Could It Be You? |✓

(39) Could It Be You - Part 2

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What happens when you reach the end? What happens when you get to the answer? Was it by accident? Was there a fulfilling process of search? 

- Collin

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"How have you been, Emma?" Matthias asks, standing just a few inches before her. He gives her a wide sunshine grin, looking extremely happy to see her. He appears almost the same as the person in her memory, just older with a rougher look - perhaps due to the facial hair on his chin and along the edges.

Her thoughts are in a mess right now as she sizes up the person before her, someone she never imagines to meet here. The panic in her head is something too stark to a holy and serene place like this Baroque church.

"Um, pretty good? What a small world!" She gives an awkward laugh. She brings a hand onto her arm, being somewhat guarded against this person.

"C'mon, don't be awkward with me!" he says and pats her arm lightly. "Are you travelling, or?"

"Oh, no, I work here. I'm here on secondment for a year. Just having a little weekend getaway today."

"Wow. I see! Well, we must have a great affinity to meet all the way in Prague!" he declares. He urges her to agree with him. 

Emma gulps. Great affinity. Things like affinity puzzle her - Matthias has been out of her life for years and all of a sudden, he just appears and is on his way to becoming her husband? That is simply absurd.

"Are you alone?" she asks pointedly and glances around the vicinity. Nobody seems to be looking for him.

He raises his cheeks and his eyes narrow into two crescents. Emma can't help but notice he has really long eyelashes.

"I'm not, I'm with my wife!" He turns behind and calls for the attention of a woman who is admiring one of the sculptures. Emma looks over and sees the gorgeous back view of the lady. Her luscious chestnut-coloured hair falls down in waves to just beneath her shoulders. A tattooed butterfly peeks out from her white tank top, a beautiful embellishment to her flawless back. She wears a floral maxi skirt that falls to the ground with grace. She whirls around at the sound of her name, "Liza," and promptly comes up to Matthias' side. Emma's eyes widen and her mouth opens to give an "ah".

"Hello!" Liza greets when she sees Emma.

"Emma, this is my wife, Liza. Emma's an old classmate of mine," he introduces.

"It's very lovely to meet old friends in foreign places!" Liza comments, speaking with a heavy French accent.

"It is," Emma replies politely.

Emma looks at the happy couple. Is she destined to be their home wrecker? Emma certainly hopes not. She feels as if all the angels in the paintings and the statues are frowning upon her to carry such a thought.

"Are you free? Do you want to join us for lunch?" Matthias asks.

Emma glances between the two of them. Although she is warmed by their kind gesture, she declines. "No no, it's alright. I've got plans and I had better head off," Emma lies.

Liza's face falls with disappointment. "Oh Emma, really? We'd love to have a meal with you. We've been travelling around for two months now and we hardly meet old friends. You're the first, in fact."