After 15 Years

“Goodbye, Justy,” the little boy said to his friend after a hug.

“Goodbye, Ashton,” replied the girl. “Try to have fun in California”

“I’ll try. But it won’t be as nice as Wyoming.”

They both turned away and followed their mothers to their cars. As the vehicles drove off from the park, Ashton and Justina watched through the rear windows the other riding off in the opposite direction, wondering if they would ever see each other again.

… 15 years later …

“Good morning, Miss Carpa. I brought you your usual coffee and a list of all the appointments today,” said a bright-eyed young lady in business casual.

“Thank you, Christi,” Justina said as she took both cup and clipboard. She was now 25 and living her dream to be a fashion designer. She browsed the clipboard and saw a name she had not heard in years.

Ashton Williams, that couldn’t be the Ashton I know, could it?

She put the clipboard aside, stood from the chair, and looked out her office window as she drank from the warm paper cup, musing.

Why would Ashton make an appointment with me, instead of simply making a visit? After all these years, would I even recognize him? What would I say to him when I saw him?

The ringing phone pulled her back into the present. She glanced at the clipboard once again as she answered the call.

2:30 PM. The whole day will go by before he comes. I need to focus on the now.

Time seemed to fly, and Christi stepped into her office to announce the 2:30 appointment. A middle-aged man in a business suit walked into the room, and nothing about him reminded Justina of the boy she once knew.

Ashton Williams got straight to business. He needed a new, custom made suit and heard that Justina was a new designer trying to make her way in the world. He liked to help people like her, therefore he made the appointment.

Justina kept searching his face for something, anything, familiar. Her wandering eyes betrayed her distraction. Ashton Williams asked what it was that bothered her.

“I’m sorry,” she replied, “Do I know you? From Wyoming?”

“I don’t believe so. I’ve only ever lived here in Tennessee,” the man replied.

Justina blushed. “Oh, I am so sorry. You share the name of an old friend.”

The man tried to be understanding, but only portrayed frustration at the delay. Justina read his body language and snapped her mind back to business, performing her normal routine.

As she walked home that evening, she thought about her mix up and how embarrassing it was.

To think that the Ashton I knew would have made an appointment just to see me… of all the silly ideas I’ve ever had! We haven’t spoken in over ten years! Of course he wouldn't make an appointment like that. What were you thinking?

They had written letters to each other for a while after Ashton moved; eventually, they friended each other on Facebook, but Ashton was not active. He probably didn’t remember her. She had not thought of him until she saw his name on the clipboard.

Yes, it was all silly of me to think that way.

Justina turned the corner to enter her apartment and noticed a young man standing on her porch. Her initial reaction was to walk away and call the police, but the man turned and she saw his bright green eyes. Those eyes had been haunting her all day. She knew them anywhere, no matter how long it had been.

“Ashton?” she called.

“Justina?” he replied.

“Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?” she cried as she ran up to the porch.

“I came to see you,” Ashton smiled.

“How did you find me?”

Ashton scratched at his head. “Well… uh…”

“Oh! What am I doing? Come inside.” Justina fumbled with her keys then unlocked the door.

They walked in and she told him he could take off his jacket and make himself comfortable in one of the two armchairs or the sofa. She then asked if he wanted something to drink, to which he answered water.

Justina rushed to the kitchen and attempted to calm herself. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest. What were the odds of this day? But it was more than the coincidences that flustered her. She felt something she had never felt before. When she saw Ashton, a tingling feeling sped through her body, making her limbs shake; her head felt light, and she couldn’t stop smiling.

Calm down, Justy, pull yourself together. You haven’t seen him in years, he is definitely not the same person you once knew… he might be even better.

She bit her lip, tucking those thoughts aside.

What if he’s married, or has a girlfriend? So what? That shouldn’t matter. You never thought of him that way before.

“Stop it, Justy,” she said out loud to herself.

“Is everything okay in there?” Ashton asked from the living room.

“Oh, yes,” she answered as she brought his water to him.

She sat in the chair across from him, rather uncomfortably. When she looked up at his face after settling, she lost all feeling in herself, like nothing existed but the man in front of her.

“Thank you,” Ashton smiled as he took a sip. His eyes wandered. “This is a nice place.”

Justina scarcely heard him, but she answered thank you in spite of herself.

“I bet it’s a surprise to see me here,” Ashton continued.

“You have no idea.”

“I got a job here. I remember hearing about you and your work here in Nashville, so I looked you up in the phonebook. I know, old school, right? I just knew I couldn’t come to the same state as you and not say at least hi.”

“I’m so glad you did,” Justina answered, attempting to pull her mind back to the real world. “May I ask what job you got?”

“Well…” Ashton blushed, “I signed a record deal. I’m here to make music.”

“What? That… That’s amazing! Congratulations.” Justina looked about the room with dumbstruck excitement, then fell further into the depths of her chair. A breath of astonishment leaving her lips, she pushed her brown hair behind her ear and said, “I’m so happy for you. I… I remember you always wanted to make music.”

“Yes, and you’re a fashion designer.”

“Yeah.”

“Looks like we’re both living our dreams.”

“I guess so.”

Both were silent a moment. Justina was taking in the news. Her old friend was once again living in the same state as she. But another matter came to her mind, and she attempted in vain to ask cooly, “Do you come alone? I mean, do you have a family, or girlfriend?”

“Oh,” Ashton almost laughed. “No, I come alone.”

“Oh.” Justina blushed again. But this time she couldn’t hide it.

“I don’t mean to intrude on your night, I just wanted to stop by and say hi. Maybe we could hang out sometime.”

“Oh, of course, yes!” Stop it Justy, you’re making a fool of yourself. “How about we have dinner?” her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat and continued. “I mean, have you had dinner yet?”

“No. Have you?”

“No.” What are you doing? “I know a nice place to get a good meal, and it’s cheap too. I mean…” Wow…

Ashton only laughed. “You’re not implying I look broke, are you?”

“What? No! I might be.” What?

“Are you?”

“No.”

Ashton laughed again. “It’s good to see you, Justy.”

“It’s great to see you, too.”