Keeping us Safe

I stared out the window of my house that I inherited from my brother when he died, it's right on the beach so I go out there all the time, now a days I don't know if I go out there for the sun, the sight, or if I'm trying to spot that man again. I've only seen him once the entire time I've lived here but I've seen his buddies a few times though.
It was raining today so no one was at the beach, it was peaceful for once not hearing children screeching in my back yard. It was an interesting switch over from living beachside in Maine to living beachside in California, I wish the terms had been better but I love it out here the warmth just draws me in like a good drug. As I was lost in my thoughts there was a knocking at my front door, I walked over and opened it revealing my friend, she used to be my best friend but we had a big fallout.
"Hey Jacie." I said inviting her in
"I can't stay long, I just wanted to come over to say that I'm sorry." She said
She better be sorry for what she did to my brother. Her and my brother had dated for a few years and when he proposed she said yes, a few weeks after that my brother and I caught her cheating on him with his friend.
"I've told you several times that you're forgiven." I said
"I know you have but did you really mean it?" She asked
She knows me too well
"I mean it as much as I can Jacie. That was basically his last memory of you before he died." I said
"I didn't have a chance to make it up to him, he had to leave." She said
"I know." I said
"Well I'll get out of your hair now." She said
I opened the front door for her and she walked out and started walking down the street back to her house. She lived about two or three blocks away now. As I was closing the door I spotted a puppy running lose. I stepped out and crouched down.
"Come here boy." I said patting my legs
The puppy looked over at me and started sprinting over. When he got closer I could see that he was a Saint Bernard puppy, about four or five months old.
"Hi baby boy. Where do you live?" I asked
I looked at his tags, the address was down the street and his name was Prince.
"Well hello there Prince, let me take you home." I said
Prince wagged his tail and licked my face, I closed my front door and walked down the street looking at addresses. When I got to the house I walked up and knocked on the door, my nerves kicked in because I realized that I didn't know these people.
When the front door of the house opened one of the guys buddies looked down at me.
"Hey your house, your dog." He called and closed the door on me.
I stood there astonished. The door reopened and I looked up at the man I spotted on the beach.
"Prince you rotten pup. He's always getting out." He said
"I figured I'd bring him back home. He's very cute." I said
"He's my buddy. Thank you so much." He said
"You're welcome." I said
"I'm Jimmy." He said
I looked him in the eyes, they were light blue and playful.
"I'm Grace." I smiled
He smiled at me and Prince pushed past him to go inside.
"So he's about four month’s right?" I asked
"Four and a half. How did you know that?" He asked
"I went to college to be a Vet. But I dropped out when I moved here." I said
"So you're good with animals." He smiled
"I'd like to think." I said
"Would you like to come in and get out of the rain? We're just watching my buddy Matt play Call of Duty." He said
"Uh, not today I've got some stuff going on at home." I said
"Well it was nice meeting you." He smiled
"You to Jimmy, I'll see you around." I said
"See you around Grace." He smiled
I turned and ran home, when I got into my front door I closed it by leaning up against it.
"Jimmy." I whispered to myself with a smile.
I locked my front door and made my way to the kitchen so I could cook dinner, I needed to go shopping so I just grabbed a pack of beef flavored ramen noodles. I started to boil the water and examined the name tattoo on my wrist. 'Lucan' I ran my finger over the scripted name and sighed. I put the noodles into the boiling water and walked away from it, I set up my laptop on the coffee table and waited for it to connect to my Wi-Fi. As it connected I finished making my Ramen and took it into the living room, I set it next to my laptop and started searching for Vet clinics around me. I found one at Newport Pet Clinic. They needed a tech, I started to do my application and added all of the documents I needed, and I sent it in and closed my laptop. I grabbed my Xbox controller and flipped my TV on and turned my Xbox on and pulled up my Netflix. I turned on Supernatural and started to eat my dinner, I was so engrossed into my show that I didn't even hear the children screaming outside as they played in the street. I paused my show and took my empty bowl into the kitchen, putting it into the sink. On the way back to the living room I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, I turned my show off and flipped it to some random cheese ball romance movie, I closed all of my curtains and locked my doors and sat back down on the couch. I fluffed up my pillow and pulled my blanket over my body, I drank my beer and laid down listening to the music from the movie. I grabbed the dog tags from where they laid on my chest and held them in my fist. I pulled the flashlight up on my phone and examined the tags like I have so many other nights. 'Lucan. Shepard. V.' I turned my light off and held the tags in my hand against my chest.

Notes