The Look-Alike

I saw her when I walked into the auditorium. Her smooth, round jawline, creamy brown skin, and flashing dark eyes transported me back to my childhood.

"No," I reasoned to myself. "That can't be. She d-" My thought faded as the crazy resemblance struck me in the chest.

My legs carried me to her, the words tumbling from my trembling lips before I could stop myself. "D-don't you remember me?"

She looked at me quizzically for a moment, then smiled. Oh wow! That smile! Even her smile was exactly like Angelica's!

A memory flash shot through my mind. Our laughter as we left the mall, the screeching brakes, and the sickening thud. She died right there in my arms. We were only fifteen at the time. That horrible experience will forever be slashed into my heart. I never fully got over her death.

"No," Angelica's twin was saying. "I don't recognize you. But you look like a girl I'd like to know. What's your name?"

"Janet." I responded quietly.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Maria. I just moved here and got a job on the 14th floor with the automotive company. Do you work in this building, too?"

I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. Everything about her shouted Angelica: even the soft lilt of her voice. "I run the coffee shop over there. If you like tea, hot coffee, frozen coffees, or smoothies, please stop by anytime and I'll give you a 50% discount (don't tell anyone, please)!"

Maria's laughter rippled like a birdsong. "That's so sweet of you! I will definitely become a regular now that I have met the kind owner! What do you like to do in your spare time? Please share! I have another 20 minutes before my bus gets here."

My heartbeat quickened. This friendship was forming so quickly! "I live only five minutes at those apartments there, so I always walk to and from work. My little routine is go on a run around the block, get ready for my day, then come here and open up shop. I close at 5, so after that, I take all my bakery leftovers and hand them out to people. Then I go home and relax, eat dinner and go to bed! Not very exciting, I know, but...that's me. Predictable." I laughed ruefully.

She smiled and patted my shoulder. "Sometimes predictable means honest and transparent. I like that about people. And those are the only friends I make, which is why I don't really have many."

By now we were seated at the rustic bench overlooking the city streets and bus stop. Next to it were flower bushes on raised beds, with bees and butterflies busily rummaging each petal. The sun shone down warmly on our heads, reflecting off car windows as they drove by. A fountain played beside us, dragonflies dipping their feet in the clear water and zooming by.

"May I ask you a question?" Maria said, giving me Angelica's soul-penetrating gaze.

"Of course," I responded, somewhat nervously.

"Who did you think I was earlier when you approached me? You asked me if I remember you, as if you were wondering if I was someone else."

"You are an identical match with a childhood best friend. We were in diapers together, went to every grade together, and even liked the same foods. When we were fifteen we--" my words caught in my throat as I struggled to fight tears. "We were leaving the mall. A drug addict drove over onto the sidewalk and hit Angelica. She died in my arms. I--I always wonder, why her? Why wasn't I the one to go?" I couldn't hold back my sobs anymore.

Maria wrapped her arms around me and I could feel her tears drip onto the back of my neck. "I understand," she whispered. "I lost my parents to a plane crash. They'd left me at my grandparents' house and said they'd be back the following week. They never came home. That pain never goes away when you lose someone like that."

The screeching of bus brakes startled both of us.

"That's my bus," Maria said regretfully.

I wiped my tears, then reached hastily into my purse. "Here," handing her my business card. "That's my personal number. Please call me when you get home if you can. I'd love to talk more. And please stop by my shop tomorrow."

Her radiant smile warmed my aching heart. "I would love to!"

She turned to wave at me before boarding the bus.

"Keep her safe," I prayed quietly as I walked quickly to my apartment.

Thirty minutes later, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Janet! It's me, Maria!"

A thrill of joy went up my spine.

"Hey Maria! I didn't expect you to call me so quickly but I'm glad! How was your bus ride home?"

We talked for hours. She told me about the town she moved from where she'd lived with her grandparents until she left for college. She received a bachelors degree and found the job she now had.

I told her how I grew up, what life was like after Angelica died, and what brought my coffee shop into existence.

Then random thoughts came to us and we laughed and chattered, and by the time we hung up we were yawning in exhaustion.

That night as I lay in bed awaiting sleep, I envisioned the years ahead. Would Maria and I be able to stay close just as Angelica and I once were? The hole in my heart was finally healing. I hoped that, through the passing years, we could create that lasting bond of sisterhood and friendship.

That night I had a dream that I'll never forget.

Once again I was seeing Angelica and me leaving the mall. Once again, the drug addict hit her and she lay gasping in my arms. But in my dream, she said something. "I'll come back to you. Don't grieve for me. In a few years, you'll see me again and it'll be as if I never left. Please don't cry. I love you, Jane."