Never Forgotten

Part 3

Part 3

"Roman..I'm going to meet Laura for lunch" Marlena yelled, as she was putting on her thin coat.
It was a Saturday in May, the sun was shining from a clear sky, inviting people to spend the day outside.

"Will you be home for dinner?" Roman asked as he approached her, reaching for the labels on her jacket. He slowly pulled her toward him, placing a kiss on her lips. Caught off guard and completely surprised, Marlena stood frozen as her husband embraced her and continued his kisses.

"What was that for?" She asked as she put her hands on his chest, gently pushing him away.

"Can't a husband kiss his wife without a reason?" He asked, frowning at her.

"Of course...you just surprised me that's all!" It was only half the truth. She was surprised but she also felt uncomfortable, it had become so foreign for them to show physical affection, it felt awkward.

"Roman, I need to go, see you later" She said hurriedly as she got her car keys and walked out the door.

                                   ———-

The two friends strolled down the street towards Salem Place. They had a lovely lunch, catching up and laughing. After that, they decided it was too early to end their day and go their separate ways, so they quickly agreed to go shopping.
Marlena needed to find a present for her grandchildren Johnny and Allie, whose birthdays were coming up. Walking towards the toy store, something caught her attention, resulting in her stopping immediately to look around.

"Marlena, what is it?" Laura asked.

"I don't know.... I can't explain it...I had this chill run through my body, making the hair on the back of my neck stand. Not in a creepy way though..I don't know!" She looked around the square trying to detect what could cause that kind of reaction, but nothing unusual caught her eye.

Laura eyed her in wonder and grabbed her hand, as she guided them to the toy store.

                                  —————

John made his way through the crowded Salem Place. He and his wife arrived in Salem two hours ago, one week before the wedding.

"Hey Dad over here" Jack yelled and waved to get his dad's attention. They were meeting for coffee at the small coffee bar at Salem Place.

"Hey son, it's so good to see you." John said, smiling as he hugged his youngest.
It had been six months since they saw each other last. With both of his sons not living with them any longer, he felt lonely and bored, missing them so much every day.

"Did you have a nice flight?" Jack asked, happy to see his dad again. He always felt that they shared a special bond. They had spent hours together on the baseball field, his dad coaching him. Jack remembered the childish feeling of having his dads undivided attention and feeling like the luckiest boy in the world. Actually, he could still make him feel like that little boy, like today when they had planned on spending the day together, shopping for the wedding.

John looked around the square, the people walking by, couples sitting outside cafes enjoying the lovely May weather. It wasn't intentional that his eyes roamed to see if he could catch a glimpse of a familiar face.
Turning his attention back to his son and wrapping his arm around his shoulder he said "Let's go get that coffee and get this day started!"

                                    ———-

"My Gosh Laura, it's a nightmare in here" Marlena laughed as she looked at all the colorful plastic toys and teddy bears that went on aisle after aisle. "It's too much! I'm going to get them a book instead. Let's get out of here fast"
They both laughed as they exited the toy store completely overwhelmed by all the choices children had nowadays. They agreed that it was much easier just 10 years ago to find something more usable for children.
Just as they approached the small coffee shop they saw the smiling face of a young man.