How to dissect a heart

1

           Another quiet day at the cafe, the sweet smell of coffee flooding the air, the comforting low lighting, and of course, Anastasia's usual chocolate muffin. She has been coming to this cafe since she moved here for college. She was at her usual spot, a corner table by a big window facing the woods and sidewalk, medical textbook and laptop in front of her. She sighs as the words start blurring together, a slight headache creeping in. She marks her page and closes the book, wanting to take a small break. It was early afternoon, the warm sun at its peak in the cloudless sky.

          "Hey Ana, you look like you need another muffin." She looked up to see Sam, the cafe owner's daughter.

"You know me so well." She replied with a smile as she took the deliciously warm muffin.

           Sam took a seat at the other end of the table and skipped through the textbook pages. "How's your studying going?" Sam questioned.

"Boring." Ana shifted her head into her arms, letting out a long, exaggerated sigh.

         Sam put a comforting hand on Ana's arm and gently rubbed calming circles. "At least this semester is almost over."

           Ana smiled at Sam's attempt at making the situation lighter. But it was true, just one more week and fall break would come to relieve Ana of her constant studying torture. It was her favorite season, the smells, the rain, cool breezes, all of it. Ana decided she'd destress and go for a short walk through the park, get some fresh air and come back with a new set of eyes. "Thanks Sam." She lifted her head with a smile. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. Clear my head. Do you think you could keep an eye on my stuff while I'm gone?" she asked Sam.

         "Of course! Go take a break for me." Sam winked and left, resuming her duties behind the counter. Anastasia closed her laptop and grabbed her muffin, setting for the door.

         There was a lovely breeze combing through Ana's wavy hair. She wasn't too unordinary, light dusted freckles, a curvy sort of plump figure, brown hair that danced in the wind, and hazel eyes. She never thought too much about herself, just another human being among the many on this planet. She walked along the path in the park, woods to her right, flower field and trees to her left. She walked to her favorite bench, hidden by the trees, bushes on either side. Ana would sit there and just take it all in.

          Sometimes she would think of how she got here in this small town. When she was a kid, Anastasia's father unexpectedly passed away to an underlying medical condition that could have been easily prevented. She grew up in a big city, healthcare wasn't very affordable and that led to her father's passing. Her mother raised her and worked hard to give her the life her daughter deserved. Ana remembers even through the long shifts at the bakery, her mother would come home with the leftover muffins every night and set a chocolate one on Ana's bedside table for her to wake up to in the morning. Ana looks up to her mother, remembering how beautiful she was, her amazing character. Nothing ever lasts though. Her mother developed early onset dementia and went to a care home due to Ana's wants. The last she saw her mother, it was to tell her she got accepted into university, and the pure joy spread across her mother's face is what's holding her together through college.

        She chose the medical field in name of her father, hoping to provide more accessible care to those who need it. She stared at the field of flowers, looking at her favorites, snapdragons. A rustling in the tree line caught her attention and she snapped her head towards the noise. Somewhat in the distance she could make out the silhouette of a man dressed in black. It seemed he was wearing some sort of Halloween mask, a navy blue with black details, she couldn't quite make out the details from where she was. He quickly moved back in the trees, out of sight. "I think I've been out here too long; I'm going crazy." She grumbled to herself and left back for the cafe.