Just as he was thinking of wearing a pair, it happened! A wayward branch snuck between his eyeglasses and face, scratching his left eye when pruning a tree!

“Damn it! How could you be so careless!” he cursed.

He was upset, even more so, realizing that he advised a friend a few days ago to wear safety goggles when using the mini chainsaw that he ordered for her.

“Where were you?” he growled, passing by his goggles sitting idly on the garage shelf as he retreated to his house.

He could have gone to the 11:15 a.m. opening at the Eye Clinic the following morning, but opted for another the next day. The 11 a.m. lunch out with 2 old friends seemed more important. It was planned months ago with Emma flying in from California and Daniel on wheels from Florida.

The parking lot of the Mexican restaurant was practically desolate as his car coasted down the sloping and winding lakefront road. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted a parked red sedan, a striking sight among rows of empty white-lined parking spaces.

“That must be Em’s!” he muttered, stepping on the gas a bit.

“Hi, Leo!” screamed Emma as his car coasted next to hers.

They rushed to hug each other and, as if on cue, Daniel appeared in his white pickup truck. He hastened to join, creating a three-lock embrace between best friends who had not seen each other for decades.

“Oh, my! There isn’t much gray hair to cover your head, Dan!” quipped Leo.

“And your paunch is stretching your pink polo shirt to its limits!” Leo shot back.

“It’s like old times again!” Emma yelled. “Cut it out, you two!”

“Ha! Says the one who yesterday texted me, calling me an asshole!” returned Daniel.

“Alright, alright! Enough with the banter!” Leo admonished. “I think the restaurant is open. Let’s go in.”

Except for a waiter wiping the morning dew off the outdoor furniture, the restaurant was empty since they were early. Emma ordered a pitcher of margarita as they were seated.

“By the way, I will continue to wear my shades, if that’s okay,” Leo said. “I accidentally scratched my left eye pruning trees and it’s bloody. I can take them off if it won’t bother you.”

“Let me see it,” Emma asked, inducing Leo to remove them .

“Wow, it is red!” cried Daniel.

“Leave them on since it bothers me,” Emma said.

“Okay.” Leo nodded, replacing his shades. He then urged the two to also raise their glasses. “Here’s to our reunion!”

“So, how was the drive, Dan?” asked Emma. “My flight was uneventful.”

“It was fine, but was scary going through Tennessee,” he replied. “The state ranks third in violent crimes.”

“That’s what I heard,” Leo said. “Oh, I got lost on the way here! The airpods fell off my ears and I missed Siri’s traffic directions.”

They all laughed as they started to munch the free chips dipped in salsa.

All worked together for years with Leo being the supervisor at a microbiology laboratory. Emma left to become a nurse. Daniel became a project manager at a nearby research laboratory. They were very close, being of similar age and outgoing personalities. They continued their regular lunch out until Emma and family moved to California, Daniel to Florida thereafter.

With his shades as a cover, Leo felt safe in scrutinizing his friends’ physical appearance. Daniel didn’t have much hair, but his boyish looks were still apparent. The deepening laugh lines now complimented Emma’s impish face. Other than his pot belly, his almost white beard and mustache; and balding crown escaped their usual, cruel mockery.

“Well, lucky me!” he mused, as they continued their discourse on current happenings, interspersed with recollections of the past.

“Yeah, I remember when Em opened all the doors to the laboratory cupboards and cabinets and then slamming them all close when I scolded her for leaving some open,” quipped Leo and turning his face towards Emma, he continued, “I could have fired you for insubordination!”

“I know,” replied Emma, spraying margarita as she giggled. Then she countered, “Oh, I remember how you kept reminding Dan to pay attention whenever we had a group meeting or when you worked on bacterial cultures with him.”

“Uh-huh!” Leo agreed. He paused until he realized that the timing to ask a gnawing question couldn’t be more perfect, so he continued, “Dan. I’ve been wanting to ask you something ever since you were a student. Were you suffering from narcolepsy?”

“Whaaat?” Daniel responded, dropping a forkful of enchilada on his plate.

“Well…your eyelids always turned heavy as I talked.”

“I…I…don’t think so,” Daniel replied, tapping his food with his fork and after a second, continued, “And was that why I was not rated high on my performance evaluations? Why did you have to wait till now to ask that?

“Um… um…” Leo mumbled.

“Well, I was surprised that you didn’t place Em on probation for what she did.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Emma barked. “How did you know that? Did Leo share my performance evaluations with you? It really was none of your business!’

“Listen, guys!” Leo interjected, moving both palms downwards. “I’m sorry to put a damper on our conversation. I didn’t mean to.”

Emma’s shook her head while taking another sip from her glass. Daniel picked at his now flattened enchilada. Leo let out a short sigh as he lowered his head, daring not to gaze at both despite his masked eyes. Except for the noise from the occupied nearby tables and the chirping of a sparrow by its nest under the roof, their table turned quiet.

“Did I do the right thing?” Leo thought. “Retrospection is one thing, but of what, how, and why is another. Was I being careless? Should I have left well enough alone? Did my shades have anything to do with my brazenness?

The silence becoming more uncomfortable, Leo felt the need to break the ice.

“Did you know that I lost it when you guys left the laboratory?” Leo’s voice trembled a little as he struggled to draw in the distressed two. “Things were not the same anymore.”

Emma and Daniel looked up to face Leo.

“Did you cry later or while in the lab?” Emma asked.

“Right after you both left.”

“Aww…” chorused Emma and Daniel.

“Last round of drinks on me!” he offered, more for prolonging their moment together than smoothing ruffled feathers.

Buzzing from tequila, the trio took delight in sharing stories about family. Childless that he was, Leo oohed and aahed when Emma and Daniel shared pictures of their grandchildren, but kept his amusement and relief to himself when both complained about how taxing grand parenting could be. Having exhausted family albums, Leo showed a group picture of them taken 4 decades ago.

“Oh, my God! What happened to us?” cried Emma.

“We’re now in our 70s, what did you expect?” barbed Leo.

“Not me! I still look gooooood!” Daniel bragged.

“Admit it! Em’s an old hag and you and I are old coots!”

Their laughter echoed throughout the now crowded Mexican restaurant as their reunion wound down.

“Well, I have to hurry,” Daniel said, prompting Leo to ask for their checks. “I have yet to see my in-laws on my way back.”

“Enjoy your ride, but stay away from Tennessee,” Emma laughed.

“Have a safe flight, Em!” Daniel said.

“Yeah! Have a safe trip, both of you,” Leo said, his voice breaking up a bit. “Hope we can get together again and soon and I’m sorry for what happened in there.”

“Oh, that’s okay. We’ve always known you to be frank, being *AH #1!” Daniel scoffed.

“Uh-huh and Dan is AH #2!” chimed Emma.

“—And I’ve always wanted to say that I learned a lot from you,” Daniel continued, ignoring Emma’s remarks.

“Me, too,” Emma echoed. “And you have a better vocabulary than most native-born Americans!”

The 3 BFFs patted each other’s shoulders as they hugged in earnest, not wanting to let go.

“Aww…don’t cry, Leo,” Emma said, noticing Leo’s deepened frown lines creeping above his shades.

“Shut up!” Leo interrupted as he hurried to get inside his car. He tried to hold the lump in his throat at bay, but the tears just welled up when they waved goodbyes.

The last one to leave, he glanced at his rear view mirror while his car rolled up the slope. His polarized shades accentuated the seagulls ridge soaring across the blue sky and the small waves shimmering on the lake. His lungs expanded with the late spring air while he tried to etch the moments in his memory.

He eyed the safety goggles as he inched his car inside his garage. Ignoring the slight throbbing in his left eye, he took his iPhone and strained to text through his shades.

“Your presence and wonderful memories made me feel alive today. Thank you, Em and Dan!”

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*AH = asshole