Mr. Linden's Library

Fighting

Mr. Linden had known me personally since I was eight when Azalea was born. My parents had me stay with my grandma for a week. She decided to take me here to meet a good childhood friend of hers, Arthur. We soon became good friends, and I couldn't imagine life without him. When my parents started fighting the library was my home. The library is more of a home to me than my mom or dad's house. I might not have had a room or a bed there, but the library made me feel safe. Arthur was the one who introduced me to Charles Dickens and all the pain and suffering I had felt from the fighting at home melted away when I was reading.
    As we walked into the back room I took a deep breath and could smell the old books. Everyone went to sit in their usual spots except me. I went to go make tea and hot chocolate.
    "So what story do you want to hear this time?" asked Arthur.
    "The one about the girl with a dog!" cheered Azalea.
    I thought of the first time I heard that story. My parents had just gotten divorced and I had to spend the week at my mom's new apartment. I had a rough night and decided to go to the library. I was, 11, Azalea was 3. I had already hated my mom. I hated her for not loving my sweet, kind dad the way I did. I hated her for splitting up our family. As I was walking here that night the sun began to set. I saw a family at the park together. It reminded me of the day I met Azalea. My sweet Azalea. When I went to the hospital. My parents were outside, they were happy. We went on a walk, they made jokes together. It was peaceful. I was 8 at the time, but then, I didn't know that I should have cherished that moment, because a little over a year later they started fighting.
    When Arthur first told me the story about the dog, he understood I was having a ruff night so he told me the story to give me hope. He told me about how the girl felt helpless and saw no light at the end of the tunnel. Until she found a stray dog, and they instantly became friends. The dog followed her around everywhere, but no one else could see it. One night when she got home her dog ran away, and the girl then vanished the following day. When I told Arthur that this story didn't make any sense, he explained symbolism to me. He told me how the dog was supposed to represent safety for the girl. Until the girl realized her dog never really existed. I hadn't done much for me when he first told the story to me, but I am beginning to understand.
When Azalea was old enough to understand the fighting, I became her best friend. She soon realized that not everyone's parents fought. She still loves my parents, but I am who she loved the most. She told me that one night when she climbed into my bed, she was crying because my parents were yelling down the hall.