AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That mask was just too much.
"Everybody just wants to come in here and visit with you," he said.
"I don't know, I think Isabel just wanted a fake bandage. I thought it was cute. I didn't mean to scare her out of it when I said she couldn't use the bounce house."
Alec laughed. "I know, I saw that faraway look in her eye when you said that. Her face turned so serious."
I laughed, remembering. "She went pale. She couldn’t get that bandage off fast enough."
We shared a laugh about it. Little Isabel's reaction had been funny. It had been difficult to keep from reacting when she was in the tent.
"She's one of our new little kindergartners." I paused, looked at him, and shook my head. "And it's really funny that you look like her Poppy," I added.
I moved, taking a step or two so that I could stand closer to the edge of the tent. I assumed Alec would get up and walk out with me, but he didn't. I glanced at him and he motioned to the chair in the back where I had been sitting earlier. "What were you knitting?"
"A dishcloth. It's crazy seeing you, Alec. I'm glad we got to catch up. You'll have to tell your parents to pass by here before you guys leave."
I was way more affected than I let on. I smiled and half-looked at him when I spoke. I glanced at him afterward, but he didn't return my smile.
"I've been on my feet all morning in Kemah," he said stretching back casually. "Mom and Dad are eating lunch. I thought I would just chill in here for a minute."
"Why would you want to do that?" I said. I smiled a little, but I waited for him to answer.
He made a little face at me. "Why not? So we can catch up. We used to know each other. You and I have a history together. I thought you might want to talk for a minute."
"Oh, I don't know. I thought you might need to get back to your parents."
"No, I don't."
He stared at me and my heart began pounding. I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. Alec Abramson was the last person I expected to see at this place, and then suddenly I was sitting here, looking at him. The mask was distracting, though. It was Alec, but he was a much older man.
"I asked around about you a year or two ago, but nobody knew where you were."
"Yeah, I don't really talk to many people from high school. I haven't been back to Galveston since we graduated. I know it's weird since it's right there, but I never go. My parents are in Houston, and I'm here, so I don't really have a reason to go back."
"So, you're not friends with anyone from back then?"
"I keep in touch with a couple of people," I said. "Callie and Rachel. But Rachel's in Houston, so when we meet up, which is rare, it's here or in Houston."
"I'm trying to remember Callie and Rachel."
"Callie Howard and Rachel Drummond. You didn't really know them."
"I remember Kate."
I shook my head. "Yeah, I was really only close with her my freshman year. I did see where you guys sold out those shows in Houston. Your band. Congratulations on that."
"Thank you. I guess you didn't go to the show."
"I thought about it, actually. A couple of the teachers from school went. I almost got a ticket with them."
"You should've told me you wanted to come."
"Oh, that's okay," I said. "I'm glad it went well. I heard them talking about it, and they said it was really good."
"I would have made sure you guys had good tickets."
"I bet you had a lot of people you knew in high school contacting you for those Houston shows."
