[2013] Life II Read online

  “Hey there,” Max said assertively. His extra three decades in Life I had seasoned him and made him more commanding.

  “Hey,” the new guy replied. He had a large square head to match his thick neck, and sported a crew cut. Maybe he was a football player.

  Max smiled and pointed over to the table where Abby sat. “Do you know Abby?”

  The other guy eyed Max cautiously before he answered. “Abby Martin? Sure. Why?”

  Max’s heart skipped several beats. “Any chance you could introduce me?”

  He paused a moment. In perfect synchronicity, both men looked at Abby, smiled, and then looked at one another.

  “Sure. Can’t guarantee anything though.”

  “Great! My name is Max.”

  “Dave.” He extended his hand to Max and shook it. “Come on.”

  Max stood where he was and cried out sharply to Dave. “Whoa! Wait a minute!”

  Dave took one step back, still holding his plate. “Whadsup?”

  Max had to think this through intensely. “Well, it’s kind of complicated. I overheard her name, so I called out to her before she came to eat. I was probably too forward with her.”

  “And?” Dave nodded, not quite understanding.

  “So,” Max said, letting out a long breath, “Can you just introduce me by saying you know me from before?”

  “Sure, whatever,” Dave said with a shrug. “Come on, I gotta get back.”

  Wait! Max wanted to cry out again, but he held his tongue as Dave lined up to pay for the cake. “Abby’s a great girl,” Dave said to him. “A little too serious sometimes. But everyone likes her.”

  The cashier registered the sale and Dave was on his way back to the table, already eating the dessert with his free hand. “Oh,” Dave murmured to Max through a mouth full of chocolate, “I’m not sure, but Abby may already have a boyfriend.”

  Max’s eyes bulged. But it was too late. Dave was already crossing the room, then standing next to Abby, leaning over to her and saying, “Hey Abby!”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  January 16, 1990 at 12:12 p.m.

  Abby looked up at Dave. When she turned to face Max, she appeared astonished.

  “Abby,” Dave gestured, “this is, errr, uh…”

  Suddenly Max freaked. Time slowed to a stop, as he realized with his heart thudding that this was the worst thing that could have happened. How could Dave forget my name already?

  “Uh, hi. I’m Max,” he stammered, and forced a smile at Abby. “Nice to meet you.”

  Tentatively, she acknowledged him standing there. “H-h-h-hi Max.”

  Abby never took her eyes off Max, until one of her friends said, “Abby, sorry to interrupt. Are you still meeting us at the commons tonight?”

  Abby quickly recovered and swallowed noticeably. “Yes, uh, right, I am. What time?”

  To Max’s huge relief, the girls made a plan then quickly shuffled off for classes. Dave and his pals also hustled off, Dave high-fiving Max as he grinned conspiratorially. Max looked around the room, and saw that it was emptying out. He glanced back at Abby, who was all big eyes. Max had dreamed about this moment, and it had finally come.

  He was falling for her, head over heels, once again.

  He tried to speak, but all that came out was a dusty croak. Abby stared at him, saying nothing. Suddenly Max felt ill. After a moment, to his mixture of relief and dismay, she put a hand down on his, smiling but serious, calming him.

  “So, Max,” Abby started. “That was very sweet of Dave to introduce you to me.” She caught her breath and her voice took on a scolding tone. “But at the same time, Dave knows he’s not supposed to reveal anything about me without my consent.”

  Reveal? What was she talking about?

  “He didn’t reveal—”

  Abby continued, “Dave’s promised me not to pass on any—” she struggled for the right word, “—private information about me. I hope he kept that promise.”

  Max heaved a sigh of relief, and nodded at Abby, sporting a smile.

  “Great. Now that we gotten that out of the way, what would you like, Max?” Abby asked almost too sweetly. Max’s memories flooded back. He’d remembered how Abby took control of a situation, analyzed every angle, and played each shift in her role to the hilt. And, from experience, he knew the best thing was to play along.

  “Abby, uh, okay, I’ll be blunt.” Max eagerly attempted to make his voice as soft as possible. “I wanted to talk to you.” He glanced around the room, looked back at Abby and swallowed to gather his courage. “Abby, uh, I wanted to ask you for a date.”

  She giggled immensely and a red blush stained her cheeks. “Oh my,” she looked down at her hands and tugged at her rings. She peered up at Max, who was clearly delighted. Max could read the thoughts racing through her mind. Can I trust this guy? He’s not a sociopath, is he?

  Abby laughed. Then she frowned. “I’m supposed to drop in with the girls at 7:30 tonight.”

  “Cancel it,” Max said confidently. “You can see them anytime.”

  She put a finger on her lips, obviously deep in thought. “Um… okay.”

  Max was staggered. Keep cool. He felt that sick sensation again, and fought it off.

  “So, uh, I’ll see you at seven?” he asked.

  “Sure.” She scribbled out an address on the napkin and handed it to him. “Pick me up.”

  Abby stood and shook his hand. She smiled as she gathered her things and headed out.

  When she was out of sight, Max collapsed back into the chair. His brain instantly scrambled to think of a place to take her. He searched his memory for the kind of food she liked. She was fond of German and Thai. Wait, would Thai food be common here in Guelph in the early 1990s? Dammit! Where was the Internet when he needed it?

  He raced over to the public phone, and ripped through the Yellow Pages. He was tempted to rip out the pages in desperation, but stopped himself. Grudgingly, he calmed down, and picked out a tiny restaurant in downtown Guelph that served German food. The place sounded like it had a quiet ambience. Probably cuckoo clocks, oompah bands, and nutcrackers, Max grinned to himself, praying that when Abby walked in that night she would fall in love with the place.

  And maybe him, too.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  January 16, 1990 at 7:16 p.m.

  “It’s perfect!” Abby exclaimed, as they strolled up the restaurant later that night. “I’ve seen this place a million times but never gone in.”

  Max reacted with glee as he gestured to the way in. As soon as they were seated, he noticed her eyes were darting around and sparkling. “Max, I don’t know how you did it. My family has a German heritage. My great-great-grandparents came to this country from Hamburg.”

  Max smiled. “Wow, what a coincidence.”

  “I’ve always loved down-home German cuisine and I just love this restaurant! It’s so well decorated.”

  “Would you like a glass of white wine?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I would.”

  “I know you don’t like red wine.”

  Abby took a moment to respond. “No, but…” She gave him a startled look. “How did you—”

  Max looked across the table at his Life I wife. She appeared so vibrant, generous, happy, and… holy cow, so young. Max absorbed her appearance with fascination, nodding approvingly. At the time he first met her, she’d long adopted a wavy hairstyle, and had even undergone an occasional perm. Then, when the kids were born, she’d lost interest in taking care of her looks, and relied on a collection of hair clips and bands to keep her hair out of her face. But the way she looked tonight was—how could he put it?—simply breathtaking.

  It felt like old times again. Anything was possible.

  “It’s nice to see you again,” Max addressed Abby, taking in her youthful beauty.

  Seeing this, Abby blushed. “Thank you.”

  “I forgot how beautiful you were.”

  “Since this afternoon?”

  �
��Uh, yeah!” Max said, grinning.

  Abby drank a quick sip of wine before speaking. “So, Max Thorning, tell me about yourself. Are you from Calgary?”

  “I’m originally from Vancouver,” Max answered. “I’m studying at the University of Calgary.”

  “Studying to become…?”

  “A doctor. Which will take forever. Nine or ten years.” Max sighed. “What are you studying?” he asked, even though he knew the answer.

  “Kinesiology. It’s the scientific study of human movement. Although I’m not sure I want to stay in it. I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian. I’ve always loved animals.”

  This was news to Max. “I never knew you wanted to be a vet.”

  Puzzled, she said, “How would you? We just met.”

  “Right. Of course,” Max laughed, to cover his goof. “But if you want to be a vet, why don’t you switch majors?”

  “I’m considering it.”

  Max laced his fingers together on the table. “Look, I don’t know if you should switch.”

  “Why not?

  “Because I can see you going on to work at a national sports injury clinic, helping lots of people, and then maybe specializing in something.”

  “Like what?”

  “Working with ADHD children.”

  Abby stared at him, eyes bright and wide. “What’s ADHD?”

  “Uh,” Max answered clumsily, “it’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.”

  Abby made a wow expression and tilted her head. “Never heard of it. Must be something new. But wow… Max, what an imagination you have. I love the idea! I just love kids! Do you like kids?”

  Max’s chest ached underneath his clothes and he felt his pulse race at the thought of seeing Angela and Brandon again. If he and Abby carried this meeting out to the fullest and were married, would it result in his children being born again? Probably not, since he and Abby had now met under different circumstances. Deep down, Max acknowledged that the empty ache in his chest would never be filled again with the glowing faces of the two children he had in Life I. For a moment Max closed his eyes, and dreamed of hugging his children close to him. Then the image splintered, disintegrating like rain on the sidewalk and was drained away, and he saw them no more. He opened his eyes, looked around the room, avoiding Abby’s eyes and acting as though he was seeking the arrival of their food. Tears threatened, and Max had to blink hard to keep them away.

  “Max,” Abby softly said, “you all right? You seem to be getting emotional.”

  “I’m good,” said Max with hesitation. “Just bad allergies, that’s all.” Suddenly the waiter arrived with their plates. “This looks great. Let’s eat.”

  Abby dove right in to her plate of wiener schnitzel and spätzle. As Max was chewing, she said, “So, where were we in the whole getting-to-know-each-other conversation? Do you have a brother or sister who has that attention deficit syndrome thing?”

  In horror Max chewed, shaking his head at her.

  “It’s okay if you do, you know.” Abby touched his arm. “I don’t know a lot about ADHD, but it sounds like nothing to be ashamed of.”

  He swallowed and then sat hunched over his dinner. For a moment, he thought of telling her the truth about their life together in Life I. Not all of their marriage was great or even memorable, but it had been real. He longed to tell her about Angela and Brandon. Tell her how Angela loved to paint colors on a stick about an inch thick, using the most brightly-colored permanent markers she could get her hands on until the entire stick was covered end to end with a smattering of magical colors. Tell her how Brandon liked to wake up at six in the morning and make cakes all by himself in the oven and then decorate them with goofy icing of food colorings so the whole family could eat them for breakfast.

  But Abby wouldn’t believe it. She was, at heart, a practical person. Revelations of Angela and Brandon were premature and would be upsetting. She’ll think I’m crazy. Besides it’s not the right time yet.

  Perhaps it would never be.

  Max’s mind turned back to dinner, savoring the moment, still unable to believe that he was actually face to face with a younger version of Abby. When the coffee was served, Abby looked up at him, her lips near the rim of her cup.

  “Why are you really here, Max, all the way from Calgary?”

  No, Max’s mind moaned. No, you can’t answer that yet. “I, uh, just felt an urge to come here. That there was something—someone—I had to see.”

  She blinked her lashes at him. “That’s a bit strange, Max. But I like that you follow your heart.” Abby studied his face and Max got lost in her eyes, remembering the passion and joy of those early days in their romance. A shaky grin began to stitch across his face.

  “But you said you knew me. How is that possible, when we haven’t met?”

  “I told you. Your friend Dave told me about you.”

  “But,” Abby smiled at him, convinced she’d trapped him, “How do you account for the fact that you saw me this morning while I was walking, and recognized me?”

  “Umm,” Max tried to think. “It’s really very simple.”

  “Yes?” Abby seemed delighted by this exchange. “I’m waiting.”

  “It wasn’t the first time I’d seen you. Dave pointed you out while you were in class. That’s how I recognized you.”

  “Which class?”

  Crap, thundered Max’s mind. Crap. Crap. Crap.

  “I don’t remember. But I saw you there.”

  “Okay,” Abby said as she mulled everything over. “But it still doesn’t add up. You just told me you’re from Vancouver. Now, I don’t know Dave that well. But I know he grew up in Toronto.”

  “So?” Max smiled. Here it comes, Max thought. Damn! Why did Dave have to run off before Max could give him the third degree in questioning about his upbringing?

  “So you’re from Vancouver, and he’s from Toronto. He said you met in school. How is that possible?”

  Max’s eyes widened with sudden, belated alarm. How far can I go with this, he wondered, before it all backfires?

  “You ask a lot of questions, Abby,” he finally said. “Why can’t you just accept that we are here, right now, together. Do you always have to analyze every single situation?”

  Abby sat back. Her tone was sharp, teetering on the edge of anger. “Excuse me?”

  Max suddenly felt he was encased in an envelope of chilly air.

  “Listen, uh. I just wanted to meet you. And David made it happen. It really is that simple.” He was desperate to buy time. He’d gotten himself into this mess, and he was going to have to deal with a way out of it.

  He leaned forward. “Abby, do you believe in fate?”

  Abby had a puzzled look on her face. “Maybe,” she said.

  “Abby, I have a feeling we were destined to be together. To share something special. And that maybe we already have.”

  Abby searched his eyes for an answer.

  “Do you feel anything about me… anything familiar? Like destiny… a sense that we might belong together?”

  Abby thought some more. “Not really.”

  Max felt his heart tighten into a vise. His fingers felt numb, and cold. Clearly, surprising her years before they were destined to meet had been a serious error. He’d been remarkably curious to see if he could ever love her again, but perhaps there was a time for everything. Now, he had sabotaged their future. From this day forward, Abby would always think of him as an impulsive, weirdo character who came out of nowhere one day and left just as quickly.

  Maybe he should just leave money on the table and cut his losses.

  “Look, I don’t know how to put it,” Abby whispered, looking at Max, “but it does seem like you know me, in some weird way.”

  Max shivered. He cleared his throat.

  “I’m a very rational person,” Abby continued. “I believe in building trust over time. I don’t believe in love at first sight, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Abb
y, I wasn’t—”

  “—Or fate. Or whatever. I have to confess that I already have a boyfriend.”

  “Who is it?” Max was suddenly curious. Abby had mentioned to Max in Life I about having a couple of boyfriends in college. Max mentally kicked himself for not getting that information. Had he known, he could’ve timed his visit better.

  “Not that it’s any of your business,” Abby replied, “but it’s Rob.” She hesitated. “Well, he’s not a boyfriend yet. But we’re very close.”

  Max sat forward, seeing her face grow suddenly pale.

  “But even if I didn’t have a boyfriend,” she added, “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. You come on strong, Max, and, frankly, you make me nervous. It’s just not my style.”

  “Then why are you here with me?” Max asked dejectedly.

  “I-I-I…I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I was curious.” Abby thought for a moment. “Max, you’re obviously staying in Guelph overnight. Are you going to be around tomorrow morning?”

  Max felt his heart knocking harder and more rapidly than it ever had in his life.

  “Yes,” he said as he gulped.

  “Can we meet tomorrow morning? In the Student Center?”

  “Why?”

  “I want to think this through,” she answered, putting a hand back on his. “Is that okay?”

  Max grinned. “Okay.”

  “I had a nice time. And you obviously are very caring. That’s a nice quality.”

  He smirked. “My parents raised me right.”

  Max paid the bill, then called them a cab. In the cab, Abby grasped his hand and didn’t let go until they arrived at Alumni Hall.

  “Good night, Max.” She bent over and kissed him lightly on the lips. He pushed in closer but she pulled back and drew in her breath. “See you tomorrow.”