I took a deep breath as I finished stretching, and plugged my earbuds in. I tapped my phone and music blasted through into my ears as I started a slow jog.

These morning jogs started as an initiative for a more healthy lifestyle. However, now I was so used to it that it had become a necessity. More than just the adrenaline rush, it gave me time to sort of escape reality for a while. Or on some days when my mind was feeling jumbled up, I use the time to try to sort out my thoughts.

This particular morning was just that sort of morning. Gabriel’s return had brought up thoughts I had unconsciously put at the back of my mind. When did it start to go wrong? I tried to backtrack, but the sudden cold treatment from one of the people I thought were closest to me had put me in denial, unable to face the fact that we had grown apart. More than that, unwilling to admit that I may have done something to cause it to happen.

Even as the thought ran through my mind, I shook my head incredulously. What could I possibly have done to drive him away? And if he really held a grudge against me, why did he act as though everything was normal yesterday? It just doesn’t make any sense.

Right on cue, the most recent Storm’s song played through my earphones. Gabriel’s voice, just as angelic as his namesake, serenaded his listeners with the accompaniment of the band. Surprisingly, their song pushed the troubled thoughts out of my head – I couldn’t help but just enjoy the song. That was until a sudden tap on my shoulder caused me to jump and yelp in surprise.

Before I could turn to yell at the offending jerk, he overtook me, running in reverse to face me. I gaped at him for a second before stomping my foot and telling him off.

“Gabriel? You jerk! You scared me!”

Gabriel laughed, obviously enjoying my reaction to his unexpected greeting. I glared at him as I yanked my earphones off. “You know how jumpy I am.”

“How can I forget? It’s one of the things I’ve always liked about you.”

Awkward silence followed his reminder that you used to be close. Gabriel cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, a gesture that you’ve always found adorable.

“Uhm, so… are you out for a jog?”

I resisted rolling my eyes at him. “No, I’m out for a drive.” Gabriel smiled sheepishly at my retort. “What are you doing out so early? Don’t tell me you gave up sleeping in on a holiday to jog!”

Gabriel looked away and started walking. I followed him, still catching my breath from my run. “I have to keep in shape,” he said. “Besides, I like jogging. It helps clear my head.”

I couldn’t help smiling at that. The awkwardness before was slowly melting as we fell back to our close friendship from before. “I know what you mean. The morning air really cools you down… and I work up such an appetite after.”

At that statement, Gabriel prompted, “say, wanna get some breakfast?”

We turned to each other, identical gleeful expression on our faces. “Allesandro’s?” We said in unison, then laughed.

“So I take it that it’s still in business,” Gabriel grinned as we started walking towards the cafe.

“They wouldn’t dare close!” I said with passion. “Their breads are the best!”

“Not to mention their gelato,” Gabriel said knowingly. Everyone knows that I couldn’t resist ice-cream, especially gelato. “I’d say it’s too early, but for you I know it’s never too early for gelato.”

I grinned as we entered the cafe and chose our food before settling down at an outdoor table.

We started to eat in more or less comfortable silence. Then he asked, “So how’s everything going? Your restaurant seems to be doing well. How is your father?”

I smiled at the thought of the restaurant that I had inherited from my father. “He’s enjoying retirement by travelling all over the world. I hear from him once in a while. The restaurant is going great, but it was tough at first.” After telling Gabriel some stories during my restaurant takeover, I turned the question on him. “What about you, how is the celebrity life?”

He couldn’t help laughing at that. “It’s really surreal most of the time. Sometimes I think I might just get used to it, but hearing you call me that makes the whole thing sounds even more ridiculous.” He went on to tell me some of his experiences as half of the two-man duo Storm; the process of producing songs, practicing, the sold out tours… stories that brought back thoughts from earlier this morning.

Looking at Gabriel sitting opposite me, I wondered how I never noticed how good he looked. The morning sun highlighted his blonde hair, and his face was still slightly flushed from the morning run. He wasn’t buff or anything but I could see well defined arm muscles as he shoveled food into his mouth. I shook my head to clear it. You sound like one of his crazy fans, I thought to myself. He’s just an old friend. An old close friend.

But if we were close… why was I only hearing these stories now? I’d chalk it up to him being busy, but I knew that he and Selia kept in touch. Yes, the two of them may be closer and he and I were but why didn’t he talk to me at all? Not long before his first album was about to be released, his messages and calls dwindled until I was not even a part of his life anymore. Until now. But why?

Being the observant person that he was, Gabriel quickly noticed that his stories were falling on deaf ears. “Are you okay?” His question snapped me back to reality.

“Ah, sorry. I got a little distracted. It wasn’t that your stories are boring!”

He smiled understandingly. “That’s okay.”

Silence ensued once again as we resumed eating, but I did not feel as comfortable as I was before. My fingers tugged on the edges of the napkin in my lap, debating whether to say something and possibly ruin this revived friendship or simply accept things to keep this fragile equilibrium going.

Well, I have never been good at keeping my mouth shut. “Gabriel… there’s something I need to ask.”

He looked up at me from his almost empty plate, his eyes sharp. “Ask away,” he said hesitantly.

“We used to be close, weren’t we? What happened to us? It’s like you went completely missing from my life for almost two years and now you’re suddenly back?” I blurted out.

He winced – I had hit the nail right on the head and he knew it. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you’re here now, but I need to know why you stopped talking to me for so long. And don’t give me the ‘I’m busy’ excuse, because I know you talk to Selia a lot. I don’t expect you to talk to me that much, but there has to be a reason for completely ignoring me until yesterday. What happened?”