Courtney Canatsey

A Serendipitous Meeting

A giggle rang across the park. The cheerful sound caused the birdwatcher couple to smile and glance towards the source. A small, pigtailed child toddled around the slide, tossing smiles and giggles over her shoulder as a woman slowly chased after making monster noises. This was a picture-perfect morning for everyone in the vicinity. Everyone, except one. On the far side of the park, a middle-aged woman was tucked up under a giant oak tree with a small, black notebook lying limply across her lap. Her gaze was fixed upon the middle distance, and her mouth was turned down slightly at the corners. To any who could see her, she appeared lost in an upsetting memory.