Fool With Dreams

“Okay, okay, I’ll try,” Ash sighed to her anxious dog who was whining in front of her.

She pushed herself up from the couch, growling in pain. Once up, she walked to the front door and took Hemi’s leash from the hall closet. She tried to attach it to his collar but the pain was so over bearing she had to sit down.

“I’m sorry bud, but I don’t think I can take you out,” she whispered, tears of pain slipping down her face. Hemi sat down on his haunches, close to her, licking her face.

Two hours later, she was still sitting on the cold floor of the hallway, when Matt and Val came in, using the spare key Ash had given to them. Val had insisted that she would visit Ash every day until she was fully healed. And since Ash didn’t want to go through the pain of getting up every time, she had given her a spare key, so Val could get in herself.

“What are you doing on the floor?” Matt stopped abruptly, hall was the last place he was expecting to find Ash. Val bumped into his back not realising her man had stopped suddenly.

“What the h...? Ash? What happened?” she quickly stepped around her husband when she saw Ash sitting on the floor.

“Hi! Don’t mind me, just like sitting here,” Ash joked, embarrassed about the situation. She hated to be so helpless and weak.

“Yeah right. And I’m a turtle with green wings,” Matt huffed, kneeling down by her side. He had seen Hemi’s leash next to her and figured out what was going on. “Let’s get you back on the couch.”

He took her carefully in his arms and started to lift her up. Feeling pain again, Ash growled through her teeth, which made Hemi growl at Matt, thinking that he was hurting her mommy. Matt laid her quickly down again and was ready to pull away when Ash grabbed his arm, keeping him in place.

“Hemi no! He’s only trying to help,” she said to her dog. “Just be calm and confident, I’ll keep my eye on him. He can’t get aggressive at every male who touches me,” she added to Matt.

“You sure?” he asked, eyeing the now quietly sitting dog a bit suspiciously.

“Yeah,” Ash nodded, getting ready to endure the pain once again. This time she would do everything to not to show it so much.

Matt leaned closer again and Hemi stood up, his head low and his eyes on Matt.

“Hemi, sit,” Ash commanded and after giving her a doubtful look, Hemi sat down, his body still tensed.

Slowly and carefully Matt lifted Ash into his arms, making sure that Hemi staid on his spot. When he walked to the living room, Hemi followed them, alert and ready to jump in if needed. Ash kept her eyes on him the whole time.

“It’s okay Hemi, he’s a friend. He will not hurt me,” she talked to him calmly, trying to show him that there’s nothing to worry about.

Matt laid her down on the couch and slowly knelt down, ignoring the anxious dog beside him.

“Now, what the hell were you doing in the hall?” he demanded, keeping his voice calm, while covering her with a fleece blanket that was laying on the armrest of the couch.

“Hemi wanted to go for a walk. It’s almost a week since the last time. I just had to sit down for a moment,” Ash said, hoping that they wont ask how long she sat there. And to her relief, they didn’t.

Matt sat next to her on the couch and Val headed to the kitchen. Hemi leaned his head on Ash’s knee and looked at her, pleading look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry boy, I’m not capable of taking you out yet. I know how much you want to go running but I can barely walk,” Ash stroked his head and scratched behind his ear.

Hemi licked her hand before taking a few steps to Matt and leaning his head on his knee, giving him that same pleading look.

“You’ve been forgiven already, he knows you’re on our side,” Ash smirked at Matt’s stunned face.

“Well, I guess I could take you out then,” Matt reached out his hand and patted the dog, making his tail wag in satisfaction.

“Thanks Matt, that would be soo awesome,” Ash thanked while carefully slouching deeper into the couch.

“Let’s go then, buddy,” Matt stood up, Hemi jumping happily around his legs.

“God Matt, I love you so much right now,” Ash smiled, watching the two of them leave the room. She hadn’t seen her dog so happy since the incident six days ago.

“What am I hearing, girl? You love my husband?” Val demanded playfully, handing her a cup filled with steaming coffee.

“Thanks, honey. I love him because he’s taking Hemi for a walk,” Ash smirked at her friend, knowing that she wasn’t really mad, “he’s been so unhappy here, trapped inside. Backyard is just too small and boring for him to move around enough.”

“I could take him out some days too. And I’m sure Jimmy would be gladly in too,” Val smiled, holding her coffee cup between her carefully manicured hands.

“You’d do that?” Ash was surprised, she didn’t expect that her friends would bother to do something like that for her.

“Sure. It’s not such a big deal. I’m sure we all can find that much time so at least one of us can come over once a day and take Hemi for a walk. We’ve been coming over every day since now anyway,” Val dismissed Ash’s surprise with a wave of her hand. “So, what are you going to West-Chester for Christmas?”

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t want to travel while being half crippled,” Ash said with a sad smile. She didn’t want to be alone either but the distance was just a bit too much.

“But you can’t stay all alone here!” Val wasn’t pleased with her plan.

“I won’t be all alone, I have Hemi with me,” Ash smiled. This was her first Christmas with Hemi and she planned making it special for the two of them. Hemi was her only family now. “Talking about Christmas, do you think Matt could help me get a big Christmas tree and help me set it up?”

“Sure! Just tell him when you wanna go and we’ll come with you,” Val smiled, happy that she could at least help with something. She already had offered to decorate Ash’s entire house for Christmas but Ash had declined firmly. That didn’t mean she was gonna give up. No, not yet. If Ash was gonna be here all alone then at least she would have a beautiful house full with Christmas spirit. Val made a promise to herself, no matter what it would take, she’d find a way to get it done.

“Yo, Babes! Where are you?” Matt yelled from downstairs, after looking around the empty rooms.

“Up here, hon,” Val yelled back, smiling happily. A few plans were already spinning around her head and she couldn’t wait to share them with Matt.

“Hey, Ash, I had an idea while we were walking. You usually take him to a run every morning, right? I was thinking that I could do that until your back in shape again. I go for runs too and I could just drive here and run around on this side of the beach,” Matt told excitedly, his grin spreading from ear to ear.

“Thank you Matt, but you don’t have to go through this trouble. We’ll be fine,” Ash said, turning her face down. She had always managed on her own, she didn’t feel comfortable when everyone wanted to do things for her. She felt like she would owe them her whole life.

“Eh, don’t worry. It won’t be trouble at all. I like this little guy, I’d be happy to take him for a run,” Matt scratched behind Hemi’s ear, making the dog wag his tail happily. Looking at them, Ash couldn’t take away that chance from Hemi, she knew how much he loved running.

She walked to Matt and hugged him as tight as she was able. “Thanks Matt, I don’t deserve a friend as good as you are.”

“Sure you do. And I’m not that good,” Matt laughed, carefully hugging her back.

“Oh, yes you are, you both are,” Ash stepped away, sending a shy smile to Val.

“Well, honey, that’s what friends are for. You’d do the same for us,” Val hugged her, kissing her cheek.

“Yeah, I’d do anything for you guys. I love you like my family,” a few tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she managed to hold them back. She felt really happy now, she felt like she was home at last, with people she loved and who loved her back. Only thing she could really wish for was that Kyle would be with her. But you can’t have everything you want, she had learned that a long time ago. So she was happy with what she had, a bunch of caring friends, a loving dog and her relationship with her mother was starting to improve finally.