It Had To Be You

For the next endless few days all I heard about from Ian was about the man walking his dog, and the dog itself! It started innocently enough just about the dog.

"Mommy when I grow up I'm going to get a dog just like that one." Ian declared after climbing into bed.

"Really dear?" I held up some books for him to choose from. He pointed to the one with the T-rex on the front. Ian almost had that book memorized, "Very good choice." I kept my voice evenly happy for him, then began reading. Half way through I was interrupted, by a famous 'thinking look'.

"And I'll name him Pterodactyl!" I tried not to roll my eyes as he said this. "He'll have a blue collar too!" Of course blue…..

"Can you even spell that Mister?!" I tickled his tummy. Thankfully knew I was joking with him.

"No! But I can spell dog!" Ian pointed at his chest with the biggest smile on his face. My eyes fakely widened, and I mouthed 'really?', "Yep! D. O .G." he said very serious. I smiled.

"Very good!" I looked at my watch, it was getting late, well for him at least. We weren't going to finish the book. Thank God, "Time for bed now." Ian crawled under the covers, we gave kisses then I walked out turning off the lights.

It went like that for about two days, then he'd tell me different things about the dog he was going to get, that were still the same as the man's dog. Then he started talking about the man.

We had just all gotten done eating supper, and it was time for story telling and joking and all that good stuff. Kenzie had told us about a science test and how she was thinking of changing her hair color again. Now it was Ian's turn. He didn't even talk about how far he'd counted that day or who he met. No, no.

"He has Velco shoes why can't I?" I had no clue who he was talking about, Kenzie was obviously lost too, "And I want glasses." Now I thought I knew who he was talking about…….

"Ian what are you talking about?" Kenzie took him out of the highchair. And turned and gave me a puzzled look. "Lane, is he talking about someone in school?" I shrugged.

"No! The man with the dog!" he said making both of us feel stupid for no reason. Can a four year old do that?

"Oh……" He is supposed to have an attention span of about a day, Ian shouldn't remember this guy that much. "I think it is time for bath now. Kenzie dishes or bath?" either way I knew she'd complain. Not like she did that much anyways.

"Dishes. I don't think I want to hear about that dog or guy again!" she sighed and placed some plates on the counter. Kenzie had a very valid point. I was now beginning to wonder who this man was now. If he could affect my child this much, there had to be something pretty damn special about him.

Yeah, try a week of this. After a while it just turned into 'kid gibberish'. Mostly about things he noticed, or at least that's what I sounded like to me. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that age where you can sense everything, but you can't tell what it means. So you can just ignore it if you want.

Anyways, that whole week sucked it up like no other. There were so many whiney women that came to the clinic I can't even begin. Sometimes I think I should just quit have a mid-life crisis. No scratch that! I sound like my mother……the next Monday didn't get any better.

"Hello? Is this Lane Fergus?" a stuffy old sounding lady asked on the other end. I scrunched my brow in confusion then looked at the secretary beside me.

"Yes, can I help you?" The silence on the other end made me shift uncomfortably, setting down my clipboard I continued to listen.

"Kenzie hasn't turned in her parent teacher conference slip." Ok, really hard to keep my cool on the other end, the least she could have done is been a little more polite. Seriously sounds like something she'd pull though. I wonder what subject she was failing this time. Either way I just wished Kenzie would know I wouldn't freak out as bad if she just told me, "I was wondering if you would like to make a time."

"Um, yeah, yes I would please." I was getting a headache like no other. So that'd probably be considered a migraine. I can't be that mean…. Anyways the lady listed off some times, I picked one right after I got off work. Once that whole ordeal was over I hung up abruptly making the secretary jump, "Have a good lunch Deloris." Hopefully it sounded as nice as I intended

Lunch break here I come! It was beginning to get colder out, so eating in the park was going to have to end soon. See, it is just nice to sit outside in the weather were no bugs can survive, but there's still warm sun out, and just to eat by the still-not-frozen water fountain.

Moving on, I bought a turkey sandwich and some carrots at the local deli then made my way to the park. Once there I saw someone sitting in my spot. They looked homeless or comb-less. One of the two. It was a man obviously, who was humming and scribbling something down. Oh well, not like this day could get any better, then again getting my spot taken would be a stupid reason for it to get worse.

I quickly finished just so I'd have time to think about everything I shouldn't have been worrying about. Great hobby, I know. Right as I turned around from the trash can. Which they just had to conveniently put only one trash can by the whole fountain and it was on the opposite side I was sitting on. Now I'm just getting lazy. When I turned around the man at the fountain was staring at me. He looked really familiar- oh my God!

It was the man I met with Ian. And I just thought he was homeless! When we met him he didn't have like that though, and had a dog, and different glasses. Oh I'm so stupid. And he was wearing Velcro shoes, if you ask me that is pretty awesome though! I should go and talk to him now, I know he know I know who he is, an he knows I know that he knows it's me. But I can't really think of anything to say at the moment…..

Here goes nothing.