September: 2015

That memory came flooding back to this man as the women he so dearly loved so long ago was standing right before him…….

He stared at her for a moment; she had aged a bit, looking even more beautiful than the women that played over in his mind every day for the past five years. Her slight smile, her dimples, the way her brunette hair curled ever so slightly.

"Brooke."

It hit him and his smile grew wider then it had been in a very long time. There she was. After years of thinking about her, trying not to forget her facial expressions, her smell, her smile, there she was, standing in front of him in the middle of a crowded Manhattan street.

Brooke fiddled with the ring on a finger, something he noticed rather quickly.

"How have you been?" he asked, moving into the coffee shop they were standing outside of to get out of the Manhattan hustle.

She smiled a soft smile, her eyes lighting up "Good. Really good actually. I have a boutique down the street, I have an apartment a few blocks away, next to Central Park, and a house on the Jersey shore. But what about you? What have you been up to?"

He shrugged "Traveling. Europe, South America, Australia. I'm back now for a while though, I'm visiting a friend in the city."

Before they could say much else, a young boy walked over to Brooke, carrying two smoothies.

"Here!" he reached up and she smiled, taking the drink.

"Thanks sweet pea." She smiled and put her hand on his head "Cole, this is an old friend of mine."

Cole smiled at him and put out his hand "Very nice to meet you." Cole said with a grin, his big brown eyes looked just like Brooke's. "Ready to go mom? I'm gonna be late for soccer!"

Brooke gave a half-hearted smile to him and took her son's hand "Sure sweetie, let's go."

She moved her eyes back to the man standing before her, the man she once loved "Au revoir, Brooke." He said with a slight smile, reaching down and squeezing her hand lightly.

They never said goodbye to each other, because goodbye meant going away, au revoir simply meant 'until next time'.

"Au revoir." She whispered, hoping that he could not see the hurt in her eyes, wishing she did not always wear her heart on her sleeve.

Brooke turned and walked down the busy street, her hand embraced in her son's. Walking away from the boy that she walked away from just a few years ago, walking away from the boy she so dearly loved.

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Brooke stood in her penthouse kitchen at the sink, overlooking the lovely central park, and all the people walking around outside.

"Mom! We're home!" Brooke heard Cole throw down his bag and walk towards the kitchen.

"I'm making dinner!" she called as he walked into the kitchen "How was practice?"

Cole sat down at the counter "Good. Daddy's actually a good coach."

Brooke laughed "Told you so. Speaking of Daddy, where is he?"

"Hey you." A tall man, with tan skin and dark hair and big blue eyes walked into the kitchen. "I missed you."

Brooke walked over to him and kissed him lightly "I missed you too."

Brooke met Ryan not long after her last breakup, about 5 years ago. He's the typical business, working as a stock broker on Wall Street. To most people, they are the perfect couple, beautiful, rich, educated. But they always knew there was something missing in the relationship, something Ryan couldn't pinpoint, but had a pretty good idea what it was. They got engaged two years ago, yet haven't been wed yet, Brooke's not ready.

Brooke turned back to the sink and continued cutting the vegetables for dinner. Ryan wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his nose into her neck, she politely shrugged him off.

"Everything okay Brooke?" Ryan asked, concerned.

Brooke nodded "Yeah, I just ran into an old friend earlier."

"Oh yeah? Who?" Ryan asked, hoping it was not who he thought.