Prologue

(Background song: Memories by Maroon 5)

Here's to the ones that we got

Cheers to the wish you were here but you're not

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

Of everything we've been through

Gazing straight ahead, only half-aware of a world outside the claustrophobic comfort of the car, his hands stroking the wheel, the almost soundless changing of the gears, the pattern of traffic lights, it blinks red.

Toast to the ones here today

Toast to the ones that we lost on the way

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

The light turned green.

The silver gray Mercedes S600 cruised down the freeway, travelling south.

There's a time that I remember

When I did not know no pain

When I believed in forever

And everything would stay the same

Ethan was sitting in the front passenger seat with so much soft leather around him that he could barely hear the 389 horsepower,6-liter engine...

Now my heart feel like December

When somebody say your name

'Cause I can't reach out to call you

But I know I will one day, yeah

At eighty miles per hour the engine was only odling.

Everybody hurts sometimes

Everybody hurts someday, ay ay

But everything gon' be alright

Go on raise a glass and say, ay

Ethan could feel the power of the car, turning left to park at his favorite coffee shop that he could sight from afar.

Here's to the ones that we got

Cheers to the wish you were here but you're not

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

Of everything we've been through

His hands moved to the aux cord connecting his phone to his car to unplug but hesitated to discern the lyrics.

Toast to the ones here today

Toast to the ones that we lost on the way

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

"Vroom...." Turning to park at his very own reserved spot, the engine gave a dying sound.

A tall man in baggy saggy clothes stepped out of a car that didn't benefit his looks.

His head down, walking towards a lonely table at the edge of the shop, close to a window that had the outermost view, totally reserved.

"Good morning sir" the familiar waitress smiling at him greets.

"Hmm..,just get me my usual" he said, not really in the mood for much chit-chat. 

She immediately nodded and turned her back to leave, his eyes trail the way her hips moved from side to side.

Before he could let himself get any bored, she was already here with his favorite coffee, cappuccino to be precise.

"Thanks," he said nicely, raising his cup to take a sip, only for him to still feel the figure of this living female smiling lustly at him.

"Can I help you?" scandalizing in disgust.

"Oh.. not at all" she winked at him, biting her lower lips, she turned her back to walk away, faster than the other time, he admired her courage but he wasn't quite interested in flirtatious women.

His eyes blinked off her direction to watch the amazing view of beautiful creatures moving to get to each of their destinations, while he sips his hot coffee.

They looked so happy, different emotions played out on the street, some looked so in love, others sad, yes sad! just like him,he wonders what took their happiness,he wonders if they would find it, if they could find happiness again?.

"Greeeee..." the sound of the shop bell rang,the door swung open.

The sound of children's laughter and their tiny feet running inside the coffee shop, he could hear them struggle on who gets to sit first. 

"Careful Ray! You're gonna hurt your sister" the sweet female voice warned.

Ethan was far too involved with the world, he didn't take his eyes off the people walking on the street.

"Hahahahaha... I know right, they can be headache sometimes but they are amazing" this time around,Ethan's eyes went wide, he looked like he had just seen a ghost, thousands of thoughts running through his head.

"I know that laughter, it can't be.. I thought she.. this can't be.."

His eyes turned to behold the woman he had waited for all these years,the only person he had loved, the one who took away his happiness.

He stood up to take a better look, just to be sure he wasn't dreaming,just as her brown big eyes caught his.

She was staring at him in confusion and total astray.

"Do I know you Mr?" Traducing Her question hit him like a thunderbolt.

"Nuella?"Baffled, He said almost out of breath.

"Uhhhm, sorry I think you've got the wrong person" but before she could utter more words, the little infant called upon her.

"Cecilia" The little boy of at least 10 years yelled her name. 

"Coming Ray" looking at the little ones directions, signifying them to have patience, she turned back in his direction.

"I'll have to go Mr" she immediately turned her back to face him  but hesitated at every step she took back to her kids.

"It was nice to meet you" she said from a distance, he wanted to say a lot at once, but the words were held up inside his throat and it choked him right there.

He couldn't believe what had just happened. Just some second ago, he was almost dying of happiness to see the one woman he wanted to see for five years, five whole years!.

"Kids" he wondered how come she has two.

"Why doesn't she recognize me?How come she has kids?How come she doesn't recognize me?." He felt something was totally off, he felt heart broken.

Sitting back on his seat, just to watch her leave with her kids, their eyes collided. 

If he was ever healing from the death of his lover,this new wound would take more than five more years to heal.

"What if it wasn't her? Does she have a twin?, Was she a ghost?." His mind wondered even the more, maybe it was an illusion. 

Here he was waiting for her to come back to him, and she had already moved on.

The knife in his chest had dug many holes