PART 11

"Wow! Look at this place!" Isabel gushed for like the tenth time. Alex gave her a thoroughly amused look as she let her eyes wander all over the café. "I never thought I'd see an alien themed café here!"

"You wouldn't. Maria owns it." Alex told her.

"What! She never told me!" Isabel said surprised.

"She performs here too, but now since she's pregnant and all she has an off time here. Her manager takes care of it nowadays. I perform here too." He told her shyly.

"My, my! Isn't that interesting!" Isabel said, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Just like the old times…"

They sat quietly as those words washed over them. Just like old times. Nothing was like it anymore. Everything changed. They kept silent all through the walk to the park, both comfortable in it. As they strolled through the park, the chill wind blowing through her hair, Isabel hesitantly asked Alex. "When did things change Alex?" she asked quietly.

Alex was a bit surprised by the question. "Change what?"

She pushed back the stray hair from her face. She turned to look at him. "You know, us. How did everything go so haywire?"

Alex paused before answering. He didn't know how to answer her. "Everything started going downhill after Grant came…" he trailed off, the pain still sharp.

Isabel sucked in her breath. "Grant. Everything seemed so easy then. I though life was going to get better when I left. I thought I could be normal." She laughed shortly. "Guess, my life is normal now isn't it? I mean isn't that what I wanted?"

Alex looked pained. "Isabel…"

"No! I mean I did everything to get away from that destiny thing. Everything to stop my life from being turned upside down. Running away didn't help. If possible, it only made my life more complicated. All I wanted was a normal life…is that too much to ask?" She looked angry but more confused and sad than anything.

Alex knew she was hurting. He turned her face to meet his. He looked softly, lovingly into her eyes. "What's so great about being normal?" he asked with a slight smile.

Her face broke into a teary smile at his words. "Yeah." She whispered softly. "What is so great about being normal…"

***** 

tbc…