In the Park

The park was beautiful. A bright green, grassy expanse sloped gently down to a stand of trees and then to a lake. There were two pathways winding through the landscape, and water fountains on both of them. There were benches and picnic tables, with a few people sitting at them while others wandered around, taking in the sights and scents of the area. Everyone seemed relaxed. Bella and Malcolm walked along side by side, but she knew he was really coming here because she liked it. He would sit and work while she enjoyed the park and made friends. Just once, she wished he would accompany her and see what she saw in the park. But he just smiled at her, then went to a picnic table and opened up his laptop to work.

She watched everyone as they explored and greeted each other. Some she had seen there before, while many others were strangers. Feeling shy, she looked back at Malcolm, but he was already engrossed in his work. She walked slowly and carefully through the park, watching others exercising and taking in the fresh air and sunshine. Nearby, she came across three children playing together – they looked like siblings. She watched them fondly, walking closer as their play became rougher and she feared one might get hurt. Finally, the smallest boy squealed in pain and backed away from the others. She looked around to see if their mother was nearby, but they seemed to be alone. She went to the boy, checked to see if he was all right. He was fine, he had just lost a fight and needed to sulk before going back to his brother and sister. The sister walked over and tried to bully him, but Bella distracted her to give the boy a chance to recover. The little girl looked at Bella, trying to decide whether to ask her to play. Bella got down to her level, so she was not so intimidating, and the girl shyly walked up to her and pressed against her.

A few yards away, Micah had been playing a ball game with three of his friends when Bella caught his eye. He stopped and watched her with interest. She seemed to be alone, and clearly these were not her children. He swaggered up to her and crowded her, bumping into her, and taking the opportunity to inhale her scent. She smelled of an exotic perfume, but beneath that was a comforting, earthy scent. Bella was startled by his sudden contact, and she looked up at him warily. He was confident and assertive, but she sensed a bit of bad boy energy. She looked over at Malcolm, who was talking to a woman next to him at the picnic table. The woman reached out and touched his hand, and Malcolm closed his laptop. As usual, he had forgotten about Bella, and he would not come to rescue her. She stepped awkwardly away from the newcomer, but Micah turned and followed her, watching her for signs of interest.

Bella pretended she had seen a friend across the park, and she walked swiftly towards someone she vaguely recognized. Micah followed her, keeping pace as though the two of them were walking together. She looked across at him, and he made steady eye contact with her. Suddenly, she froze. Her instincts warned her that she was in danger, and she took off into the trees. Micah chased her immediately and for a few seconds she dodged him among the trees. Micah’s friends joined in the chase, and eventually she found herself trapped between them. Bella held her breath as they surrounded her, circling, greeting. No one else was walking through the trees, and Bella could not see anyone around who might notice her plight and rescue her. She hung her head and tried to pretend they weren’t there. Maybe they would get bored and leave her alone. She felt Micah touch her gently, and she looked up in surprise. He wasn’t threatening her, he was flirting. Relieved, she looked around. Micah’s friends were standing around, also not threatening. It was as though they were including her in their group.

Bella blinked, observed the group silently, and slowly relaxed. Shaking herself off, she felt the need to do something physical to rid herself of the effects of the adrenaline rush. They were all near the lake’s edge, and they were surrounded by puddles. Bella jumped into a puddle, splashing Micah playfully. Micah laughed and splashed her back. Then Micah’s friends started running at each other through puddles, making their own, more aggressive game. Micah moved closer to Bella, and started play-fighting with her. At first, she was alarmed at his movements, but as she repeatedly rebuffed him and he kept coming back for more, she gained confidence and reveled in the body contact. All the stress and fear slipped away from her, and she felt a connection with Micah that was so different from her connection to Malcolm. Micah’s friends had moved away and went in search of other diversions. Finally, breathless, she ran uphill and lay down under the trees. Micah walked alongside her, planting a swift kiss on her, then headed off towards his friends. Together, they walked around the park, acting like lords of their domain, bullying anyone who got in their way. Yes, definite bad boy energy. But she preened a little because she had hung out with the bad boys, and they had let her join their gang.

She lay comfortably among the trees, watching the other visitors to the park. She felt more confident now. Occasionally Micah would pass by, and she would greet him happily. Now she had friends who would come to her aid, even if Malcolm was too busy to notice her. The sun warmed her as it filtered through the leaves above her.

Apparently, she had fallen asleep. She woke up to find Malcolm standing above her, looking irritated. “Didn’t you hear me? I’ve been looking all over for you. Come on, let’s go.”

Bella looked around, trying to spot Micah, but he was nowhere in sight. Still, it was good to see that Malcolm had finally missed her and had come to find her. He lay down on the ground next to her and cuddled her, pressing his forehead to hers. “Did you have a good time, love? Make any new friends today?”

Bella stopped looking for Micah. Malcolm was the center of her world, and she responded to his physical affection, snuggling up to him and kissing him. Bad boy energy is fun for a while, but this was a real relationship. They would go home together as usual. She walked out of the park with Malcolm and when they reached the car, he wiped her paws before letting her jump in. Maybe she’d see Micah next time they came to the park.