Alonzo always had cold fingers. Most of us don't notice the small things about others and I never thought about it except on warm summer nights when we used to do our secret handshake. It was mildly unpleasant, but I accepted that as part of him because everything else seemed so perfect. He never spoke much of himself, but he knew the way into the hearts of others and the ways in which his face could contort was incredible. Smiling from ear to ear is a common expression, but Alonzo really could do it. He possessed a gift to make people laugh-- to connect with others. Somehow it seemed superhuman. It's probably why people seemed to gravitate towards him. Our friendship lasted 50 some years. Over the years, we started to speak less and less. First the wife started taking up my time, then the kids. Eventually, my physical health started to take a toll on me. I didn't feel like the man I used to be. Today, the phone rang. It was a name I hadn't seen in 5 years. Alonzo. He suggested we go for a run, and after we could have a few beers. Though my body wasn't in the best shape, I wanted to see him again so I agreed. "What's one night of drinking gonna do" I thought. When we met, for the first time in years in realize he looks like he hasn't aged a bit. The smile remained perfectly intact, just as it had decades ago. He came to tell me something. Speaking softly Alonzo said "There's something you need to know... I'm not from HERE". I knew not of what he spoke. Confessions followed that he was an alien from the planet Areth, in the Milky Way Galaxy. I never suspected him a liar, and somehow I was at ease with this fact. It didn't bother me. I had so many questions -- Why did he come? Was there a mission? How old is he? Is he a HE?. Questions which might not be answered. We spoke late into the night, reminiscing about our times long ago. Alonzo reassured me he way he did everyone else. He used his enormous smile from ear to ear and shared a secret. "I was at I find out what makes you human. As it turns out, it isn't your genetic make-up. Your hair, your skin, or your organs aren't what make you human. It is in your ability to overcome primal instinct, and choose a path that isn't the easiest. It is human to listen, care, laugh, love and feel. That is what makes you human. And although my hands may be cold, my body ages a little different, and I'm from the planet Areth. I too, now feel human".