestly, yes!” I admitted in a playful, dramatic way which made Aster laugh. “I don’t feel like sleeping, today.”

“Christmas vibes?”

“Maybe,” I said, making a cheeky smile.

We stopped at an intersection, waiting for the sign to allow us to walk. When it gave us the signal to go, we hurried over to the other side until we returned to our regular pace.

“Well, I’m glad you’re doing ok,” he announced. “Your family and I have missed you while you were gone.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” I chuckled and nudged his arm with my elbow. But then, I realized he was not smiling, making mine disappear. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, making me more upset. “You know you can tell me,” I reminded him. “I’m your best friend.”

“I know,” said Aster. “It’s just that something was bugging me. And if I told you about it, you would be upset.

Instantly, I knew what Aster meant. “This is about Stan, isn’t it?” I asked, pursing my lips. Clearly, I knew it, the way he was silent and staring ahead, not on me. And he appeared to be dismayed, so we kept on strolling the neighborhood, not wanting to press any further with the subject.

A couple of blocks later, we arrived at our destination: the small coffee house.

It was Aster and I’s hang-out place, where we shared our bubbling laughter, light-hearted conversations, and homework. It was somewhat decent when Aster and I were in high school. Other people would rather go to Dunkin Donuts, sipping their brand espressos and munching on glazed munchkins and donuts.

But this coffee house-- it was unique, secluded with few commoners. The aroma of cinnamon cappuccino and fresh baked, glazed donuts would bring comfort for Aster and me.

And today, it still did.

We ordered just as we briefed through the menu. And when I thought I had to pay for my treats, Aster insisted on paying for mine along with his drink. I gave in, knowing that Aster wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.

Funny how that reminded me of the countless times I tried to pay for my own treats. Aster would always pay it for me, no excuses.

Oh, how I missed him so much.

A few minutes later, my Vanilla cappuccino with whip cream and sprinkled cinnamon arrived, along with my ginger cookies and Aster’s pumpkin latte. What could I say? I was still hungry for a snack.

Before we picked up our treats, I grabbed a couple of sugar packs and went over to the table that was near the window. As I took my seat, Aster sat across from me, before we started pouring our sugar into our cups. It took us a couple of sugar packs to quench the perfect taste of our drinks. But after we tasted them with a sip, we placed them back on the table, waiting for them to be at a warm temperature.

“So,” I said. “you’ve heard the news from my parents, huh?”

Aster nodded his head.

I rubbed my head, a hint of frustration etched on my face. “Why?”

“Because they were deeply pained when I showed up at their home,” he explained. “I know it was wrong of them, but they know that I was also part of the family. Compared to your parent’s reaction, I was… mad and sad.”

My lips lowered a few inches, seeing that my best friend was hurt. Because of my divorce with Stan, Aster was stung by the betrayal I had. It was like he didn’t want me to get hurt-- could’ve taken the deception for me, so he wouldn’t have to see me in distress.

I placed my hand on top of his; it was cold to the touch. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“No,” his voice was stern, but his face was nonchalant. “Stan meant a lot to you, and he made you happy until this year. Honestly, I want to punch him for breaking your heart like that.”

I have to admit that, what Stan did, broke my heart. I remembered how he confessed that there was no love between us but, instead, there was love between him and the other girl. My ex-husband told me that he met her at work, seven months before Stan and I filed for divorce. I couldn’t tell my daughter the whole story-- only the part how her father decided to have a divorce, and I agreed.

Despite that I told Kit that her father would be willing to see her, she didn’t forgive him.
I didn’t mind my daughter being angry and dismayed by her father. It was too much to bear when Stan admitted his mistake-- one that was too brutal for me to forgive.

“At least he’s out of my life for good," I reminded Aster so that his anger would die down. Luckily, it did when I felt his hand slowly relaxed under my touch.

Pulling away from his hand, I managed to smile at him. “So enough about me. What about you?”

“Um…” He was wondering where to start since he was lost for words. We had been apart since I moved to London, while Aster stayed put in New Jersey. Though, we try to contact when we’re not busy. And now that I’m no longer in London, it would be easier for Aster and I to catch up. “Well, you know that I had been helping your parents out,” he chuckled awkwardly.

“Found anyone special, lately?” I teased.

“Sadly, no.”

“Oh.” Glancing down at my cup, I picked it up and took a sip, as I try to find another thing to say. The taste of cinnamon and sugar made my tongue tingle before digging into my ginger cookie. “You want one?” I asked, handing him a cookie.

“Sure,” Aster grinned and took it.

I smiled at him fondly, as I rested my chin on my palm while my elbow is placed on the table. I didn't think Aster could make me forget all of my troubles by being himself and acting adorable. I couldn’t quite understand why no one was interested in him. I guess it was their loss; they wouldn’t get to see his cute smile and his soft hazel eyes.

Aster, finishing his cookie, took his attention on me and started to blush. It made me realize that I was staring at him for the longest which made me giggle, while I feel embarrassed. “Sorry.”

“N-no, it’s ok,” he stuttered, glancing away while drinking his latte.

So I decided to bring back the subject from earlier today, preventing the silence. “You really don’t mind taking care of my parents, huh?”

“Not at all.” My friend drank his latte, again, before setting it down on the table. “As I said, I was close to you and your family and…” His voice drifted away, averting his eyes from mine.

“And what, Aster?” I arched my eyebrow as I scooted my seat closer.

When he lifted his head, his hazel eyes fixed on my blue ones. “I think of you whenever I visit your home.”

Aster’s confession was sincere. I felt happy, lost, and scared. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. All I know is that my cheeks were suddenly warm from my friend’s words. “O-oh.”

“Belle.” He pursed his lips before he continued. “For so long, I’ve been hiding my feeling because… I was scared.”

“O-of what?”

“Of you, not liking me,” he confessed.

My eyes widened at this new revelation. “H-how long?”

“Since high school, but I thought it wasn’t going to work out. Even if you had married Stan, it still wouldn’t work out.”

I frowned at Aster’s statement. The only reason why, because he thought we were meant to be friends, not lovers. I would still recall how people were teasing us for being an odd couple, since Aster was stocky and I was skinny. But we’re grown-ups now, not high school. And I couldn’t believe my ears when he confessed his secret to me. Aster, my friend, was hiding it from me when he should've said it from the start. “I… I just don’t know what to say.”

“D-don’t worry,” he sighed which was a sad one. Aster then cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. “So when will you be going back to London?”

I shook my head and shrugged. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I haven’t exactly decided when to go back.”

“How come?”

“Just trying to spend more time here while forgetting about Stan,” I sighed.

For a moment, Aster was silent before speaking up. “If I were you, staying where Stan is is not worth it.”

Aster’s words surprised me. I was going to speak up, but he added, “It’s not worth it if you go back to London. Stan made you come since he had a job there, but you’re not with him anymore.” He shrugged and rubbed his arm. “It’s just a suggestion. You can feel free to go back to London. But because you are divorced, and Stan has a job there, there’s no reason why you should go back.”

Part of Aster’s reason was right; I did go with Stan to London because of a job, and I made a living with him. But I wasn’t sure. I felt comfortable living in London because it was beautiful and grand. Then again, I was troubled.

Since the conversation about Stan and London was killing my jovial mood, I tried to turn it into a light-hearted discussion. “So you can’t wait to see Kit?”

“You kidding?” He beamed at the mention of my daughter. “I’ve been dying to meet her.”

Just like my mom, Aster and Kit talked to each other through Skype. I thought maybe it would be best, if I introduce Kit to my childhood friend, who, to Kit, was her uncle. Aster didn’t mind Kit calling him that since they were bonding with each other. Every time Kit wanted to talk to Aster, he was lit up by happiness because of the beam on Kit’s face. And there were occasions when Kit and Aster would joke around me, or all three of us tease each other.

Pulling out his phone from the pocket of his jeans, Aster glanced at it and placed it back in his coat pocket, as he quickly stood up from his seat. “We better get going.”

“Why?” I laughed, standing up and threw the empty cup away. I kept the remaining cookies in a brown, little baggie, so Kit and my parents could have some. “Are you afraid that I needed a nap?”

“Good guess, but no,” he answered when he reached the door, holding it for me.

“More errands to do?”

“Another good guess, but it’s still not it.”

Following him behind, I dug my gloved hands into my pocket. “I give up,” I said, throwing my arms up. “Could you please tell me?” As I caught up to him, my smile disappeared because he appeared to be stern. “Aster?”

“I have an interview tomorrow, but it’s in Colorado,” he explained. “So I have to catch a plane today to get there. I wanted to tell you before, but I got caught up in the moment with you.”

I wanted to be happy for my best friend, but I couldn’t. For some reason, I didn’t want him to leave, not when we just reunited. For so long, I wanted to catch up with my friend and make up for all the times we have missed. Even though he’s going to an interview, I wasn’t sure if he’ll ever come back.

I wanted to convince Aster to stay, but I didn’t want to be rude. This must be the opportunity he had been waiting for a long time with a good pay, I suspected. A new start of his life.

But would Aster be happy… without me?

So I forced a smile, keeping my tone sincere as possible. “I wish you the best of luck. I know you could do it.”

“Thanks, Belle,” he smiled before his face returned to being neutral.

(The last part of the short story will be posted, tomorrow. Be sure to be up-to-date with my blogs. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday).