His name was Steve. She didn't know that actually. When he said his name she just nodded like she remembered. Because she did remember him. Knew him only because of Alan's mom.

Sometimes when they had lunch plans,

Imogen Howe

would pick her up at the exercise studio. Imogen would see the instructor there.

She felt like she'd seen the face as soon as she saw him at the gas station. Just couldn't figure out who it was until he said. Seemed reasonable. She saw a lot of faces over the years at the cafe. As her mind scoured to remember where she had seen this face, the initial assumption had been that it was a cafe customer.

She really wanted to remember where she had seen the face. But he told her too soon. I'm Steve.

And then she remembered exactly. Not at her cafe. And they had never met. Just seen him from inside her car.

She thought of her old life living with Alan. She didn't miss Alan or that life one bit. She thought that this must be unique. She imagined other people missing their old life and old partner somewhat. In Imogen's mind, that entire relationship and those years were a complete waste.  Now she had to make up for lost time. Maybe that's why she had run away again. Maybe she was beginning to see her 

cafe

in the same way she saw Alan.

She had thought about it before. Leaving the cafe for good. Someone else had left it with her. That's how she had become the owner. At the time she couldn't understand how anyone would leave such a nice business behind. Just give it up?

Now that she was older. More tired. She could understand. Yet she didn't want to give it up. She'd rather run away. And hope that someone else would take it from her.

But the cafe wasn't like a piece of land. And this wasn't the middle ages.