Chapter 15 HE HAD ALREADY AN IDEA

Mary Ann just stared at the man sitting in front of her.

She doesn't know how to answer him. She doesn't know what to say.

She frowned. She remembered the picture frame in her room.

John might have seen it when he slept last night in her room.

He already knew that she had a child before. Her face turned into white.

"I am sorry, Mary Ann. Did I say something wrong?" John is confused as to why the woman in front of her suddenly looks pale. He wanted to hold Mary Ann's hand but he is afraid that Mary Ann may get upset with him.

He just stared at the woman, with a pale face.

They were just staring at each other when the waiter arrived with their food.

The waiter served their food except for the one for Adrian.

"Thank God." Mary Ann said to herself. She is safe from answering John's question.

John put some food on Mary Ann's plate and they started eating.

The silence between them was noticeable.

No one dared to talk.

Each one is scared that they may get offended if they speak.

John kept on refilling Mary Ann's plate until they finished their food.

"Do you want to have some dessert?" John asked her.

Mary Ann smiled, "No, thank you. I am fine. I am already full." She is looking at him.

"Are you sure?" He asked again.

She nodded. "Yes, John. Thank you."

"That's great then. Do you want to order something to bring to the office?

"No, I should be okay."

"Okay, let me just call the waiter and ask to prepare the food for Adrian."

"Alright, I will just go to the washroom while waiting." Mary Ann excused herself and went into the washroom. She retouched her face. She put on some face powder and applied some lipstick and when she was done she exited the washroom.

While walking back to their table, she accidentally collided with a woman carrying a baby.

"I'm sorry, Miss." The woman apologizes to her.

Mary Ann smiled, "It's okay," she replied.

She looked at the woman carrying a baby intently.

They are looking at each other as if trying to remember each other.

Suddenly, two men were rushing to come in, the other one was holding a bag for the baby's things while the other one was holding a car key.

John saw everything that happened.

He saw the man holding a key.

He frowned, "Wasn't that Arnel?" He said to himself. He looked at him carefully. The man is just sitting next to their table.

He stood up and went to the group.

"Excuse me, bro. I just thought of coming here because you seem familiar to me," John said to the man.

The man holding the key turned to John. He smiled and said, "Yes, of course. I look familiar, John!" He said his name.

Upon hearing the man's voice, John suddenly remembers who he is.

"Ariel," John said his name. They hugged each other. It's been a long time since he saw this friend of his.

"How are you, bro?"Ariel asked.

"I'm doing good, who's with you?" John is looking at the woman carrying the baby and the man holding the bag with the baby's things.

"Oh, don't you remember her? This is my sister Marla." Arnel frowned, " You attended her birthday five years ago and this is her husband Danny."

Like a bulb, his mind lit up.

"Oh, yes, Marla." He smiled at her and then turned to her husband, "Hi, bro. I am glad to meet you." He held out his hand for a handshake.

"Hi, baby. He is so cute." He said.

While the two friends are catching up, the two women standing next to them are both in shock.

"Marla," Mary Ann uttered when she got back to her senses.

She remembered her old friend and classmate. Well, she is one of the closest friends she had back then.

"Mary Ann. That's you, right?" Mary Ann hasn't answered yet but marla handed her child over to Arnel. She hugged back her old friend.

"It has been a long time. How have you been?" Marla continued to ask her. She could see in her friend's eyes that she missed her so much." It's been a long time since we last had a conversation. I miss you a lot."

Mary Ann just smiled. She doesn't know what to say. She isn't ready for this kind of confrontation.

"What happened a month after my birthday? I just learned that you left. You left without saying goodbye to me." She said in a sulky voice. Her eyes turned to John. "Are you with John? My brother's friend?" She asked one after the other.

Mary Ann is still in shock. Her heartbeat so fast. She doesn't know how to answer Marla's questions. Of course, she is her friend and somewhat, she deserves to have an answer as to why she just disappeared like a bubble five years ago.

She couldn't comprehend what exactly just happened. What a small world it is? She said in her mind. She moved out from their place so she could avoid people she knew but here she is now, bumping into them.

"Mary Ann," Marla called her name again to get her attention. "Are you okay?" The woman asked her with concern.

She smiled at her, "Give me your number. Let's chat and call each other if you have time." She said, fishing out the phone in her pocket.

"Alright," Marla said as she typed her number on Mary Ann's phone. "Please, make sure to contact me okay?"

"Of course," Mary Ann said and smiled. "There's a lot of things we should be talking about." She said and looked at the baby that is with Marla's brother.

"This is my baby." Marla's face brightened up when she introduced her baby to Mary Ann. Her friend is happily married with a kid.

Meanwhile, the three men standing in front of them were just looking at them.

They are happy to see the joyful faces of two old friends meeting each other accidentally. They didn't interrupt them because it seems they have a lot of talking to do.

"I am sorry, Marla. I love to sit and talk to you about everything and anything under the sun but my lunch break is almost over. I will just contact you and then we can have a catch-up, okay?" Mary Ann apologizes to Marla since she cannot stay any longer. Adrian might be waiting for her and there are a lot of things she needs to organize at the office and on top of that, her boss' lunch is with her.

Mary Ann and Marla will have a lot of catching up to do.

"That's okay," Marla said and smiled at her. " I am glad to see you again, Mary Ann." Marla kissed her on the cheek. "Take care."

"You too."

"Waiter," John called the waiter to get the take-out food for Adrian.

They waited for a couple of minutes and finally, the waiter walked in their direction with the food with him.

As soon as they got the food, they decided to leave the place.

They were already in the car when John glanced at Mary Ann. The woman is still not talking but he could feel a bit strange.

"Are you okay, Mary Ann?" John asked her without looking.

"Yes, I am." Mary Ann said and she fixed herself. Was it too obvious that she felt a bit uncomfortable back there in the restaurant when they met Arnel and Marla?

She couldn't help it. All memories began to flash back again when she saw Arnel and Marla.

"Marla, Arnel's sister is your friend. Just curious, by any chance, have we met before?" John asked her though he already had an idea. He is just pretending that he doesn't know anything and he doesn't remember anything. He wanted to hear it from her and besides, he doesn't know how to tell him the truth. He doesn't know what her reaction will be or how she will react if she learned who he is in her life. John wanted to tell her the truth once he got the right timing.

"I was on Marla's nineteenth birthday." Mary Ann said.

"If you are there at that time, I think we have met but they have introduced a lot of friends and relatives and I don't remember it anymore. That was five years ago as well." John added. He looked at Mary Ann and put his eyes again on the road. They are on their way back to Mary Ann's office.

"Yes, I was there. Maybe we have met before but as you have said, they have introduced you to almost all of their friends and relatives, we can't remember. They just got a lot of guests that time, if I could still remember.