Free Seems Like Old Times by Joanne Pence

seeing it again through Miriam's eyes, made it all the lovelier.
    About nine o'clock that evening, Miriam had just finished
making some tea when the doorbell rang. Lee flipped on the porch light, then opened the door.
    Cheryl stood in front of her. "Hi. I hope I'm not
interrupting anything."
    "Not at all. Come in."
    "Actually, I was wondering if you could come out. I
just had a huge fight with Mark. I thought I'd stay away from home for a couple
of hours so he'll appreciate me better when I go back. Right now, I was heading
over to Big Bob's for a hot fudge sundae. I was hoping you could join me.
Nothing makes me feel better after a fight than something sweet from Big
Bob's."
    "Oh...well..." Lee thought Cheryl looked
remarkably calm for someone who just had a big fight with her husband. She
wondered if Cheryl fought with him often. Maybe that passed for entertainment
in Miwok?
    "Come on, Lisa. Remember how we used to cry on each
other's shoulders? I could use a shoulder right now. I really could."
    Cheryl was right. They'd always been there for each other
when they were growing up. Anyway, she had nothing better to do tonight.
"Why don’t you say hi to Miriam while I grab my purse. She’s in the family room. I know she’d love to see you again."
    Cheryl got them to the restaurant in no time flat. She and
Lee sat in Big Bob's parking lot talking of trivial things. Cheryl rambled from
one object to another, apparently in no hurry to go inside, and Lee was content
to follow her lead, her usual self-restraint standing her in good stead. A jeep
pulled into the lot. "We'd better go in," Cheryl said abruptly.
"No sense having others ahead of us in line."
    Lee looked around at the few cars in the lot. What line?
Cheryl's behavior seemed very peculiar. "Sure," she said as they got
out of the car. "By the way, I’m not leaving tomorrow after all. Miriam
convinced me to stay until Monday."
    Cheryl’s eyes lit up. "Hey, that makes it even
better!"
    "What’s better?" Lee asked, but Cheryl was
walking fast and she had to hurry to catch up.
    Just inside the entrance was a large waiting area with
benches, cigarette machines, telephones and rest rooms. Cheryl stopped at the
cigarette machine.
    "I didn't know you smoked," Lee said.
    "Only when I'm nervous. Or
upset. Like now. The fight with Mark, you know."
    "Of course." Lee
glanced at the tables beyond the cashier as she waited for Cheryl to find the
right change for the machine.
    "Oh my, look who's here." Cheryl’s voice rang
out.
    Lee spun around.
    Tony Santos stood in front of her, his dark brown eyes
intense and questioning as if he were as shocked by the encounter as she. The
air squeezed out of her lungs then seemed to rush through her, stronger than
before, vibrant and alive.
    Her gaze passed over him quickly, absorbing everything
that she could. He wore a cream colored mohair pullover, with drop shoulders
and wide, loose sleeves over a yellow oxford shirt. His trousers were brown, as
were his loafers. The boy in sweat shirts and denims was gone, and in his place
was this handsome man, this stranger.
    A husband and a father now.
    Her gaze lifted to his and held. She couldn’t stop herself
from studying his face. His eyes were still the dark, deep pools that carried a
hint of the Aztec, his butternut skin smooth except for faint crows feet at the corners of eyes framed with long, black
eyelashes and arched brows. His nose was high, straight and proud, and a few
strands of gray brushed the temples of straight black hair, neatly trimmed. He
used to be reed thin, which made his elbows and knees pronounced, even his feet had seemed too big for him. He’d grown nicely into his body. He
was broader and thicker now, but still, everything about his carriage announced
the sleek, well-honed strength of an athlete.
    Tony felt his mouth go dry as he watched the look of surprise,
then pleasure, then caution fill her large, expressive eyes. He could always
read her thoughts in those light