Right Beside Me

“I always knew you hid to protect those you love, but I never thought I’d see you like this,” Anna wept. 

 His blood was underneath him, staining the boardwalk. 

As much as Anna wanted to grieve properly, her college graduation was the next day. She threw herself into her bed as her navy blue short dress and her cap and gown stared her down. “I will honor you by finding who did this and why,” 

The graduation was swift, a blur for Anna thankfully. She went straight to Danny’s wake. 

Anna looked around and sat. How could they have pulled this off so fast? The police say it was a heart attack, with Danny’s history it’s possible, but that doesn’t explain the amount of blood. 

“Do you need a shoulder?” she heard.

“Who are you?” she asked. 

“Danny’s Mom, I am so sorry we had to meet like this,” the person said. 

“Please sit, and I’m sorry too,” Anna scooted over in the pews. 

“It's a shame that he never heard my speech because if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have graduated,” 

“I choose to he sees anything now,” his Mom handed Anna a box. 

“What is this?” Anna asked. 

“Your graduation present,” his Mom smiled. 

“It feels wrong to open it now,” Anna sighed. 

“I understand,” her Mom squeezed her shoulder. 

This mood contradicted the beautiful weather. She sat on the edge and pondered on the what-ifs or possibly why this happened. 

“Annie?” she heard. 

She stood up and froze. “I don’t understand, how are you?-,” 

“I want you to honor me by doing everything we wanted… not bitterness,” he walked closer to her. 

“How can I do it without you?” she wept. 

“Please, it's the only way my soul can rest,” he urged.

When he disappeared, she fell into a slumber. 

Joseph, an old friend, heard of the news. After no responses to his texts, he went to the wake, and that was when the search began. 

Joseph and Danny’s Mom looked everywhere. It was the summit of the day when they found her. 

“Anna, can you hear me?” Joseph asked. “Fuck, how long was she out here?” 

“I need you to not move her; do you know how to do CPR?” her mother asked. 

 “I got my certification this morning,” he answered. 

“I’m going to call 911,” she dialed. 

 He started as he tried to calm down. “Come on, we can’t lose you too,” 

Danny gasped. “Not on my watch,” 

 The ambulance came quickly. 

Anna woke up with her head bandaged. 

“I don’t know if I should scold you for worrying me so bad or hug you because you’re alive,” she heard.

“Danny?” she asked. 

“He’s still dead,” Joseph said. 

“Jo, what are you doing here?” she asked. 

“We found you at the boardwalk unconscious,” he asked. 

“I was sulking about Danny and I swear I saw him,” she sighed. 

“Oh honey, scoot over you need a hug,” he sighed. 

“I do,” she said. 

He squeezed her. “I am so sorry, but I’m going to kill you if you ever do this to me again,” 

“Noted,” she sighed. 

“What did he say?” he asked. 

“He wants me to do everything we planned, she smiled.

“Is that what you want to do?” he asked. 

“Nah, I want to find out what happened and torture their ass,” she admitted. 

“I hear ya loud and clear, but I have a proposal,” he said. 

“I’m listening,” she said. 

“We can do both,” he said. 

“I don’t get it?” she responded. 

“We find out what happened and we will do everything you wanted to do,” he explained. 

“You’d do that for me?” she asked. 

“I would, I think you’re very cool,” he said. 

“Thank you,” she said. 

“You’re welcome,” he said. “So what’s it going to be?” he asked. 

“I’m in,” she smiled. 

“Wanna have breakfast together?” he asked. 

“It can’t be morning yet,” she looked at the clock. 

“I meant when you’re out of the hospital and more settled,” he chuckled. 

“Oh, but I’m not much of a breakfast person,” she answered. 

“Fair enough, how about you think of something and we meet up then?” he asked. 

“K,” she snuggled against him and fell asleep. 

It was time for damage control when Anna had more energy. 

“You’re coming home now!” her grandmother pointed out. 

“Granny, please, I have no place there,” she begged. 

“You can live with me,” her grandmother plead her case. 

“You know that isn’t what I meant,” Anna sighed. “I went out of state to explore,” she added. 

“Your boyfriend is dead and with your degree; why are you still there?” her grandmother asked. 

“That is not how you convince someone to come home, you know?” she hung up. 

There was a knock. “Can I come in?” Joseph asked. 

“Sure,” she sighed. 

“I could hear you barking from down the hall. Who were you arguing with?” he asked. 

“My grandmother wants me to come home, and I don’t want to,” she explained. 

“So, it’s going home to be miserable or be homeless?” he asked. 

“Afraid so,” she said. 

“Well, I have another proposal,” he sat. 

“Tell me,” she said. 

“Go home until Monday, it’ll do you some good while I set up my new apartment with you as my roommate,” he said. 

 “A weekend in my hometown is too long; besides, isn’t it a little weird if I move in with a guy after my boyfriend died?” she asked. 

“After what's happened, it won’t be too bad to at least try,” “If you don’t enjoy living with me, I can find you a place of your own,” he said. 

“I’m in,” she sighed.

Anna was still unsure about how this would play out. Is this want Danny wants? What if Danny's mistaken? Is this what I want? What was Danny hiding from me and why? Can I trust the answers I'll receive? Will I ever be able to move on?

There was a knock on the wall that grounded Anna. She turned her attention to a bright-eyed, Joseph. "Morning," she yawned.

"Hi," he smiled. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like my soul could leave my body," she answered.

"Didn't sleep at all huh?" he asked.

"Impossible," she yawned again.

"You can sleep in the car," he guided her out of the dorm room and she turned off the light.