Another chance

The new dog walker

*Okay. Last night was weird.* Miguel thinks as he lies awake in his bed. He fell asleep in his shorts and a shirt under the blanket which is now just a ball since the night grew hot.

It has been hours since he met this new 'hero' and he still thinks about the encounter.

He have been up for over 30 minutes and doesn't even tried to get up to work. Which is weird and that didn't go unnoticed.

"What got you all worked up like this?" Lyla asks as she appears on his bed side table.

Miguel groans and turns to the other side, covering himself with the blanket.

"Oh, come on. It is almost 5:30 and you are still in bed. What happened?" Lyla appears in front of his face and her brightness could be seen from under the covers.

"Why would someone need to happen?" Miguel snaps at her uncovering the blanket from his upper body as he sits up and looks at her. "Why can't I just stay in bed? Sleep more? It is healthy." He lies back.

"Yeah, yeah..." Lyla says and waves her hand and appears next to his head layed down. "Oh come on... what happened?"

"Nothing." Miguel says looking up the ceiling.

"Oh okay." Lyla disappears but not for long as her little, yellowish hologram figure stands over him. "My data says other."

Miguel perks his ears at this and looks at her with a puzzled look. "What do you mean.."

"It says you came home rather frustreted..."

"Mad..." he corrects her.

"...and you spent 10 minutes throwing everything around."

"Yeah, because I was pissed off." Miguel stands up from the bed.

"Then you spent a long time having a bath... till the water was cold as your heart." Miguel gives her a look at this comment as he dresses up. "Which didn't help... so you ended up giving into your frustration letting your desire come to life..."

"Shut up." Miguel orders as he stands there with his pants and shirt on.

"What happened?" Lyla asks.

"Miss know-it-all doesn't know it?"

"Na-ah." She answers and appears in front of him laying on her stomach hands holding her chin.

Miguel groans throwing his head back before looking at her. "There is a new hero.... and she is amazing... like really good... and it makes my blood boil with so much ang..."

"..lust." Lyla winks at him.

"No, are you even paying attention? She took my place as the hero of the city..."

"If I remember right, which I do luckily to my big memory, you left this city to help the multiverse."

"Yes, but I didn't thought they would..." He groans and waves his hand. "Just forget it." He starts walking to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out. Why? What does it look like?"

"Do you know what are you doing?" Lyla asks to which Miguel slams the door loudly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*What am I doing?* Miguel thinks. He is walking in a park which is nowhere near to where he lives. *Did that woman really worked me up this badly? Made me forget to keep my cool? I mean I have every right to lose my cool. Who does she think she is? Taking my rightfull place as the hero of the city.*

Just as he thinks these things a tennis ball falls next to his leg followed by a dog. The dog catches the ball and brings it back to its over.

"Good girl."

Miguel turns in the direction and then looks around. *Oh for fucks sake. I walked over to the park where everyone takes their dogs. I hope I don't step into dog shit...*

"Now catch this..." Miguel hears a voice and the next second a frisbee flies into his head from the back followed by a gigantic dog making Miguel fall down but he stops himself from falling by his hands.

The dog which just jumped on him starts to sniff him and look at him as he sits up.

"Oh gosh I am so sorry..." a female voice says, probably the owner of the dog. "Oh, it was you. Nevermind then." She says and calls her dog.

"Rosei." Miguel mumbles as he stands up but she ignores him. "Rosemary please." And she ignores him again. "Rosemary Whitney Wilson, can I have a word with you? I just want to talk." He says louder.

Rosemary stops in her track and waves her hand for him to join in her walk, which Miguel is eager to do.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asks as they start to walk again her dog, without a leash, walking next to her as some sort of protection.

"I know I messed up. I don't know how you know everything but I wanted to tell you eventually..."

"You fucked up. Multiple times. Then expected me to forgive you when you clearly didn't even tell me the truth. Did you really realize how much you messed up or you just want me to forgive you?"

"Yes. I do. I am so sorry, I just felt..."

"Don't you dare to finish that sentence." She says as the continue to walk on the pavement. "I don't want to hear your reasoning."

Miguel just nods. *Why did I thought this is going to be easy? She will never forgive me.... but why would she?*

"So..., this is where you walk your dog? Isn't this far from your place?" He asks after a long awkward silence.

"Yes.... wait how do you know where I live?" She asks back raising an eyebrow.

"I was with Amelia the other day... I mean I helped her move out... you know Gabriel asked me to help... that's how I know you have a dog, Brian," he explains and looks at the dog next to Rosemary. "and that you go to a therapist... and thatyou had a problem with money..."

"Yeah I had..." she says with a sigh. "I mean I had to pay for the hospital and the medicines..."

"I could have helped..."

"I didn't need your help. I was fine alone with Amelia. She helped me. Stayed with me. Didn't leave me on my deathbed to find someone better for herself."

Miguel sighs. "Look, I know I caused a lot of pain... but I want to make it right. Can we start again? As friends maybe?"

"Not friends. Strangers. I just don't feel like I know you anymore."

Miguel nods. "So you walk here your dog everyday? Even of it is far from your apartment.."

"Yes. I ran here with Brian every day and play here... this is like the best park around here..." she says and looks at him with a softer look than a minute ago. "But you can only walk here with a dog..."

"What?" He asks back and looks down next to him. "On no. Where is Fluffy?" He acts a bit too dramatic but he earns a light chuckle from Rosemary to which he smiles.

"Fluffy? Like in that old movie? The multiple headed dog?"

"Three headed. And there is a book then a movie."

"Nerd."

"Just simple knowledge."

"You made me watch the movies a houndred times... and read me the books."

"But you loved it."

"The actors were fine, and you have a lovely voice... that's why." She says and then both of them turn silent.

Miguel wants to ask something but gets interrupted. "I gotta go. Nice seeing you. Bye." Rosemary says and starts to run to her apartment.

"Bye." Miguel whispers before kicking a rock away with full force.

*Tonight's patrol will be fun.*