Legend of the Great Dragon by J. F. Jenkins

her head. “I 'm sorry, I shouldn't be rude. No, I'm not all right.”
    What do I do? He scratched his arms, trying to decide on the best course of action. Ichi stepped further into the room and sat next to her on the bed. Hopefully, that wouldn't be seen as an inappropriate gesture. Clearly, Mikko needed comfort, and he knew from his experiences with his mother that sometimes the best way to give that was to be close. His mother had always liked to be hugged whenever he'd seen her cry. Women had to want similar things.
    With a trembling hand, he pulled her close to him, cradling her head against his chest. “If you want to talk about it, you can. If not, that's fine too.”
    Mikko's tears wet his shirt as she cried. “Will you come with me to the park?”
    He tried not to smile at the request. She was in pain and nothing about that made him happy. But she needed him. Mikko needed him and wanted him to be there for her. Not her grandmother, and not her best friend who was more like a little brother, Teo.
    â€œYeah, I'll go with you.”
    Ichi got his things together and they left the condominium. He let Mikko lead the way. She walked down the sidewalk with an intense determination on her face. Her brow was furrowed, her lips pursed, and each step she took in her heeled boots could be heard with a loud clack . When they arrived at the park gateway, she stopped.
    â€œYou can do it,” he whispered.
    â€œI know,” she said. “I'm just not sure if I will like what I find.”
    â€œYou might not, or you might not find anything at all. You're never going to know until you walk in.”
    â€œI know.” She put one foot into the park, as if she was afraid she would be smitten on the spot for daring to do such a thing. She relaxed when nothing happened.
    Ichi didn't wait to close the gap between them. He stood next to her, ready to offer up whatever kind of support he could. “Hardest part is over, right?”
    â€œI think so,” she murmured. “But I also don't know what it is I'm supposed to be facing here.”
    â€œYou said you had a dream about this place?” he asked as he gently led her deeper into the park by the arm.
    She nodded. “Not this one specifically, or maybe it was, I won't know until we get deeper in. The dream was vague on the exact location, so we'll see if there are any landmarks that stand out.”
    â€œWhat happened in your dream?” He paused. “If it's too personal, I won't ask again.”
    â€œI walked through the park, led by roses. In it was a man. I've seen the man before, waiting for me in the park. Maybe it's stupid of me to pursue, but I was told once that when you dream about something more than once, that means it's important. When you dream about something three times, that makes it a prediction.”
    â€œHave you dreamt about it three times?” he asked.
    Mikko shook her head. “No, but it has been twice.” She sighed. “And this is a place I need to face. It has a lot of family history in it. I think it'll… help. With coping I mean.”
    â€œI'm not sure I understand.”
    â€œThere's a lot about my family that I've only heard through stories. For so much of my life I've been disconnected from my blood relatives. There have been as many secrets as there have been difficult truths that I've been forced to swallow. Being in a place that's a part of my history might help me absorb everything so much more. Besides, I feel as though this place might hold a key to whatever destiny I have.”
    â€œDestiny, I see.” He didn't know what she thought about destiny, but if she believed in it, then he wouldn't rain on her parade.
    They walked through the park, quietly from that point on. The two arrived at a bench under a large tree. Mikko sat down and ran her fingers over a small plaque that had been placed on its back. “For Orion” it read. Tears filled her eyes, but she