I need some space away from you

“What do you want to do today?” Bodhi looks at Mylah. “The forest. The Beach. The mountains? Play hide and seek. Find some fresh berries?” Bodhi is excited and ready for new adventures. But Mylah is not. She is quiet and doesn’t say anything.

“Please leave me alone, Bodhi,” she mumbles softly. “I don’t want to do anything today.” Bodhi looks surprised. This doesn’t sound like Mylah. She always wants to go on adventures together. Why doesn’t she want to go anymore? Is there something wrong? Is she ill? Doesn’t she like Bodhi anymore? Is their friendship over? A million minds start whirling in his mind. His happy face turns into a worried face. He can’t lose his best friend.  Only the idea of losing her makes him scared. He pulls her close for a big bear hug that she normally always likes so much but she pushes him away. “Not now, Bodhi” she snaps at him. “Leave me alone. I just need some space.”

Bodhi can’t figure out if he has done something wrong to upset her. Maybe one of his silly jokes wasn’t so funny at all. “Mylah, I’m sorry if I upset you in any way. I really didn’t mean to.” Mylah looks up and sees the frowned face of her big furry friend.

“Bodhi, you didn’t do anything wrong. I just need some space away from you, to learn how to love myself more, so I can love you better.” She puts her little pay on his big, hairy paw to comfort him but then suddenly Bodhi jumps up and runs away. He disappears into the forest. Mylah looks surprised. What just happened? But before she can make sense out of nonsense, Bodhi comes running back with a huge balloon that looks like outer space.

He gives her the balloon. “Here is space,” he says with a proud face. With a surprised look on her face, she takes the balloon and looks at it. Slowly she starts to fly up into the sky, higher and higher.
Mylah starts laughing very loudly. You silly bear, I didn’t mean actual space between the stars. I just wanted to have a moment for myself…..wooooiiieeeeeee……a fresh breeze pushes Mylah back to Bodhi, far enough for him to grab her and put her back on her feet.

She hands the balloon back to Bodhi. “I think this was enough space for now.” when she realizes grumbling doesn’t make her life any better but spending time with her best friend, who always cheers her up, does.  With a happy face, she yells: “Let’s go and do something fun!”