"I don't remember you." He said solemnly. Flash forward a few minutes before. He had stumbled in, sweaty with a wild look in his eyes. The minute she saw him she ran to hug him. It had been four years since they had seen each other. He backed away from her and she stopped moving towards him. Confusion written across her face. Then, he said those words.
So, there she stood. Looking in awe. He was only gone a few years, how could he not remember her. After all they had been through together. They shared everything with each other.
"What do you mean?" She asked. His eyes scanned the room around him. Obviously, he was looking for something to spark his memory. The room was filled with odd decorations of thin, white creatures and huge paintings of space ships on the wall. Even the woman standing in front of him was wearing odd clothing.
"I came back because there was something familiar. It felt like it was calling me here…" He said as he looked back down at her face. Her long, blonde hair and her bright green eyes.
Maria noted that he looked different then the last time she saw him. His hair wasn't long anymore but short and combed away from his face. He wore a plain, V neck white shirt with a pair of fitting jeans. Doc Martins graced his feet. She suddenly felt very ridiculous standing there in her Crashdown uniform, with her hair in a tight ponytail. From the bags under her eyes, you could tell she had a hard day at work, and that she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. A mix of excitement and exhaustion filled her eyes.
She set the broom up against the bar counter and took a cautious step towards Michael. He countered by taking a step back. He didn't feel afraid, just unsure.
"You really don't remember who I am?" She asked, desperation laced her words. He looked into her eyes for a long few seconds, and then slowly shook his head. Her heart was slowly breaking by the second.
"I'm Maria."
"Maria?" Was all he said. Letting the name sink into his brain. In all the years she waited for him to come back, she never expected it to be like this. She always imagined it to be a joyful reunion.
"Where am I?" He asked, looking around the Café again.
"You're in Roswell, New Mexico. This is the Crashdown Café. I own it and work here. I also live…upstairs." Maria said as Michael started wandering around the premises. Drinking in all the sights and scents. He set his hand down on the counter and suddenly a vision washed over his mind and he was lost in it. A memory he didn't know he had.
He stood outside the Crashdown, years before. It seemed like a whole other life. It felt like it was a hundred degrees outside, but there he stood. Watching her. Maria. Suddenly, he was inside the Café, kissing her. He pushed over a tray of cookies off the counter so that Maria could sit in front of him. Hands coarsely scanning each others bodies. Sweat making their skin glisten under the dim lighting.
Michael jerked his hand away from the counter and the vision stopped. He was breathing heavily and shaking a bit, too little to be noticed. He looked back over at Maria, who had been watching him. She was still standing over, near the door. Michael pursed his lips and his eyebrows started to furrow.
"Why can't I remember you?" Michael asked, desperation in his voice. Maria's heart broke even more for him. His voice trembled, and Maria swore she heard it quiver with fear. She stood, awkwardly, not knowing how to handle herself at this moment.
"I don't know. I wish you did." She said softly.
"I just saw a vision…of us…kissing." He announced, just as softly.
"That's nothing new." Maria said with a blush and a slight smile. She recalled memories such as those from the depths of her own mind. The only difference was, she knew where they came from. She relaxed a bit as she leaned against one of the bar chairs.
"It's new for me." Michael said sadly. Maria looked over at him. He looked lost, alone. Something she knew he shouldn't be feeling, because now he was back. It should've been a happy day.
Maria needed to clear her mind. Sniff some Cypress oil or meditate. Something, anything, to get this tension to leave. She started to take off her alien apron and set it on top of the counter. She did the same thing with her antenna head band.
She began to move in Michael's general direction, not really towards him however. She was headed to the back room. Michael watched her as she walked past him.
"Uhmm…where are you going?" He asked. Suddenly feeling panicked, he didn't want to be left alone. Maria turned around to look at him. She'd never seen something so adorable. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. He looked ready to run after her if she was to walk away from him.
"I worked twelve hours today, I smell. I live right upstairs. Come on, I'll make you some coffee." Maria said with a welcoming smile. Michael eventually nodded and followed her into the back room and up the stairs. She opened the door for him and he walked in.
