Loving You From The Past

We arrived to Tokyo Table;
a Japanese restaurant.

I've never tasted Japanese food
when I lived back in New Jersey.

But when I arrived to California,
I met Sam and this was where
he took me for our first date.
He kissed me here in our third.
Asked me to be his girlfriend in our fifth.
Asked me for marriage in our sixty-eighth.

I always got a warm feeling when I came here.
I always got a comfy feeling eating Japanese food.

We sat at a table with four chairs.
With me next to Sam.

We ordered our food, and alcohol.
Figuring they could order their own when they arrived.

I looked at my watch.
Ten minutes late.

"Sam, where are your-"

"Here they are!"

I looked up.

My heart reacting so strongly that I felt like cringing.

I jumped out of my chair.
And ran to the arm's of my best friend.

"Frank,"
I muffled into his shirt.

He wrapped his arms around me.
Chuckling loudly.

"Wow, Polly. I haven't seen you in so long."

He pulled me away from him.
Putting his hands on my shoulders.
And lifted my chin up.

"You told you were going to visit me,"
I said.

My cheeks hurting from smiling too hard.

"I know. I know. I'm really sorry,"
he apologized.

"You better have a damn good reason,"
I playfully spat at him.

His cheek started to turn pink.
His mouth grinning with all his teeth.

I laughed.

And turned to look at this next guest.
Because I didn't get to see who they were.
Since Frank was the first one walking,
and I got overly excited.

His bleach white hair was the first to get my attention.

He shifted uncomfortably with his feet.
His hand stuck in his pocket.

"Gerard,"
I breathed out.