WHERE: Riverside Park WITH: Open!
Gabriel could only imagine how closely him, his seven year old daughter, and their blue heeler resembled the three musketeers as they strolled through the park-- or perhaps it was more accurate to call them the three blind mice. Lochlyn, in all her curiosity, couldn’t stop chasing after every little thing that moved, and Ozzie, in his own misplaced obedience, couldn’t stop trailing after her. And then there was Gabe...dashing after them both, a task that even all of his months in physical therapy hadn’t fully prepared him for. It wasn’t a huge problem, though-- at least not until Lochlyn dropped Ozzie’s leash and the dog made a beeline straight for another person. “Goddamnit,” Gabe muttered under his breath as he tore after the pair. Sharp twinges of pain shot up and down his left leg with every stride, but the man didn’t slow up until he reached them. Grasping Ozzie’s leash in one hand before he could take off again, he reached for Lochlyn’s hand with the other and offered his newfound company a sheepish smile, “Sorry about that.” Laughing a little breathlessly, Gabe shrugged his shoulders, “Honestly not too sure who needs the leash more-- my dog or my kid.” Though as soon as the words left his lips, he cringed at how they might be perceived and jumped to cover his tracks, “That was a joke.” The last thing he needed was some stiff with no sense of humor calling Child Protective Services on him.
