"Margaret, I'm so glad to see you!" Harry told Margaret as he put out his arms to hug her. Getting over her initial shock, Margaret managed to hug him. This act evoked a number of thoughts and memories that flooded Margaret's head. He still wore the same cologne that he wore in college. The scent of his cologne brought back memories of their first meeting, their first date, the first time they held hands, their first kiss and the first time they shared a bed. His hug was strong and overpowered her. Somehow, she was always overpowered in his embrace. She had never noticed it until now and it unnerved her.

Margaret was the first to pull out of their embrace. They began to sit in their booth with their server anxious to finally take their order.

"Harry, when you did get back into town?"

"Only four days ago. I'm still unpacking my things. Edith and Max thought it would be a good idea if we had a reunion of sorts to break me out of the monotony of work and unpacking."

"This is a pleasant surprise. It's been so long since we've talked or seen each other. How have you been?"

"I've been well, or as well I could be while being away from those I love." Harry gave Margaret a penetrating gaze that made her blush. Margaret did not disappoint Harry in her appearance. She wore a soft sleeveless, indigo twist front dress with a v-neck that revealed her ivory chest. Her slightly wavy chestnut locks flowed down her neck and framed her face faintly. To Harry, she was picturesque; her presence making him regret once more going so far away to law school.

At the time, he felt he had little choice. He had been accepted by both Harvard and Yale Law Schools. Margaret tried to persuade him to attend Penn or Temple so that they could still be together. For Harry, however, being accepted to Harvard and Yale Law was a once in a lifetime opportunity that he could not pass up. Harry decided to attend Harvard Law because of the competitive environment, on which he thrived, and the fact that the Boston area offered much more to do than New Haven. They tried to maintain a long distance relationship which didn't work. They both felt the distance between them make it hard for them to stay together, especially while both were pursuing full time studies.

He did well in his studies at law school, managing to become editor of the Harvard Law Review and capturing a position as an associate at prestigious law firm in Boston. He did his share of dating while in Boston but none of the women he dated compared to Margaret. After a while, Harry thought it was futile to continue dating since he always compared every woman to Margaret. It was at this point that Harry also began to contemplate moving back to Philadelphia. Most of his family was still in the area and more importantly so was Margaret. When he told his brother Max of his decision to move back to Philly, he asked him not to tell Margaret of his move. He wanted to surprise her. Seeing Margaret in his presence confirmed once more that he had made the right decision to move. She was as enchanting as ever and he wanted to possess her once more.

While waiting for lunch, Margaret and Harry talked more about their lives during their interval apart while Max and Edith shared their own conversation. Margaret was still befuddled and looking for something to say. "Are you working yet?" asked Margaret.

"Yes, I managed to get a position at a corporate firm here."

"Of course! What a silly question on my part. You were always one to have all your ducks in a row." There was an awkward silence while they both thought of something else to say. Margaret broke the silence first. "I thought you were so happy in Boston. I didn't think you had any reason to come back to Philadelphia" she said, trying to gauge his true reason for returning and with a hint of suspicion.

"I was relatively happy there but as I said before I missed my family and friends here, you included."

Margaret felt uncomfortable at Harry's . She wasn't quite sure how to handle his abrupt attempt to come back into her life now.

"So I heard that you're a social worker now? I was surprised to hear that. I thought you would've chosen a different career path."

"I'm not sure what other career I would have chosen. Honestly, I love social work and I really love being in the field. I really feel like I'm making a difference in the lives of people."

"You know there are many ways to make a difference in people's lives."

"What do you mean?"

"While working for my firm in Boston, I also volunteered my services as a child advocate. It was a way for me to volunteer my legal services to children who needed them."

"Really, that's wonderful! You will plan on doing the same here won't you? A lot of the children I work with could really use an advocate with such a great legal mind as yours. I really mean it!" said Margaret beaming. Edith couldn't help but to smile as well. They seemed to hit it off so well despite the amount of time they had been apart. Edith was secretly pleased that she had brought them back together again.

"Yes, I do intend to volunteer my services while in Philadelphia too. In addition to helping children, I'm sure it'll give me the chance to work with you too."

Margaret was a little discomforted with Harry's last comment. She truly hoped that he would be doing it for the children and not to get closer to her. Ultimately, she decided it would not matter. Many of the children she worked with needed the services of a child advocate with a mind as keen as Harry's; this concern outweighed her discomfort with Harry.

The rest of their lunch date went somewhat smoothly with Edith and Max joining Margaret and Harry's conversation. Edith, Margaret and Harry used the conversation to catch up on the various minute details of their lives that they missed out on during their time away from each other. Not wanting to end their day so early, the quartet decided to go to a movie on Penn's campus before finally heading their separate ways. Through it all, Margaret wasn't sure how she should react to Harry. On the one hand she was genuinely happy to see him again and was even happier to see that he was successful in his life. Yet, she could not suppress an unquiet feeling that arose in her from the moment Harry entered her presence. Why did he make her feel this way now and not in the past? Margaret knew something had changed about Harry in Boston besides his career but she did not know what it was.

Edith and Margaret caught the subway to Fern Rock before taking Edith's car back to their apartment. The rickety ride of the train complimented Margaret's uneasiness. Edith was initially pleased at what seemed to be a successful reunion between her cousin and Harry. However, she noticed on their journey home that her cousin was not in a peaceful state.

"Margaret, how did you like seeing Harry again? I know it was a huge surprise and all but Harry wanted it that way."

"It was good to see him. It was surprising considering that we haven't seen each other in almost five years. He looks great and seems really happy."

"Is that all?"

"No, it isn't Edith. I don't know why but something just feels off. I mean I should be genuinely happy to see Harry, right? And I should be flattered that he essentially gave up his new life in part to see me again? Yet, I feel uneasiness about this whole situation."

"You're not wrong to feel the way you do. I really thought I was giving you a wonderful surprise but now I wished I had told you he was in town again. We kind of forced this upon you."

"Edith, no…don't beat yourself up. Yes, it was a surprise but I'm not sure if my feelings would be any different if I had known five years ago this would happen. It's not the abruptness of his appearance. It's his actual appearance. Oh, I can't describe what I'm feeling Edith" said Margaret flustered.

"Margaret, I hope you're not feeling any pressure to get into anything serious with Harry again because you shouldn't. If that is what is making you feel uneasy then don't worry yourself."

"Yeah, perhaps that's it."

"See how well I know you?" said Edith with a smile that comforted her cousin. "Harry may have been a bit of a flirt today but he isn't stupid. He knows he's been away for almost five years and he also knows that it's best if you two remain friends for the time being. Harry is a good guy. Just be friends with him and see where it goes."

Edith squeezed Margaret's hand as if to reassure her that everything would be well. The two arrived home around sunset and ordered some Chinese delivery before retiring to bed. Margaret, however, had a fitful sleep. Her bed did not provide any refuge from the events of the day. First, seeing John again and then Harry. Why were these men forcing their way into her life now and why at the same moment?

The end of summer had arrived and Margaret had surprisingly (and gratefully) not had any more encounters with John. It had been weeks since they met in the park and she was beginning to feel certain that their two meetings were nothing more than coincidences. Unfortunately, she could not say the same about Harry. She saw him as nothing more than a friend (although she thought that his advances were even testing that relationship). It angered her that he felt it normal for him to try and reestablish a relationship after years apart. It was not her decision that he move to Boston for law school and they had both decided that it would be too difficult to maintain their relationship. She had moved on and could not understand why he didn't do the same.

She began to avoid him as much as she could which prompted Edith to intervene.

"Margaret, Harry wants to see you again but he says that lately you keep finding excuses not to. You really should see him again. I don't understand why you're so averse to being around him."

"He called you! What the hell!" Margaret sighed and continued "Edith, I don't want to see him now because it's so obvious that he wants to get back into a relationship. I just don't want that right now, especially not with him. It just seems so weird that he wants to be back with me now. He couldn't find any women in Boston?"

"Well, you haven't found any men in Philly worth dating."

"And I haven't been looking."

"Well, how do you know that he wants a relationship? Maybe he just wants to be your friend."

"I know because the last time we were together, he tried to kiss me!" The recollection of the image made Margaret shudder.

"He did! When were you going to tell me?" Edith paused, thinking of what to say next to defend Harry. "Well, at least you know he has strong feeling for you." Edith knew that was a weak defense but continued anyway. "I don't understand why you're suddenly so repulsed by him. You use to be smitten by him in college and even for a little time afterwards."

"Well, I'm not in college anymore. I've grown as a person since we've separated and I just don't think we're compatible anymore. I don't know why he can't see that when it's so obvious to me." Margaret stopped there not wanting to say anymore that could possibly get back to Harry and hurt his feelings. She didn't tell Edith that she found Harry to be overly concerned with status and money, more so than when they were in college. Margaret wondered if law school and Harry's consequent occupation as a corporate attorney had affected this change in him. She felt that he looked down upon her career as a social worker and viewed it as being less prestigious than a profession like the law. Sure, he did charitable acts like volunteering for child services as a child advocate but Margaret felt that these actions weren't genuine; that he did them to impress her.

"Edith, I wish you and Harry could understand that I would just rather be friends and nothing more. I just don't see us ever going beyond that."

"Not even in the future."

"I'm afraid not."

Edith was not happy with this turn of events but knew that once her cousin was resolved on a matter, there was no dissuading her. Edith may have felt that Harry and Margaret were a good match but she also knew that she had to respect her cousin's view to the contrary. Margaret became determined to avoid Harry to the point that he would finally comprehend that she was not interested in him and Edith decided to steer clear of the situation.