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almost my entire life. I always felt so at peace in this park. It was the place that Alex proposed to me when I was only six months pregnant, where we used to sneak away to cuddle and talk about our futures. That wasn’t going to happen now though. How could any of this be happening? What had happened to him? To us? Just then my little, bright blue phone started vibrating in my pocket, perfectly timed.
    “Hi, babe,” I said into the phone.
    “I’m on my way to the park now. Meet me there,” he said.
    As always. No hello or anything, just demands. Sighing I said, “Fine.”
    Sitting on the middle bench, I waited for Alex to get there. Obviously something had happened to Rick to make him change so much. There could not be any way the things he was telling me were actually true. My life used to be so normal. And other than last night, it still was. I mean the wars going on were crazy, but what did that have to do with me? I sighed again and laid back on the bench.
    I tried to push all the crazy thoughts away and prepare myself for Alex. I couldn’t help but think of the good stuff, our first kiss, how soft and sweet he had been. He was older than me, which was admittedly a huge turn on back then and I remembered when I first had Sam, how he looked at her with complete love and admiration. But then, over the years, he kept pulling away, distancing himself from us. Was it fear? Was it work? I couldn’t guess what was going on inside his head.
    Alex came walking up the path to the gazebo; he always looked so angry nowadays. Noticing me, he veered off the paved walking trail and headed straight for me. I only wished that we were still as close as we used to be.
    “Hello, Alex, how was work?” I figured asking a nice question, showing that I still cared, might distract from the situation.
    “Fine, thanks. Listen, I need to know what is really going on with you, Allison. The way you have been acting lately is not just cops and dreams. Tell me what is going on in that head of yours.” Yeah, like I would actually be able to distract him. He was always so mean now, no more mister nice guy these days.
    Trying to gain some composure, I replied, “Alex, I don’t know why you always think that I am lying to you, but that is exactly it. These dreams have been more than an ordinary nightmare. I am really scared. I have had this same dream over and over again and now this guy we used to know from church when I was like five or something came back and has gone completely insane and says he knows about my dreams and shit. I don’t know what the hell is going on anymore. He was talking about the wars and stuff and he just didn’t make any sense at all.” Obviously any composure I thought I had gained was gone, and I was rambling. I paused for a breath and looked up at him. “What? You don’t believe me?”
    “So this is all about another guy?” It was almost as if he was looking for things to fight about. If I didn’t give him a reason to be upset, he would find one. I swear he had this urge to be the unhappiest person in the world. He had never been one of those happy-go-lucky people, but at least at one time he had been content.
    “Damn it, Alex! Do you listen to anything I say? It is about my dreams. How would some old guy that I haven’t seen in 15 years know anything about them? I don’t need a fight now, I need you. Please, just be here for me!” I pleaded.
    “You need me , now? Obviously you don’t, not if your problems are regarding another man. I so knew it, Allison! I knew there was someone else.”
    Were all men as self-centered and inconsiderate as the one I got stuck with? Heartbroken, I lost the small control I still had. “How can you even think that? I am always trying to be there for you, always trying to see you, trying to be close to you – like we used to be. You are always running away from me. Running to work, or home… anywhere as long as I am not there, right?”
    I was fuming now. When I