NICOLE

"Nicole, is that you?"

I look at the man calling my name trying to figure out how I know him.

He looks at me with wide eyes as if he saw a ghost.

"Niky..." Only one person called me that, only one...

A wide smile spread across his face.

Oh my God... Of course!

"William!" I finally understand, looking at him fascinated like a teenage girl.

He walked around the car, opened my door and held out his hand. I accept it without thinking. I get out of the car and we stare at each other still holding hands.

Thick brown naughty hair, warm brown eyes and the sweetest smile. How is it possible that I didn’t recognize him, I don’t believe it? That is William, my best friend, my first love, my childhood friend.

Looking him in the eye makes me feel like a fifteen-year-old girl again. All the mischief we did together, all the time we spent together, goes through my head. We have been inseparable for years. How is it possible that that smile stayed the same and that warm look that warmed my body.

We stood like two fools, in the cold in front of the main entrance of the hospital, holding hands and looking at each other in wonder. Observing, absorbing all the changes that life has brought us. Once best friends are now strangers who barely recognize each other. It should be so, but it is not.

He’s still the Willie I knew. He’s still my friend, even though we haven’t seen each other in years and I have no idea what’s going on in his life. Nor does he know anything about me.

We missed a lot, but the feeling is the same.

It is as if we are reading each other's thoughts at the same time, letting go of our hands and embracing. I put my arms over his neck and he crossed mine over my back and we pulled each other into a tight hug.

It’s so warm, so familiar, so soothing.

"I don't believe it, I thought I'd never see you again."

"So am I. So much time has passed."

"It looks so small to me now."

"The feeling is the same." I say and step away from him, looking him in the face. I want to see his expression.

“The feeling is still the same.” He repeated, looking me in the eye. God, those brown eyes, those fine long eyelashes.

I laugh, and he frowns slightly as if he knows why I'm laughing.

"You haven't changed a bit. Is that possible?"

"You did, I barely recognized you."

"Life."

"Life, yes." He answered a little sadly, still not letting me out of his arms.

I watch him and my heart is full.

"I'm so glad to see you." I say quietly.

At that moment, a nurse in a blue suit appears

"Doctor we need you, your shift is starting in five minutes."

"I'm coming," he says, still keeping his eyes on me.

"Go to work, you're late..."

"I know."

"Are you cold?" He says and only then I realize that I got out of the car without a coat.

I shake my head and we continue to look at each other both smiling and happy.

"I can't describe to you how glad I am to see you." This time he tells me.

I laugh. He smiled back. God, look at those lips and those shiny teeth...

I stare at him for who knows how many times, going back to my childhood.

"We've been through so much..." A loud trumpet interrupted me in half a sentence. I get scared and move away from him by turning to see where that sound is coming from.

The truck behind me, waiting for me to move with the car. I wave to the driver that I'm going fast, and he frowns.

"I stopped the traffic."

"He looks angry." William answered looking at the truck driver.

"I better go."

"I want to see you." He says suddenly.

"What?"

"I mean again, I want to see you again."

"Of course." I smile.

"Dinner, tonight?"

"Okay, I'm definitely not working today."

"I finish at five."

"It works for me."

"God Nicole, I missed you." Hug me, I return the hug. The trumpet sounded again.

"Now I really have to go."

“I know one good restaurant.” He said before he left.

"Tell me about it. I'll call you."

"I can't wait." He says before I get in the car.

I laugh as I watch him walk away, stand in front of the entrance and wave at me. A smile on his lips as always.

"As always. The feeling is the same." I say quietly.

The trumpet sounded again. I wave to the driver, start the car, and get out of the way. Watching William in the rearview mirror, He is still standing in front of the hospital and looking in our direction. I missed him...

When I go out on the street, I turn to Stephanie, whom I forgot for a while. Her facial expression is unforgettable. Sleepy eyes and open mouth like a fish staring at me motionless.

"Stephanie."

“Am I dreaming?” I laugh at that.

"Why sister?"

"Am I dreaming or did you just have a mini romance with my mentor in front of a public hospital?"

"What are you talking about?" I laugh.

"What am I saying, you looked down as if you were alone. What's that hug? And how are you laughing?"

I just smile and I know it drives her crazy so  I keep doing it.

"Nicole? Sister. Is that you?"

I laugh again, not answering anything.

"Explain to me, what was that with you and my mentor?"

"It's not such an acquaintance, Stephanie, don't you recognize him?"

"I recognize him. Of course I recognize him, that's my mentor, I work with him every day."

"Stephanie, it's William."

"I know it William Limberg, my MENTOR."

"Stephanie, it's William, Will, Willy."

"God kill me, if you're normal. What's about that smile?"

"Stephanie it's my Will..."

"YOUR Will! For God's sake, stop laughing. Nicole, there's really something wrong with you. Should we go back to the hospital for you to get checked? Did you drink anything today?"

"You're too excited, calm down."

"I'm excited! I don't throw myself into the arms of an unknown man and laugh like some slut in love half an hour after that."

"Stephanie, do you remember my best childhood friend? He and I were inseparable." I start to explain, and she looks at me pale. "You don't remember, he was our first neighbor. He lived in the red house next to us. I was with him all the time."

"Nicole, what's with you? I don't remember any neighbor?"

"William, he was two years older than me. We always played together without you. You were little then." She looks at me like I have lost my mind.

"Stephanie, don't you remember your Bear?"

"What bear?"

"For God's sake Stephanie. He gave you a brown bear with which you were inseparable. You called it my little mouse. You called the bear a mouse, and you called William a bear."

I looked into her face and regretted that no one was filming this. She looked like someone had cracked her face.

“I remember.” She screamed.

"Yes yes, that's him!"

"Oh my God, it really is him! Well it's in the pictures that I didn't recognize him."

"Ironically, the man has hardly changed at all, and it was hard for me to recognize him at first."

"Nicole, I don't believe it. I work with that man every day."

“Hey my little mouse.” I tell her and we both laugh remembering the old days.

"You remember you always cried when we played, you wanted to be with us."

"I remember you two always ran away from me." She frowned.

"You remember the bear he bought you. You were inseparable from it, you couldn't sleep without that bear."

"I remember Misha."

"We all laughed at you, you kept saying give me the mouse, and you were actually wanting a stuffed bear ."

"I didn't even know William's name, he was and remained a Bear for me."

"And it's a bear." I say and look at the sister who raises an eyebrow at my sentence and looks at me.

I know that look.

“Are you hungry?” I ask to deviate from the topic.

"Am I? I'm starving."

"How about Chinese food?"

"I say you're your best sister in the world."

"Keep that thought." I laugh and catch the next turn and turn the car around, even though we were almost home.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm not working today. And we need to try out a new TV. We can't watch movies without food."

“New TV?” She asked me, and I just looked at her.

"You bought it, didn't you?"

“Well of course.” I say looking at her smile.

There is nothing more valuable in the world than that.

"Chinatown is far away, take a pillow from the back and sleep. I'll pick up our food and we will go home to enjoy the home theater."

"I adore you, thank you Nicole." She says and reaches for the passenger pillow.

She tucked herself in her jacket, leaned back on the pillow, and fell asleep quickly.

I turn down the radio and continue driving through heavy New York traffic, thinking about William and everything we've been through together.

I get out of the car carefully and quietly, go to three Chinese restaurants and buy everything Stephanie and I love. I call Magda and give her a day off, then quietly get back in the car.

Before the house I stop by and go to the supermarket to buy all the necessities and finally head to our building.

Stephanie woke up just at the entrance to the garage.

"Sleeper, did you rest?"

"Yes, we're home already. I slept all the way?"

"A full four hours, sister."

I watch her wake up frowning at her blue lawn, just as she did as a little girl. Whenever she gets up she rubs her head, I guess to make sure it's still there.

I laugh.

My little sister...

___

The shower came in really handy for me. After almost five hours of lounging in front of the big wall where the big home cinema was now, which my sister longed for, and I, as a good older sister, fulfilled all her whims. From choosing a movie, food to scratching your hair and back, hugging during scary scenes in a movie and the like...

After showering, I put on black pants and a blue-pink winter shirt. I didn’t dress up as much as Stephanie insisted.

I simply got dressed, let go of my long brown hair that had been in curls since the day before and for a living miracle still looked perfect.

"What do you look like Nicole?!" I heard my sister's disappointed voice when I entered the living room.

"What, why?"

"Didn't I put a black dress on your bed? Why didn't you put it on?"

"I don't have time for your nonsense, Stephanie."

"It's not nonsense woman, you dressed like you were going to the supermarket, not on a date."

"For the thousandth time, THIS IS NOT A DATE!"

"Yeah, right! Make sure someone believes you." She laughed.

I just shook my head and continued on my way because I know there is no point in discussing it with her.

"Okay, okay... you don't have to wear a dress, but let me at least do your makeup." She kept insisting.

"I put on makeup."

"You call blush, lip gloss and mascara a makeup?"

"Yes, and quite enough makeup to go out to dinner with an old friend."

"Nicole, it's an expensive and prestigious restaurant. Not everyone goes there."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You can't show up there as a high school girl."

"I don't look like a high school girl. I took off my glasses and put on my lenses."

"You did it this morning!"

"Well, I don't have them anyway."

"But... Nicole .."

"This debate is over Stephanie."

I looked at her seriously and changed my tone.

She realized there was no discussion.

Stephanie was still a small child that could once be noticed by her actions.

Now I annoyed her, so she blew angrily, turned around and sat down on the chair. She gathered herself and crossed her arms over her frowning face, like a child sent to punishment by her parents.

As I watched her, I pulled on a winter coat and black boots with a small heel.

I approached her, kissed her on the forehead and her wrinkles disappeared.

"You're a little spoiled brat." I joked with her.

“You are one old grumpy witch.” She replied with a smile on her face.

"Go  to sleep, Stephanie, you're working tomorrow."

"I don't, I have a day off tomorrow."

"Where did that come from?"

"Well, I have the privilege of being mentored by Bear."

"Don't you dare use him as an escape from your job, Stephanie!!"

"No, I won't, don't worry. I'm just kidding."

"I'm serious!"

“So am I.” She laughed wickedly, and I ran out of the apartment.

The restaurant where I was supposed to meet William was three blocks away from my building so I headed on foot.

He was waiting for me in front of the restaurant and as soon as he saw me he came to me. We hugged and barely separated from each other, I missed this. That warmth and its scent acted on me like a big childhood hug, and I can’t describe to you how much I needed it.

Right at the entrance to the restaurant, the waiter took our coats and led us to our table which William had previously booked.

Although his face remained more or less the same, except for his beard and the occasional wrinkles on his face that gave him that smack of an adult and serious guy, his body had completely changed from what I remembered. He was taller than me by the head, wearing dark blue pants and a light blue sweater that fit him irresistibly. His broad shoulders and the muscles in his arms were finely drawn under the sweater attracting the eager glances of the female sex, both mine and the woman around us.

His hair, eyes and lips remained exactly as I remember them. Honey, sweet, childish and so irresistible.

I watched him soaking up close to him, and that smile was contagious to me both fifteen years ago and now.

"Maxillofacial surgeon you say? Really Nicole, dentistry??" He looked at me with raised eyebrows.

“Are you still scared of the dentist?” I smiled.

"I, no... Of course not." He said, and the smile disappeared from his face for a moment.

“Really Will, well you’re a big boy.” I burst out laughing again as his face changed colors.

"Hey, hey, you're never too old for that fear!"

"You know what, when I think about it, I have free appointments tomorrow. When does it suit you to put you in for a checkup?"

"Are you kidding?"

"No! Why?" I acted in a serious tone as I took a bite of the delicious fish.

"You see I forgot to tell you, but I'm leaving the United States tomorrow. Forever!" We both laughed at this.

"Come on, come on, don't make drama from this. It's just a little checkup."

"Thank you, but I'm happy with the look of my teeth."

"Those are really nice teeth. So let me take a look at them and make sure there's nothing wrong with them."

"I believe you. I would give a life for you, but please don't ask me to visit you in the office. You know how that place and that smell affect me."

"Ohh trust me your visits to the dentist we all remember. You remind me of Stephanie, even though she was calmer than you."

"She's a smart and sensible young lady."

We kept talking about me and Stephanie, telling him briefly everything that had happened in our lives since we lost contact.

"Tell me Will, what happened with you?"

"We moved."

"Yes, I know that."

"We actually moved a lot."

Will's father was a civil engineer and traveled constantly for work, and Will's mother died when he was only five years old. Because of his father's job, he suffered the most, that's why they moved all the time. While my parents were alive, they took care of him when his father went on long business trips. After their death, Will's father had no choice and had to take him with him.

"How come you enrolled in medicine? Didn't you want to enroll in architecture?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to be a doctor and help people?"

"Yes, I did."

"Really?"

"The dentist is a doctor!"

"Yes, but the one who tortures people." He laughed.

"Come on, please, it's the twenty-first century. Only you and Stephanie are afraid of the dentist, plus the children from kindergarten who outgrow that fear after the first visit to the dental office." I fought back skillfully.

"You bit me in the heart, you know." He pretended to be hurt.

"You didn't answer me what happened so you decided on medicine?"

"After high school, though, I realized that medicine was my right path. I think we both know who was the inspiration for it."

“My mother.” I said softly.

"Exactly." He confirmed and a smile disappeared from his face, and there was pain in his eyes.

William loved my mother as his own, and she cared for him as much as she cared for me and Stephanie. When Will was with us, she didn’t separate us, instead, she was the perfect mom for all of you. I cried when I remembered all the things we went through with her.

“Remember when we made wooden houses with your father?” He asked me.

"I remember you always played a big boy and almost every time you ended up hurt."

"Your mother treated us from that little orange first aid kit."

"I remember that, she always scolded us after that."

We talked like that for hours, going back to the days when we were both so innocent, clean and happy no matter what. Life has not been easy for either me or him since that fateful day, but we both succeeded nonetheless.

In the middle of our conversation, someone coughed at our table. I looked up and saw the person I least expected.

"Miss Nicole."

"Max, I mean Mr. Karingen. What brings you here?" His gaze was cold.

"Business. Business dinner." He replied coldly and added, "You?" directing his gaze to William.

"This is Leo's best friend, Stephanie's boyfriend." I got up and introduced Max to William.

"William Limberg, nice to meet you." Will stood up and held out his hand, which Max accepted with hesitation.

The situation was very tense and I had a feeling that Maximilian was angry, although it was not clear to me why.

Shortly after that Max went to his table and left us to finish the chocolate dessert which was unforgettable good.

As we headed home Will offered to escort me and we walked to my building.

"Winter is definitely the most beautiful time in New York. Isn't it? It gives it a special charm." I said excitedly as I walked hand in hand with him through one of the beautiful New York parks. The night had fallen, the lights were on, and there was a snow fairytale around us.

"It is. It's really special, especially tonight."

"Magical." I added.

"Just like this day." He answered looking at me.

That look stopped my breathing for a few seconds, leaving me breathless.

And it was really magical ...

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