A Cross Examination of a Disgrace and Syrup with Honey

I'll Keep All My Emotions Right Here and Then, One Day, I'll Die

Weekends didn't mean rest for Garrett.  Those were his busiest days, though he knew--and his father was insisting--that he would need to choose a day to keep the store closed before his body collapsed in exhaustion.  That's why, regretfully, but knowing it was his best choice, he decided to keep the bakery closed on Sundays.

His first free Sunday, he woke up early, feeling tempted to go downstairs and open anyway.  So, to keep himself away from the temptation, he put on his best pair of exercise pants and a hoodie and decided to go for a run.

There was a park he really liked that he hadn't gone to in a while, but since it was at a considerable distance, he drove there.  It was a sunny day, even though the weather was getting colder and colder.  Soon, the town was going to be covered in snow and the first Christmas decorations would appear.  Garrett started thinking about Thanksgiving, which was closer, as he parked the car and grabbed his phone from the passenger's seat.  He was looking forward to the holidays.  He would stay with his family and enjoy a couple of days of nothing but relaxing with family and friends.  He cherished the moments he spent helping Dana in the kitchen or sitting next to Derek and Larson on the couch as they screamed at the TV because of some football game he would never understand.  Those were the things he missed the most about being independent, not having them around more often, not enjoying those little everyday things he used to have back in high school, when Derek and Dana had just gotten married.

He started running, loving the way his muscles stretched and worked together.  He had been too busy to exercise lately, but he missed it.  He loved the way it allowed his mind to empty of any unnecessary thoughts and how liberating it was.

The park was pretty much empty at that time of the morning.  There was an old couple sitting on a wooden bench having a cup of tea and letting the steam from the cups warm their faces.  There was another woman, a few years older than him, stretching next to a tree and random people passing by, but it was quiet and Garrett appreciated that.  He rarely got any moments of calm in his life, especially since opening Ellie's.

He was wondering to himself what he would do with his free time, thinking maybe he could drive back to Fort Wayne and visit his dad, when he accidentally dropped his phone and he had to stop running to pick it up.  Frowning, he checked to see if it was broken, which it fortunately didn't seem to be.

The next thing he knew, a dog was trying to lick his face and, in his attempt to stay away from him, Garrett fell backwards.

"Robert!" A voice called, sharply, making the dog look up behind Garrett and wag his tail happily.  "Bad boy!  Don't do that!  Are you okay?  I'm so sorry."

Garrett lifted his head to see Nate looking down on him with concern, and then a bit of surprise too.  "You didn't say you had a dog."

"Garrett!" Nate smiled as he reached for Robert's leash.  The dog was a mutt with shaggy hair in shades of black and light brown, big expressive eyes and funny ears that seemed way too big for his head.  He kept wagging his tail, looking between Garrett and Nate with interest.  "Hi."

"Hi," Garrett answered, wiping his face with his sleeve.  He instantly regretted being sweaty and wearing such unfashionable clothes.

Nate extended a hand to him.  "Here, let me help you," he pulled him to his feet and then reluctantly let go of Garrett's hand.  "I'm really sorry.  My dog is a bit, uh, enthusiastic, I guess."

"I'm fine, don't worry," Garrett pet the dog's head, smiling.  "What are you doing here?"

"Walking him," Nate explained.  Garrett then took a moment to actually look at Nate and felt a rush of relief when he noticed Nate was wearing clothes similar to his and that his hair, normally styled, was now curly, unruly, and adorable.  "What about you?"