Chance encounter

I happened to run into my middle school best friend over the weekend—at a restaurant she will soon be doing the interior design for, no less. I hadn't seen her in seven and one half years, and before that had only seen her once in the three years previous (she moved out of town after our freshman year). Needless to say, people's appearance can change a lot in ten years' time, especially the ten years between freshman in high school and whatever it is we'd be classified as now. We were across the restaurant from each other, and I could only see her side profile, so after we'd sat down, I thought that it could be her, but I couldn't be sure. I kept looking at her, several times making awkward eye contact with the guy at her table, and after a while I was convinced. Or I was at least convinced that the gal looked similar and had the exact same mannerisms. Memory and recognition are so intriguing; I wasn't sure based on her side profile, but the way she gestured with her hands and the way she held and drank from her straw was just as I remembered. Isn't it odd what your mind holds onto? Well, she eventually turned my way and looked at me and pointed, and we exchanged waves. And then she came over and we chatted for a bit. What a bright, unexpected spot in the evening.