Him

3

My eyes landed on a man in a white formal shirt with slick back hair walking in with 3 other people behind him. He hasn't aged a day, his eyebrows are just as thick, his nose just as straight, jaw still strong. He still looked just as handsome as he did the first day I met him.

The baldness he was so afraid of was no where to be seen.

He didn't even look like he'd gain a single pound since the last time I saw him.

"Damn, that's your ex husband? I would've never let him go. I would've held on on my hands and knees." Lia said licking her lips.

I was left in shock when he started walking passed our table, Carly shot up before words of protest could leave my lips.

"Hey Vince, long time no see." Carly said and the man walked right passed her. I put my head down. I grabbed my purse and started picking out money to pay for our meal.

Carly followed after him all the way to his designated table.

"Didn't you hear me? Or have you just lost your ability to recognize faces, asshole." Carly said and he said somethings to his friends before he turned to face her.

"I'm the asshole?, me?" Vincent asked and I shuddered at the uncharacteristic venom in his words. I knew they were directed at me and had nothing to do with Carly.

"What do you call someone who pretends not to know you when you've know them since college?" Carly asked, crossing her arms. She didn't care that she was making a scene.

"I thought you and Astrid separated gracefully. I didn't get the memo that we were supposed to ignore each other from now on." Carly said and the man just chuckled.

"Gracefully?, we separated gracefully?, that's what she told you? She's so deluded."

"Don't talk about her like that asshole." Carly said sharply.

"I'm stunned at the fact that you think I'm the asshole, much more stunned at the fact that she told you about our 'graceful' breakup. I bet she didn't even tell you.. of course." The man said and my heart clenched painfully.

"Tell me what?"

"That I have kids. Kids who she was the surrogate mother for."

The women all around me gasped, I stared at the table. Shame trailing up my spine.

"Kids... what?" Carly said quietly mouth left gaped.
"Your best friend who claims to have had a graceful separation from me. Abandoned me and our children." Vincent said not even sparing me a glance.

"Hey I think you should leave." One of the people who came with Vincent said to Carly. Carly just stood there.

I grabbed my bag and dashed out the restaurant. I almost made it to the car and out of there but Carly was fast on my trail.

"What is he talking about?" Carly asked confusion mixed with something else in her tone.
"Children?, CHILDREN?!, you have kids?!" She asked, her cheeks are bright red and her anger is only going to grow from here.

"Carly-" I started words stuck in my throat.
"Don't fucking Carly me. What the hell is going on?"

"Carly.." I didn't know what to say.
"It was supposed to be a surprise-" I said and she's immediately confused.
"What?!"

"When I got pregnant, I wanted to surprise you with a baby. I didn't want you to know. I just wanted to introduce you to my child- children. And then things just started going terribly wrong. I don't know I just didn't- I just wasn't meant to be a mother. " I said tears welling up in my eyes.