Chasing Anne

A Few Words Can Change Everything

Heartbreak. It was all she could feel. Utter despair, hurt, resentment, pain...her list could go on and on. Anne's heart pounded as she watched the last of her family and friends pay their last respects and then leave the graveyard. She had to wait until they all left. She didn't want them to see her. Once she was sure that they had all gone, she crept over to the lonely grave and knelt down in front of it. She silently stared at it, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She pushed them back, squinting her light blue eyes shut. Anne bowed her head, and turned her eyes away from the gravestone; away from the hurt. Her fingers curled themselves tightly into fists and she clenched them fiercely, fighting the pain. She had promised to be strong. She had promised to keep going. She had told him she would carry on. But how could she? Her father was gone. She couldn't bring him back this time. She couldn't run to him anymore. She couldn't talk to him. She would never see him again. She bit back a sob and laid her bouquet of dark red roses over the gravestone, her fingers trembling. She let go of the prickly stems and for a moment, let her hand linger close to the grave. She touched the cold gray stone and ran her fingers over her father's beloved name. The cool substance sent a chill down her spine. At least he was at peace. At least he was home.

"Home with Jesus," she whispered.

His long battle against leukemia was over. He was at rest. She decided that she could be grateful for at least that. She stood, brushed off her black jeans and then stuck her cold fingers into her jacket pockets. Taking a final glance at the cold stone that capped her father's grave, she turned and retreated to the graveyard parking lot. Her car was one of the last sitting in the lot. She fumbled with her keys and then unlocked the old car's door. Sitting down in the driver's seat, she stuck the key in the ignition and then fired it to life. The engine rumbled, protesting against the groggy weather. She waited for it to charge to life and then shifted to reverse. The car slowly backed up and then with a single turn, it headed for the two lane road that would lead her home.

The car ride home was quiet, the only sound being the slow rumble of the car's old engine and the low sounds of the cars passing. As Anne pulled into the dirt driveway of the old farmhouse she'd called home since graduating college three years before, she couldn't help but smile as her black husky peeked out the front window, its pink tongue hanging low out of its mouth in a wide grin. She laughed, pulled the keys out of the car's ignition, and let the car shudder off. She opened the car door and stepped outside, the late April weather meeting her outside. The gentle breeze brushed gently across her tear stained cheeks as she walked to the front door and unlocked it. A ball of black and white fur met her on the inside, jumping up and licking her face. She laughed and squatted down, ruffling the fur on the husky's neck. The dog's black tail thumped on the floor as the big dog sat down and looked into her bloodshot eyes. It whimpered, as if it understood her hurt. She smiled and kissed the dog's forehead.

"How about a ride to the park, Dawn?" she asked, looking into the dog's big blue eyes. The dog's tail thumped again and Dawn jumped to her paws, running back into the house and returning soon afterward with a leash in her mouth. Anne took the leash and clipped it to Dawn's collar.

"Let's go," she said softly. The dog yipped in agreement. Anne laughed, turning back to the door and once again opening it. She let Dawn ride in the front seat beside her and backed down the driveway, turning back onto her dirt street. She and Dawn had been together since the husky was a puppy. Dawn had been a graduation present from her parents who didn't like the idea of her being all alone after she'd finished her school. Anne had accepted the gift and named the little husky Dawn. She'd been grateful for the company of her canine companion. Especially at times like this.

She pulled off the highway into the gravel parking lot of the park and got out of the car, Dawn following her. She smiled, letting the dog wander towards the large fenced in area that Anne always let her scamper about in. Once they reached the location of the dog park area, she unclipped the leash and let the black husky scamper off to play with the few other dogs that had gathered at the park. Almost instantly, Dawn trotted over to a golden Labrador retriever and the two greeted each other. Anne also recognized the retriever and winced. She knew more than just the dog. She knew who owned it. She leaned against the wire fence of the dog park, hoping that she wouldn't be seen. The last thing that she needed to deal with was another person. Dogs were easy to spend time with. A human was a totally different story. She'd been trying to avoid attention all day, but she had a feeling that she was not going to be left alone this time. Dawn and the Labrador took off across the dog park towards a young man who stood opposite them at the other end of the park. Anne cringed. He was here and he'd seen her dog. She kept her eyes low, not wanting to know whether he'd seen her or not. When nothing happened, she was nearly confident that she'd gone unnoticed when a strong hand rested itself against her shoulder and gently turned her around. She tried to withdraw from the touch, but decided that facing him wouldn't ruin her day more than it was already ruined. She forced a smiled and looked into the green eyes of Mark Normand. He smiled, taking her hand.