Ch 2
The small animals that habituated the forest scampered about in the trees and on the ground. Baby bunnies darted into their crudely made homes, for the craving of their mother's warmth. Birds sung as if life was a gift worth singing. Why couldn't she be one of those happy-go-lucky creatures that with no responsibilities or fears? Unfortunately, that was not the way her life worked. She had no time for fun, or really, any want for it. Being busy kept her mind focused, so it would not wander into those horrible memories she forced herself to repress. But then again, she loved remembering all the happy times she and John had spent together...
It was Christmas Eve, 6 years ago. They had just come back from the beautiful cathedral service that was held every year on that night. It was their first Christmas together, and she wanted to make him part of her annual tradition. She could still see the stain-glassed windows, with their intricate designs, reflecting the light from the moon, tinting the snow to shimmering, silver crystals. She loved that church; it had an old-world charm that seemed to warm your heart as soon as you stepped in. Decoratively shaped candles in holly-bound holders illuminated the matte-colored walls, flickering light towards the nativity scene and numerous crosses. Fragrant fir tree branches and boughs wrapped around monstrous stone columns, while mistletoe hung from the beams. It was a magnificent sight to behold, with all the people and families crowded in to praise this wonderful day. Suddenly the lights dimmed as the chorus burst into a melody of Silent Night. Some of the people around her joined in with them. She took this time to look over to John, and saw him smiling lovingly at her. At that moment, she knew that she loved him too. The reality of this perfection seemed just a figment of her imagination, but no, it was truly happening. She could see that he would be there for her always, and that fact just made the feeling even more incredible. Overwhelmed with joy, she could not stop the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. Here she was with John, in her favorite place in the world, and nothing was going to take him away. At that moment, everything was absolutely right.
She snapped out of her reverie when her kitten, Tiger, clawed at her leg, begging for attention. She fed him his favorite treats and watched him play with a ball of yarn in the corner. She had found him outside her house one cold night, and couldn't just watch him freeze to death. The poor thing was so thin that you could see his ribcage expanding as he took each breath. She watched him grow stronger everyday as she nurtured him back to health. Soon he became the baby she had always wanted, so she spoiled him every chance she could. Ah, another animal that was carefree and enjoying each day of life. Great, just what she needed to feel better. It was probably a bad idea to have let the memories come back to her, even for just a few moments. The temptation was too much though, at the time, and she couldn't take back her actions now. She sullenly reached for her worn-out Jane Austen novel, (she couldn't count the number of times she had reread Northanger Abbey, it was her downright favorite book) and immersed herself into the plot until she slowly fell asleep.
