Anniversary

“Fawn,” said Spot. “You are going to have to clear out of here. I have so much to do and I can’t get it done with you just milling about.”

Fawn put down his comic book.

“But I’m busy too,” said Fawn.

“What doing!” yelled Spot, looking around at the mess Fawn had just created all over the barn floor. “All you are doing is reading your comic books and eating potato chips and drinking pop.”

“Okay,” said Fawn. “I’ll go outside, but why are you so concerned with getting the barn so clean?”

“Fawn,” said Spot. “Don’t tell me that you have forgotten all about Mr. and Mrs. Hansen’s wedding anniversary!”

“No,” said Fawn. “I didn’t. I thought Mr. Hansen was going to take Mrs. Hansen out for dinner.”

“He is,” said Spot. “But Ricky and Jenny thought it would be a good idea to have a party here in the barn afterwards.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Fawn.

“What are you talking about?” asked Spot. “This is their third anniversary. We should do something for them. We haven’t done anything for them.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” said Fawn. “There happen to be two very horrible anniversaries pretty close to theirs. One is Nanny’s death. It has only been one year ago since Nanny died and if you remember, the last time Mrs. Hansen saw Nanny walk by herself …”

“Was at the wedding,” said Spot sadly.

“The other anniversary is 9/11,” said Fawn.

“Oh dear,” said Spot. “That is right. Next week will be one whole year since the World Trade Center collapsed!”

“Maybe an anniversary celebration is in order,” said Fawn. “Maybe it will help take everyone’s mind off those two anniversaries.”

“Yes,” said Spot. “I feel that we are doing a good thing by having this party.”

“It might cheer Mrs. Hansen up too,” said Fawn.

“Yes,” said Spot. “It just might. She took the anniversary of Nanny’s death really hard.”

“Do you want me to help you?” asked Fawn.

“That would be great,” said Spot.

Fawn and Spot worked hard all afternoon on cleaning and decorating the barn.

“You did a wonderful job,” said Grampy, when he arrived. “It looks really nice.”

The party was a huge success and even though Nanny and 9/11 were on everyone’s minds, everyone had a wonderful time and were able to put the sadness and fear they felt aside for a few hours.

“That was a nice surprise,” said Mrs. Hansen to Mr. Hansen, later that evening.

“Yes it was,” said Mr. Hansen.

“You know,” said Mrs. Hansen. “There are two anniversaries, one just past and one just coming up, that I was dreading.”

“I know dear,” said Mr. Hansen, putting his arm around his wife. “They are both very difficult ones too.”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Hansen. “They are. The one year anniversaries are the toughest because right up to the first year, you think of what you did with that person one year ago and now after the one year is up you can’t do that anymore.”

“That is true,” said Mr. Hansen, putting his arm around his wife. “It is tough but you are strong and you’ll get through it.”