Off Leash

I was given a dog during this period of my life, and in many ways, he was both a blessing and a curse.

At times, he was used as another way to keep me trapped. Having something I loved and was responsible for made leaving more complicated.

But he was also my companion through it all.

Taking him to the dog park became one of my little escapes. It gave me a reason to leave the house, get some fresh air, walk, be around other people and have moments where life felt normal.

There is something incredibly grounding about the routine of caring for an animal. They need to be fed. They need a walk. They need affection. They need you to get up and keep going, even on the days when you might not feel like doing any of those things for yourself.

For Side Quest Stories, the dog park represents those small pockets of freedom.

It was not some grand act of escape. It was simply getting outside for a while, breathing fresh air and spending time with a creature who loved me without complication.

Sometimes the things that help us through the hardest periods of our lives are incredibly ordinary.