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Alex, Alex, and the Waiting room

I skimmed through the magazine, in awe of everything in there. Computers weren't big anymore, and movies got way weirder. She cleared her throat, and I put down the magazine.

"Alex Miles. Judy Michaels, Samuel Collins, Jake Dixon. Please be ready; your other is here,"

Just after she said that, the elevator bell rang. Inside it was a couple of adults, one of them was me.

He met my eye and smiled.

"Puberty treated us kindly," I said,

"Yeah, I haven't been in this place for so long. Feels weird to be on the other side."

He turned to the receptionist and smiled.

"Long time," he said,

"Not long at all," she said, nodding at me,

He took the magazine from my hand and put it down.

"C'mon, there has to be a café nearby,"

"Café? Isn't this a waiting room?"

"This place is a lot of things,"

We walked silently, taking random turns and climbing upstairs, so much so, I got annoyed in the end.

"Are you wasting my time on purpose?"

"What?" he said,

"Do you know what it took me to arrange this?"

"Of course I do,"

"Then why are you talking to me?"

"Cause I know better, and I do need an espresso at the moment,"

He took the next turn and went out of my sight,

"Ah, there it is," I heard him say,

I climbed the last couple of stairs, and I was in the streets. I turned back, and the stairs weren't there. The white halls were replaced by a city I longed to go to, with its iconic tower glinting in the sun not 100ft away from me.

"Paris,"

"Hey, kiddo,"

I turned to where his voice came from. He was sitting in a small street café and nodding to the chair next to him.

"How did you know the place had such things?" I asked,

"I don't know really. I had the intuition and wanted to test it out. Besides, this is objectively the best café in Paris,"

I leaned back in my seat and examined him. He didn't seem to mind.

"How old are you now?" I asked,

"34," he said, "Big number,"

"I know this might not be possible, but by any chance, can you tell me how I can get rich?"

He scoffed,

"Figure it out yourself," he said, "What was your plan when you called for me?"

"I don't know. Don't you?"

"I do," he said, "I just want you to think about it,"

I took a moment. The waitress came with two cups of espresso, put them on the table, smiled the warmest of smiles, and went back in.

"I just wanted to know if I'm alright when I grow up,"

He smiled.

"You are,"

He took a sip of his espresso and nodded to mine.

"Is this how you got to like espressos?"

"I remember a fashionable man buying me an espresso when I was a kid. Maybe this was it," he said,

"Are there any details you want to know? You mostly forget about this conversation once you leave this place,"

"Do we ever come to Paris?"

"Yes," he said, "How do you think I managed to imagine it so vividly?"

"So, we travel?"

"Yes. Lot more cities you'll fall in love with. Paris is just the starting point,"

He put his cup down and leaned back on his chair. He seemed to be so relaxed. So over everything I'm dealing with.

"Anything wrong?" he asked,

"You seem to be doing too okay,"

He chuckled,

"You just had the break up, didn't you," he said

I nodded,

"Don't worry. Life has a way of working things out,"

We both took a sip of our cups while scanning each other,

"Like you being married?"

He smirked.

"How did you know?"

"Your ring finger has marks on it," I said, "Are we, good husbands?"

"Yes, better than dad was to mom and better parents too,"

I smiled.

"That's nice,"

"It is," he said,

Suddenly bell rings filled the background. I turned to see a wave of bicycles passing in front of us.

I turned back to him, he was downing his cup.

"Seems like our time is up,"

I looked at my hands as they started to glow.

He came to my side. Go on his knees and down to eye level with me.

"You'll go through a lot of thing till you reach where I am now," he said, "Just hold your ground and use that good head on your shoulder. Do what you want with the reassurance that I'll always love you and be proud of you. Don't forget that, alright?"

I nodded. He hugged me and as I was fading as heard him say,

"Give Hannah a kiss for me,"

/--------------------///--------------------/

I jolted up with a wave of excitement running through my veins. My breath ran wild till I managed to subdue the beast. Hanna touched my wrist.

"Everything alright, babe?" she said

"You know that dream I used to tell you about? The one I had as a teenager but could remember?"

"mmhm?"

"I remember it fully now, and there are things I need to do,"

"Good for you, babe,"

I smiled and kissed her on the forehead as she went back to sleep.

I got up and went to the living room. A man dressed in white was waiting for me there with a smile on his face.

"Alex," he said, "Alex is waiting for you,"