But, she didn’t know what to do or where to go. She figured she should go ask at information. But where was information?

Before she could move, she felt a tug at her pants. Looking down, she stared into the eyes of the most precious girl she had ever seen in her life. The child’s big brown eyes stared deep into her own. Suddenly, Audra had another flash. But she actually had this one in the day. What was going on?

“Hi there,” Audra said, not sure of what to say.

“Mommy?” the baby asked innocently.

“Are you looking for your mommy, sweetie?”

“Mommy?” the girl asked again.

“I don’t know where your mommy is. Is your daddy here?”

The little girl quickly nodded her tiny head. Her brown curls bounced, and her perfect teeth gleamed in the morning sun streaming in from the windows. She was the most beautiful creature Audra had ever seen in her life.

Audra thought that she should inform someone of a missing child. Lifting her head, she tried to find some information booth. She felt the tug at her pant leg again. Looking down, the girl was pointing in the direction of something.

As Audra followed the girl’s finger, her eyes fell upon a young man and woman, about her age. They were staring at her in shock. Audra figured that they were the girl’s parents, and that they thought that Audra was kidnapping their daughter. Audra didn’t want that to happen. As she went to turn her head back to the girl, her eyes made contact with the man’s. She felt another flash, like the ones she had been having before.

More images were coming together. This time, she actually saw the man in her vision. She saw faces, heard sounds. But most importantly, she felt things she never had. Or rather, hadn’t felt in a long time… It was like the world around her had stopped. She was far away from the man, but he felt so close. She had never met this man before in her life, and yet the intense way in which he searched her eyes was the most intimate thing she had ever experienced.

Suddenly, a mass of people rushed into her. A plane had just landed, and all the passengers were eager to leave their business flights, so they swarmed past Audra.

Out of the blue, someone grabbed Audra’s arm and pulled her away.

“Excuse me?!” Audra said, bewildered.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said a tall man, with sinister eyes. He carefully looked her up and down, and then made a quick surveillance around before releasing her arm.

Brushing herself off, Audra frantically searched around her for the girl… and for the man. She couldn’t see either of them. In the time that the plane had landed and the waves of people had washed over her, the girl had disappeared. She struggled to find the man who had fascinated her so. There was something about him she couldn’t exactly place -- but she had to find out who he was and why she felt the way she did in his presence.

She heard a distant voice calling something repeatedly, but she couldn’t make out what it was. The terminal was too loud for her to pinpoint the source of the voice, and soon, Audra lost track of the faint sound she had heard.

She had never felt so small in such a large place -- like a single star in the entire universe.

*****

“Liz!” Max called frantically. The woman who had been near his daughter -- their daughter -- had been Liz. He was so sure of it. She looked just like her. The beautiful chestnut hair. The creamy, flawless skin. The petite, lithe frame. And her eyes. The eyes that he became lost in. They connected -- he knew she felt it too. But it was different. Maybe it had been because it had been so long since he had been with her, but it was as if a cloud had come over her. She seemed to struggle to find him. What was making her think this way?

“Liz!” Max yelled. Max was causing people’s heads to turn and look at him as if he had four heads. He could care less. The only thought on his mind concerned Liz. Where had she gone?

In his frantic search for Liz, he had almost forgotten about Anna Lisa. Where was she? Who was he to find -- the wife he hadn’t seen, who he’d thought he had lost, or his beautiful child, who he actually had?

Isabel supplied the answer. “Look, Max, I’ll get Anna Lisa. She can’t be too far.”

“Thanks…”

“Find her.”

With a quick nod, Max took off.

*****

Audra had somehow been thrown into the hubbub of a departing crowd. The mob around her seemed endless -- she couldn’t find a path out. More and more anxiety brewed in her stomach -- now, more than ever, she needed to see the man.

As ridiculous as it sounded, she felt as if she had fallen in love for the first time. They hadn’t even spoke. They didn’t even know each other. So why was she so enamored with him? Why was he making her feel like she had been asleep her whole life?

She needed to find him.

As Audra quickly spun around, she crashed into a tall body.

“Whoa!” a male voice said.

“Sorry, I -- ”

“Audra?”

Audra looked up. It was Ben. Ben Thomas, from the plane. Audra sighed. Not him again. “Hi.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, um, nothing…”

Neither of them said anything right away, but Ben spoke up quickly. “I don’t want to sound too forward, but do you want to get some breakfast? I’m famished.”

Audra opened her mouth to decline, but was cut off by Ben.

“I’ll pay. I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer.” And before she could even reply, she was whisked away to the food court.

*****

“Liz!” Max seemed to be calling for her endlessly. He couldn’t believe that she was right in front of him, and he had lost her again. He hated himself for losing her. Why was he so blind? Why couldn’t he do anything right?

Simply looking at her, Max fell in love with her all over again. She hadn’t changed. She was still so beautiful… and still so dazzling on the inside. She was wearing a pair of doctor’s scrubs, a gray tee, and carried with her a backpack. It was like the Liz he had loved in high school; the Liz he had loved in college.

What amazed him was how Anna Lisa found her. Anna wasn’t very good with strangers -- something he had been grateful for, actually. She never wanted to be with anyone but him -- but that was partly because she had no one else, really. But, it was almost as if Anna had actually found Liz for him.

And to top everything off, he didn’t even know where Anna and Isabel were. His mind was so befuddled, he couldn’t even think straight. Knowing his luck, the woman wasn’t Liz at all, and just some stranger who looked like her. He had just lost his daughter and sister for some stranger.

Still, a glimmer of faith and love in Max’s heart told him not to give up just yet.

But how long would he have to wait?

*****

Audra could barely sit still as she ate with Ben. She kept moving her head around, hoping for at least one glance at the man who had so quickly stolen her heart. She just needed to see him, speak with him. She could no longer rationalize what she was feeling. But she didn’t care. The effect he had on her was mesmerizing. It was the most exhilarating feeling in her life. And somehow, she knew he felt it too.

But what about the woman who had been standing with him? Had that been his wife? The soulful emotions he emitted to her heart seemed only for her, and no one else.

She knew everything sounded ridiculous. Nothing was making sense.

Her brain told her every action she had taken since she woke up early that morning was wrong.

But her heart overpowered her brain in telling her she was right.

*****

Max knew he was getting lost. He had only been to the airport a few times, and didn’t know it well enough to know where everything was. He had seen a blonde man take away Liz. Something didn’t feel right about that. Max had convinced himself that the woman was Liz. So why was she going off with other men?

And why didn’t she make any reaction when she saw him?

*****

Audra and Ben ate in a little food court which was quite far from the terminal that Audra and Ben had landed at. She didn’t understand why they had to eat so far away -- there were plenty of places to eat all over the airport. But Ben had insisted they go to the far end of the airport. Not only was he boring, he was pushy. Whenever she mentioned she needed to leave soon, he wouldn’t let her go.

Audra was beyond confused.

Audra looked back at Ben to see him staring at something behind her. Audra whipped her head around. There was nothing there.

“What are you looking at?” she asked suspiciously.

“Nothing,” Ben said. “I’m just… tired.”

Checking his watch, he stood up. “Well, it was nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Audra said carefully.

“Keep in touch, okay?”

“Alright…”

“Talk to you later, Liz.”

Audra froze.