In the Park, late Saturday morning

[hexentotchen]

Hanna was on her usual run this morning. The last week of melancholy dreams had been weighing on her, so she'd upped her work-outs to three hours a day, in order to tire herself out more. Maybe she'd be able to sleep dreamlessly this way.

[for one, in one corner of the park]

Comments

[vaterholzfaller]

When she passed by a stand of trees, she picked up a follower. He was staying well back, but dogging her footsteps as carefully as he could.

[hexentotchen]

Hanna noticed it after only twenty yards; the echo of someone running in time with her. She slowed down, and they slowed down. Sped up, and they sped up.

They couldn't know the terrain as well as she did, though.

On a pass by one of the taller trees, she leapt for an overhead branch, and swung upward, turning around to face down her pursuer.

And nearly lost her balance in shock.

[vaterholzfaller]

"That took you long enough," Erik said, bending over to catch his breath. He turned a wry smile up to her on the tree limbs. "Hallo, Schatz."

[hexentotchen]

"Papa." Incoming daughter, Erik. Brace yourself.

Hanna leapt down and tackled him in a hug, not taking the time to wonder if this was really her father, if it was a trick, if there was something odd going on. It didn't matter. It was almost exactly two years since she'd seen him last, but there was no way to mistake his voice/face/presence/tells. She hugged him harder than she usually would have done, and started laughing softly into his shoulder. "Papa Papa Papa Papa."