We pull up to what looks like a farm. A grand farmhouse sits in front of us while a red barn sits off to the side. Getting out of the car, I take in the fresh country air. A sudden joyful bark fills the air. Before I can react, I'm on the ground, getting licked by a beautiful white colored German Shepherd. “Katara! Get off of her!” The dog named Katara gets off of me but remains positioned by my side. A woman with blonde hair and grey streaks greets my mom and I. “Sorry about that. Katara should know better than to do that. She finished her training a week ago. So, you must be Amber and Jessica? Nice to meet you two." She ruffles Katara's ears getting a lick in return. "Well, you’ve already met Katara. Do you want to take her to the training area for a bit or meet the other dogs?”

Looking into Katara’s eyes, what Katara told me comes back into my mind. ‘“I will always be with you.”’ An image of Katara crosses my vision. Her beautiful smile glows while her sunny blonde hair defines her features. As fast as it appears, it’s gone. Turning back to Madison, I say, “I want to try out Katara to see how she does.”

“Great!” Madison helps me up and hands me a leash. I clip it to Katara’s collar. I follow Madison to the training area where Katara gets vested and ready to go. Madison teaches me the commands for certain obedience like a flat hand moving downward means down, a downward pointing finger is sit and so on. We walk into the training area which has fake grass lining it. It has the perfect amount of lighting that makes the cream walls stand out. I clip the leash to the D-ring, grab a hold of the pull strap on Katara’s vest and start to walk with her. She keeps a perfect heel and has a solid focus. Suddenly, he starts to fill my mind. The flashback starts and the tears start to flow down my face. Katara pulls me to the ground using her paws. She then proceeds to lay across my chest and legs, providing what is called Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT). She licks my face to calm me down and pull me out of the flashback. Once I calm down, Katara lets me sit up. Looking at Madison, she nods her head and smiles. My mom is also smiling

Looking at them, I say, “I want Katara.”

“Great! I will get everything ready for you guys if you want to head over to the farmhouse. I will meet you there in about 5 to 10 minutes.” My mom and I walk towards the farmhouse with Katara at my side. Petting her head, I send up a silent thank you to God for letting me have my best friend back.

5 minutes later, Madison meets us in the kitchen with bowls, Katara’s bed, kibble, vests, chew toys, soap, leashes, boots, poop bags, treats and much more. “Here’s everything you will need for her. It’s all donated and everyone who comes here usually gets this stuff.”

Pulling out her checkbook, my mom asks, “How much will Katara be?”

Looking startled, Madison says, “She’s free. We have money donations that come in plus fundraisers and events here at the farm that help to pay for the pups. We don’t want the handlers to be burdened with the costs of having to get the dog.” Walking over to a filing cabinet, Madison pulls out a folder. “Here’s all of Katara’s information. She’s about a year and a half. She’s passed every obstacle we’ve thrown at her. I hope you and Katara become a great team, Amber. Keep me updated.”

“Thank you, Madison. I have a feeling this dog will help Amber a lot.” My mom gives Madison a hug before picking up some of Katara’s stuff and taking it out to the car.

I give Madison a hug too and take Katara out to the car. Loading her in, I see Madison helping my mom carry things out. Opening the passenger side door, I get in the car. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and read a text from Nick. ‘Want to hang out tonight? Maybe have some dinner and see a movie?’

Smiling to myself, I snap a picture of Katara. Attaching the picture to the text, I start typing. ‘Sure! Also, meet my new companion, Katara. She’s a PTSD Service Dog. She will be coming along too.’

‘Ok. That's fine. I can’t wait to meet her. See you around 5:30.’

Looking at my mom, I say, “Nick wants to take me to dinner and to see a movie tonight. If that’s ok with you.”

A smile tugs at my mom’s cheeks. “That’s completely fine with me, Amber. I'm glad to see this friendship growing between you two. You guys have grown quite close in the past few months.”

Petting Katara’s head, I turn to look out the window. “I’m glad too, Mom.”

I just finish putting a pink vest on Katara when the doorbell rings. I hear my mom open the door and muffled voices echoing in the hallway. I wait a few minutes and take a deep breath. I look in the mirror one last time. The light pink blush makes my fair colored cheeks glow. The peach eyeshadow brings out my orange-brown eyes. The knee-length sapphire blue dress flows gracefully down my body. My brunette hair falls over my shoulder in a fishtail braid. I don’t see the past me. Instead, I see the new me. The new Amber. I walk to my bedroom door and rest my hand on the handle. Without a last glance, I open the door and start down the hall.

I make eye contact with Nick. He wears a black suit with a blue tie. His sandy blonde hair is parted to one side allowing his deep hazel eyes to show. I smile at him while his mouth hangs open. “Amber, y-y-y-you look stunning.”

My cheeks instantly feel hot. “Thank you.” Looking down at Katara, I say, “Meet the newest member of the Smith clan.”

Nick comes up to pet Katara. “Hello there. Aren’t you a beautiful dog.” A sudden yowl rings out. Starlight is sitting at my feet looking at Nick. Smiling, he reaches down to pet Starlight. “Yes, you’re beautiful too, Starlight.” Seeming satisfied, Starlight greets Katara with a rub of her muzzle and continues on her way. Laughing, Nick says, “We better get going or we’ll miss the dinner.”

My mom walks up to give me a hug. “Stay safe, Amber. I love you.” Crouching down, she meets Katara’s face. “Listen here young lady, you take care of my baby and keep an eye on Nick for me. I want a full report when you get home.” Katara barks in return. Ruffling her eyes, my mom stands up. Looking at Nick, she continues. “Take care of Amber for me.”

Giving my mom a hug, he says, “I will Mrs.Smith.” Taking my arm in his, he leads me to his car where he opens the doors for Katara and I. After we are settled in, we pull out of my driveway.

We arrive at Applebees. Unloading Katara, we head inside where we are greeted with kindness. They sit us in a corner away from the crowd to help with my anxiety as they see Katara by my side. Katara tucks under the table but keeps an eye on me. We both order medium rare steaks and drinks. I take a sweet tea and Nick does as well. We talk while we eat and find out we have a lot in common. After we are finished, Nick pays the check. We leave the restaurant around 6:30 pm and thank the staff for being considerate.

We arrive at the theater about 10 minutes later. Turning to me, Nick asks, “What movie do you want to see?”

I look at the options. “How about The Greatest Showman?”

Grinning, he says, “Sounds good to me.” Turning to the clerk, he continues. “2 tickets for The Greatest Showman and a bucket of popcorn and 2 bottles of water, please.” The clerk hands us our tickets and the goods. We find the theater showing the movie and give them our tickets. We find some seating away from the crowd and relax into our seats. I give Katara’s white fur a quick rub before the movie starts. We watch the movie in silence but I feel him sneaking glances at me. The movie soon ends. We make it out before the crowd which allowed me to let Katara have a bathroom break. Climbing into Nick’s car once again, I smile to myself.

“Amber?”

“Yeah?” I turn to look at him. His cheeks turn red.

Nick proceeds to pull out a white box. A smile tugs at his lips. He opens the box, revealing a silver necklace with a heart charm and a pink gemstone in the middle. “Amber, I know you want to keep it on a friend basis but I’ve had feelings for months that I can’t hold in. Will you be mine?”

I meet Nick’s eyes. Tears start to flow. Whispering, I say, “Yes. Yes.” I reach across the car and pull him into a hug. Nick’s lips soon find mine. He shows how much he wants me but also keeps his touch tender and light. Time seems to stop around us. Any outside things are oblivious to us now. Suddenly, a black nose appears between us and ends the fantasy. Laughing, I pet Katara. “You silly pup.” Katara gives me a puppy grin before licking her chops. “No, no, n…!” A wet, slobbery pink tongue flies up the side of my face. “Ack! Katara!” Looking into the backseat, I’m greeted with innocent eyes and a cocked head. Shaking my finger at her, I say, “You and I will be having a talk later.” Turning back to Nick, I see him holding in a laugh. Looking at my phone screen, I see what happened. My hair is shifted into different positions while half of my makeup is gone. Nick’s laughing soon fills the car. I give him the evil eye before turning to Katara. With a quick nod of my head, she comes between the seats and proceeds to lick Nick. “Karma!”

“Guess you don’t want this gift then.” Nick holds it just out of reach.

Unbuckling my seat belt, I leap after the gift. “Damn it, give it to me.”

With a mischievous look in his eyes, he opens the window. “What’s the magic word?”

I reach down to take off a shoe. Shaking it at him, I say, “Please give me it or your getting a flat to the side of your head.”

“Ding ding ding, and that isn’t nice to say. Now put the shoe down or it’s going down the storm drain.” I reach down to put my shoe on when I hear the opening of a car door. Looking up, Nick is standing outside the car. “Got to get it off of me first.”

“Oh, I will.” Reaching back, I open the back car door. “Get him Katara.” Katara jumps out and Nick’s face falls.

“Not fair.” Katara chases him around the car while I wait, ready to grab it. Nick soon rounds the corner and I reach out. Grabbing the gift, I cheer.

“I win!”

Loading Katara in, he laughs. “Only because you cheated and used Katara.”

Nick takes the box from my hand. Opening it, he takes the necklace out. Reaching across the car, he hooks the necklace around my neck. The metal feels warm against my skin. He gently places a kiss on my forehead. I meet his eyes once again. Smiling, I reach for his hand. Taking it in mine, I whisper, “Ever since I met you on the trail that day Nick, I’ve had some feelings for you that I can't keep in any longer. I love you.”

“Amber, I’ve felt the same about you too. I invited you on this date to tell you that. I love you, too.”

Soon, we arrive at my house. Nick walks me to my door where my mom is waiting. Smiling at us, she says, “Did it go well?”

Looking at each other, we smile. “I guess you could say that.”

My mom's eyes dart to my neck where my necklace is sitting. With a gasp, she looks at Nick. “You did?”

“Yes.”

My mother pulls Nick into a tight hug. With tears of joy flowing down her cheeks, she says, “Thank you for being more of the man than he ever was to my daughter.”

Returning the hug, Nick says, “You’re welcome Mrs. Smith.” Pulling away, Nick turns to me. Pulling me into a hug, he whispers, “Good night, Amber. I love you.”

Pulling away, I look into his hazel eyes. “Good night Nick. I love you too.”

With a final peck to my cheek, Nick turns and leaves. I stand there watching the red glow of the taillights fade. A voice from behind startles me. “I see you’ve replaced me already.” Looking to my right, I see him leaning against a tree. “Wasn’t I good enough for you?” He pushes away from the tree and starts walking towards me.

My blood turns to ice. I reach for Katara’s pack and grab the pepper spray from inside. “Get away from me.”

He stops within three feet of me. “What if I just wanted to talk? Why should I leave if I just wanted to talk?”

Raising my voice, I repeat the warning. “Get Away From Me.” I hear the front door creaking open.

“Amber, are you com—.” My mom's eyes widen at the sight she sees in front of her. She grabs the gun from the table beside the door and comes out. Aiming the gun at Philip, she says, “Philip, we have a restraining order against you. Now get off my daughter's property before I shoot you. I’m sure Alex will understand why I shot you.”

Philip smirks. “Hello to you too, Mrs. Smith. Or Jessica if I recall correctly?”

“You will never have permission to call me by my real name ever again.” Cocking the gun, my mom repeats herself. “I Said Get Off Amber’s Property, Now!”

Still smirking, he blows me a kiss. “Goodnight Ambkins. Maybe we will see each other again and make amends.” He turns to go. The outline of him grows smaller as he walks away into the shadows.

Walking up to me, my mom takes my hand and leads me into the house. As soon as the door shuts, I break down. Katara pulls me to the floor where she provides DPT. She licks at me, cleaning the salty tears from my face. Starlight head butts at my hand, making me pet her. After a good five minutes, I calm down. Giving Katara the command to let me up, I go looking for my mom. “Mom?”

A voice echoes from the kitchen. “In here.”

I walk in to see my mom sitting at the table. Looking up at me, she says, “I just got off the phone with your father. He’s going to have some friends from the station come out to watch the house and patrol the property. He said it might be safer if we both sleep in the living room tonight. And that the date for the bait day is set up. Three months from today.”