“Dana.” Her words brought me out of my analysis of my old best friend. “Dana it’s good to see you.”

“Likewise,” I replied, my voice unusually high. I cleared my throat before attempting to talk again. “It’s a surprise. I didn’t know you worked for L.A. Times.”

“I have been for about four years now,” she told me, that same old smile plastered on her face. How I use to fantasize about that smile… “I don’t normally do these interviews but when I heard we had a slot with you I decided to take it.” She paused for a minute and I could swear that a look of painful realisation passed her eyes before she quietly spoke again. “It’s been too long.”

I nodded my head slightly in agreement and we stood in silence. Finally she looked over at the chairs nearby: “Shall we?”

“So how have you been?” Alice asked once we had sat down. I didn’t fail to notice that we had both opted for the two furthest chairs available. I sensed that Alice hadn’t failed to notice it either.

“I’ve been good, yeah,” she said wearily, her eyes not meeting mine. It had been five years but I still remembered that the only time that Alice ever averted her gaze was when she was having second thoughts.

And right now her prime objective was keeping her eyes on anything but me.

“Are you ok Al?” My words were genuine, probably the most genuine they had been in the last few years. It suddenly occurred to me how hard it must have been for her to come here… even harder than it was for me because she made the effort. She made the effort to see me.

Her eyes finally met mine, coupled with that smile on her face once more and I breathed a silent sigh of relief. She was alright.

“I’m fine Dana,” she replied. “Look the reason I came here was… well I know it may shock you but not because I’m particularly interested in tennis.”

“No? Really?” I asked lightly, a grin forming on my own lips as I remember back to the happier days when I tried to teach her to play tennis. God she was hopeless.

“Amazing huh?” She stopped for a minute and took a deep breath. That’s when I realised that it was something important. Hell, this was an out of the blue meeting which I never imagined would happen of course it must be something important. “I came to tell you that I’m getting married… and to ask you to come. There’s nothing more I want than for you to be there.”

The quick numbness that surged my body surprised me. It had reached every possible tip of my figure by the time Alice had finished talking, encasing all my emotions in a frozen cage inside, allowing me to drive in ‘auto-pilot’ for awhile.

I smiled at her sweetly while my heart began screaming.

“Alice congratulations!” I said with impeccable authenticity that even the gods would have a hard time doubting. “I-I dont know what to say this is wonderful news!”

I got up from my chair, prompting Alice to do likewise, and brought her into a hug our first contact in half a decade. I felt uncomfortably sound in her arms and if I had known better I would have sworn I heard Alice emit a soft sight at our touch. Or maybe it was wishful thinking

“I’m so glad you’re happy for me,” Alice said into my shoulder, not making any attempt to move away. “It makes all the difference.”

I closed my eyes at her words and hugged her tighter. God it was ironic I had given Alice up five years ago in the hope that she would go out and find someone better because I had doubted my love for her. And now, years later she had done exactly that, she had found someone else, someone better.

And only now, years later, have I finally realised that I can’t possibly be complete without her.