"I don't suppose this seat is taken?"
I look up from my book. I see a tall woman in a brown coat. Blonde, rather curly hair trickles down from her head to her shoulders. Her face is immaculate. She smiles politely at me. I am struck by her beauty. I am rarely struck by such things.
"No. Have a seat."
She sits next to me on the bench. It's spring. Buds are forming on the tree branches above us. She looks out at the lake in the center of the park. I try to turn my attention back to my book, and I fail. She notices my constant glances at her.
"Aren't you going to ask me my name?"
She turns to me and grins playfully. I notice her accent - New York, maybe Brooklyn.
"I was, actually." I answer honestly. For once I had felt the need to know.
She crosses her arms and gives me a look. "Karen Alhart."
Looking at her twinkling eyes, her genuine smile, I think the name fits her perfectly.
"Miles. Miles Edgeworth."
It's summer now. The leaves are rustling around us as the wind blows. The scent of flowers in full bloom is carried on the current. Her hand is on mine as we sit and watch children play in the lake.
"I'm not boring you, am I?"
I look away from the lake. She's staring at me, smirking. She must have seen the faraway look in my eyes.
"No, not at all. I was just...reminiscing." It felt odd to say the word. I so rarely used it.
"Childhood memories, huh?" She nodded knowingly.
"Something like that."
We sat in silence for a moment. I felt like I should say something.
"I suppose I should be focusing on making new fond memories." It was corny. Cliched.
She beams at me and squeezes my hand.
Fall. The wind is getting cold and bitter. It's whipping the leaves around us as we walk underneath the trees.
"Must we always meet here?" I asked idly.
"I thought you liked the park, Miles."
"I do. But we haven't been anywhere else."
She stops in the middle of the path. I turn to her. She looks despondant.
"I'm sorry I can't go with you anywhere else, Miles. But I...I just can't."
I'm suddenly very sorry for ever asking the question.
"It's okay," I say reassuringly. "As long as you're here, I don't need to be anywhere else."
I said it on a whim. It was a lame line, but I meant it truly. I can see happy tears welling in her eyes. She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. It catches me by surprise, but I quickly adapt to the situation.
Winter. The sun has long since set. The clouds are thick. Snowflakes are gently falling to earth. I stand underneath a streetlight in the park. Visibility is poor. I can barely see beyond the next light up the path.
She stares at me helplessly. "I'm sorry Miles. I have...family obligations."
"We can go somewhere. Think this through." I speak slowly and quietly, even though my mind is working itself to death trying to find a way to get her to stay. "I have a vacation home in the country. We can go there-"
"No, Miles." She reaches up and strokes my cheek with her gloved hand. "I want to stay. I wish I could. But I can't."
I reach up and touch her hand on my face. For a long while we just stare into each other's eyes. Her eyes are green. Beautiful.
"I'm sorry."
She withdraws her hand and turns around. I watch her walk away. The snow and fog envelopes her. I see her briefly in the pool of light below the second streetlamp, and then she's gone.
I'm awake.
I sit up in bed and rub my eyes. It's still dark. I look at the large grandfather clock off to the side of the bedroom. 3:22.
Sleep has been hard lately. But it's always hard this time of year.
I hear rain start to fall against the window. The first rain of spring.
A few minutes later the phone rings. I groan beneath my pillow. I was almost back to sleep. I reach over and pull the reciever off the handset. I don't bother checking the caller I.D.
"Edgeworth."
"Miles?"
Providence. I believe that's the word for an occurence such as this.
"Karen?"
"Don't speak. Meet me at the park in twenty minutes. The usual place. Please, it's important."
She hangs up before I can respond. She didn't have to ask twice. I was dressed and out the door in ten minutes. I take my overcoat to protect against the rain.
As I drive to the park I can only imagine why she's calling at three thirty in the morning on a Sunday after having not seen or spoken to each other for years. I wonder what could be so important. As I pull into the parking lot, I realize that it doesn't matter to me.
I walk along the path until I get to the lamppost just before the bench where we met. It's still raining, and a fog is starting to build up. I stick my hands in my pockets and wait.
I'm not entirely sure how long I waited there. After a while I began to feel like a fool. Perhaps I had dreamt her call. Perhaps I was out here for no reason whatsoever, just deluding myself thinking that she'd show up in this weather. I was about to leave when I saw someone coming towards me.
The silhouette of a person grew stronger as it forged through the rain and fog. As it stepped into the light of the lamp up the path I became convinced it was Karen. Her figure was unmistakable.
Then she got closer. I saw that she was walking strangely. Quick, staggering steps. As she stepped into the light of my streetlamp I realized she was wounded. She was clutching her abdomen, a large red stain covering her brown coat. She staggered towards me. For a moment, I was in shock.
"Miles..." Her legs gave out from underneath her. I ran and caught her before she hit the ground. Gently, I lowered her and knelt beside her. I didn't know what had happened. I didn't know what to do.
"It's going to be alright," I hear myself say. My voice was wavering. "Don't try to speak."
"Miles...I missed you..." She raises one of her blood covered hands to my face. For a moment it lingers. Then it falls.
I lift her head to my chest. My tears mingle with the rain and her blood. For a moment I can't breath or think or move. Only a moment.
I rip out my cell phone and call 911. We were close to the hospital. There was still hope. There had to be.
