Thanks For Coming Back

Chapter 3

"Hellooo, I'm Sera" she greeted smiling.

"Hi there, I'm Aaron. How old are you doll?"

"Hey I'm not a doll. I'm a big girl as I'm turning 5 soon" she exclaimed.

"Oops! Sorry sweet girl" he said putting one hand over his mouth.

"Its okay" she gave a cute smile.

"You've got a beautiful daughter, Anna. Just like you" he said looking between mother and daughter.

She shuddered on hearing that name again. She wanted to correct him again but decided against it and smiled "Thank you"

The silence crept in again...

He watched her play with her daughter. He noticed how happy she was. He also noticed the similarities in their features, their brown eyes, the perfect nose, the porcelain skin, but the little girl's hair was different than hers. It was dark black unlike her mother's brown ones. He studied both of their features for a bit longer before breaking the silence.

"Um, Anna... It's been..." he began before she cut him off.

"Anahita. Ammm... It... It's Anahita. Err you can... you can call me Annie as well... Like others do?" She bit her inner cheeks to stop her lips from quivering.

"Yeah right" he said reminding himself again that he no longer had the right to call her 'Anna'.

"Ammm so what were you saying?" she spoke quickly hoping she could end the discomfort caused due to the name issue.

"Huh? Yes, I was saying..." he let out a sigh "It's been long since we last met" he tried saying with a smile but failed when it turned out to be a grimace remembering their last meeting.

She grimaced as well remembering her not so best day of life. It gave her a bitter sweet taste and a lump began forming in her thought which she found difficult to swallow.

"Um, yes" she finally found her voice.
"So, what are you doing here?" she repeated his words back. She looked around the area, trying to push away the uneasiness and avoiding to look at his face that she once would have loved to stare at all day.

"I came back from California this week. And I am going to settle here now. I just bought a new apartment near here so I'm just shopping for my new place" he said shrugging his shoulder.

"Oh" she could only manage a monosyllable as she tried processing the new information in her brain, not knowing how to take this news. She wondered why he came back as he had clearly mentioned to not return to this place last time they met.

"Mommy how long are you gonna take?" her train of thoughts were broken by her daughter.
"Mommy, I'm going back to Daddy. He must be waiting for me" she said in her little voice as she tried wriggling out of her mother's arms. Anahita let her daughter go and watched her go away before she shouted from the corner "be quick Mommy". She smiled and nodded to the little disappearing figure.

They were left alone all over again. They looked around them at anything but each other, as the silence took its place. This time she decided to end the moment of silence.

"So? Are you married?"

"Huh?" he was caught off guard by her question. "Ammm no?"

.....

"I still love you, Anna"