The Park

She comes here to be closer to him. Every day, rain or shine she walks the trails, talking to him.

They had gone to this park a week prior to "the day". It was a beautiful afternoon for an impromptu walk. They didn't quite make down to the beach.  She told him they were definitely coming back to make it the end of the beach trail.  He agreed, maybe next time they would take the bikes.

A few days after he was gone, she felt pulled to the park, she tried to ignore it but something kept telling her to go. She didn't like leaving the apartment, he was there, the place she feels his soul. She doesn't like to be away from him too long,  she couldn't resist the feeling any longer, she needed to be at the park.

The main trail starts at the beginning of the park with tall beautiful trees lining each side. The trees arch towards the middle of the trail so you are walking under a canopy of trees. The trail then opens up to a field with ponds, there aren't any trees, it is wide open nestled in between the canopied trees, it feels sacred to her.  There is one incredible tree that fell over, it's branches pointing downward appearing to grew in the water. She doesn't know why but the tree pulls her there.

She stops in front of the tree to talk to him. She asks if he is here, imagines him standing behind her with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She feels the wind pick up standing there, could it be him letting her know he is there with her.

The trail continues again with a canopy of trees straight down to the Bay. The lighthouse is directly across from her, she stands there waiting to see the beacon of light, again imagining it his him, that he has joined her on this journey.

She gets brave she starts discovering other trails, each day taking a different path. She feels close to him here, close to his soul. At certain spots, she feels the pull to go deeper into the trails. This is where she found the first heart. She was walking down the trail he had pulled her to, stopped and saw a fallen tree, it's stump shaped exactly like a heart. She smiled knowing he was guiding her, leading her to find his gift to her, his heart.

She has gone to the park everyday with the exception of two days since "the day". Every single day he leads her through the trails to find the hearts, tree stumps, intertwined branches even puddles shaped as hearts.

She also starts finding stones shaped like hearts on the trail down to the water. She starts collecting all the heart shaped stones, she brings them home putting them in a glass mason jar next to him along with the photos she has displayed.

She stops at the spot of the tree growing into the water remembering their love and their love for each other. He had found a way to tell her everyday "I Love You Babe". He loved her so deeply, he would tell her everyday, "you will never understand just how much I love you, there are no words".

She juggles the heart shaped stones in her pocket as she walks back down the trail, she imagines looking down the trail seeing him walking towards her. She looks up knowing he isn't she feels the familiar pain stabbing at her heart. She wonders as she continues could it be he is leaving her hearts so together eventually she can heal her shattered heart with him beside her...this is why everyday she goes, to be with him.

S.M Schultes

12/1/20