Till Death Do We Part

Chapter Three

I was sitting in Elmwood Park when I first saw him.

I was tugging at the grass beneath me as I watched my three-year-old Golden Retriever, Haven, run wildly among the other dogs who played on the green grass. It was a hot spring that year, well over ninety degrees with the humidity, and even with my Aviators and a thick coat of sunscreen on my body I could still feel the sweltering heat dig beneath the surface of my skin, could still see the bright sun shining down on us. There were hardly any clouds for coverage, and even in the shade of an oak tree with a large bottle of water at my side I knew I was still going to be dehydrated and burnt. My thin white T-shirt was stuck to my sweat-coated back, my jean shorts tight around my legs while my long, golden blonde hair matted against my sticky skin.

Yeah, it was a miserable day, but despite the heat and humidity that practically set me on fire there was a strong, cool breeze that blew from the north, ruffling the pages of my book that I had to continuously clamp shut while I watched Haven play with the other dogs in the park. Her strong legs pumped as she ran after her new companions, barking joyously as she pranced and rolled and trotted on the green lawn, her thick hair rustling from the wind like golden waves on an open sea. I shot a few pictures of her with my Polaroid camera I had gotten for Christmas that year from my mother and let the film develop before slipping them in a small compartment in my camera bag and putting the Polaroid away. 

When I could see that Haven was more exhausted than having fun, I gathered up my belongings and stood up, brushing off the grass and loose dirt from my clothes and flesh as I called for her.

"Haven!"

I let her name stretch out the way I always do when I called for her, and Haven's head quickly snapped in my direction before she ran for me, her tongue hanging out her mouth and her golden fur flying back. As she got closer she slowed to her normal trot and sat still as I pet her and fixed her leash on her collar, scratching behind her ears.

"You have fun?" I asked as I began to walk us out of the shade and towards the water fountain, one with a pool of cool, refreshing water that could easily be lapped up or splashed around in by dogs --or children, for that matter. It was a new installment for the park as far as I was aware but seemed much needed considering how hot the Midwest could get and how many dogs run around this particular park with their owners. She panted in response but I could still see that goofy smile of hers out of the corner of my eye and I took that as a yes.

"Good. Let's get you some water, girl. I'm sure you're thirsty."

We walked at an even pace side-by-side to the water fountain, and once we were there Haven hungrily drank from the fountain, her fur darkening as she caught the flying droplets of water in her golden locks. I sighed contently and looked off to my side, watching the children rambunctiously play on the playground, their parents and babysitters not too far away. I watched for a few more moments before turning my attention back to my dog, who had pulled away from the water and was staring off in the direction of the trail we had just come from, her tail still and her fur rising along her back.

"Hae? What is it, girl?"

I tightened my hold on her leash as she lurched forward and began to bark, teeth bared and ears flattened against her head. I quickly glanced in the direction she was barking at and was caught off guard to see a tall, handsome man approaching us.

He was lean, with bleached blond hair slicked back and sunglasses taking up most of his sculptured face. He wore business pants, black dress shoes, and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, red tie askew and his black jacket slung over his right shoulder. His pale skin was only slightly darker than mine, and it glistened with sweat as the sun lit him up. As he approached us the man smiled, flashing strikingly white teeth that blinded me momentarily. Haven was still barking and snarling, and I tightened my hold around her leash, coiling the rope around my wrist as I tugged her closer to my side.