The happy couple got up in the morning and put on their loose fitting jeans and tees. They brushed their teeth and combed back their hair. Splashed a little water on their faces and left through the front door. They were of that age and of that look of love that meant they could leave the house without shower and still look put together. They walked the two blocks to their local coffee shop – starbucks had not taken occupancy yet – and ordered two cups of joe and a scone to share. He flipped through the sporting green while they talked about what to do with the rest of their day.

Coffee and scone down, they headed back home. Restroom and Run time they like to call it. When they got home he noticed the side gate leading to the yard was ajar. Must have blown open in the night again. The man walked over to close it while the woman entered the house. At the gate the man saw dog prints in the dirt leading into the yard. And what looked tennis shoes prints, a size too small to be his and too large to be hers. He turned and rushed inside, his instincts always with her. He then found her sitting at the kitchen table, relaxed and smiling. She saw his tension and asked “what’s wrong honey?” as he tried to calm himself down. “nothing”, he said. “It’s nothing”. “OK”, she said and she went back to her notebook and writing. She was always writing.

He left the kitchen and trying to remain calm looked in each room of the house. He then retuned to the kitchen and sat down next to her. The yellow lab got up from her side and licked his hand. An old friend returned. “What have you’ve done with her?” he asked.

“Oh, she’s gone now” she wrote and smiled.