David Grish was walking down the street one extremely cold winter morning when he first saw her. She was sitting in the park across the road. No one else was in the park; people were huddled in cafes drinking tea and coffee, trying to keep themselves warm. It was a very rainy day and it was freezing. That was the reason why David noticed her. It seemed odd to him that she would be sitting in the cold park, alone staring off into space. She didn't even seem to have an umbrella with her. David stared and debated in his mind whether to go over to her and see if she was all right or to just leave her alone. Being curious, David decided to walk to the park over to her.

She was sitting on a bench, completely soaked by the rain, water dripping from her hair. But none of it seemed to bother her, she was staring far off somewhere, and did not even seem to notice that David had walked up to her and was now standing only few inches from her.

"Excuse me, are you all right?" David asked. There was genuine concern in his voice. She didn't respond for several moments. David was beginning to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Just then she spoke, "The butterflies are lovely in this part of town." She was still staring in the same direction. David looked around, there were no butterflies anywhere. It was one of the coldest days of winter, how could there be any butterflies? "Um…I don't see any butterflies," David said cautiously. "It's OK, they are gone now," she said to him and finally turned her head to see who the stranger talking to her was.

"My name is David. I live few blocks from here. I saw you sitting alone in the cold, I thought I'd see if you needed any help," David told her. She had the brightest brown eyes he had ever seen. "No, I'm fine. I like coming here when the park's empty. I welcome the peace," she said and smiled. David found her smile very innocent. He smiled back. "Yes, peace is good for the mind," David agreed with honesty. "Oh, it's getting dark. I must go now. I can't be late!" She got up hastily and started to walk away.

"Hey, wait, do you want some help getting anywhere?" David asked. She stopped and turned to face him, "No, I can manage," she paused then said, "and thank you." She smiled. "For what?" David asked. "For just talking to me. It was…refreshing," she said and started to walk away again. David just stared after her. 'What a strange woman', he thought. Then he thought of her bright brown eyes and her innocent, childlike smile and he couldn't help smiling himself.

The next day was a little less cold but it was still very cloudy and grey. David had been thinking about the woman in the park all day. He had also realised that he hadn't asked her name. In the afternoon, David decided to go to the park to see whether she was there again or not. He assured himself that he only wanted to see her again to ask her name; it's annoying when you talk to someone and not know their name. But deep inside, he knew that wasn't the real reason. So he walked to the park and sure enough, she was sitting on the same bench, staring in exactly the same direction as the previous day. David's heart missed a beat as he saw her. He made his way towards her.

Her name was Tanya. From then on, David started to go to the park regularly. Everyday Tanya would be there sitting on the same bench. They would talk about the most random things. Mostly Tanya would say something out of the blue and they would start talking about it. David didn't know and never asked where she lived or what she did. It seemed they always had other things to talk about. Tanya was beginning to smile and laugh more and more when she was with David.

One day, just when Tanya was about to leave, David asked her, "Where do you live, Tanya? Maybe I could come over." He sounded hopeful. "I can't tell you that, David," she said to him. "What? But why not?" he asked her. "Please don't ask me," she said. There was sadness in her eyes as she pleaded with David. David let the subject drop and didn't push it. But as he watched her walk away like always, curiosity started brewing inside him. So he did something to satisfy it. He followed her. It wasn't hard as she didn't seem to be aware of her surroundings much. She seemed to be in a world of her own. He followed her for 10 minutes and then he saw her enter a building. He hid close by to wait and see if she would come out. When she didn't come out for several minutes, he walked over to the building and looked around. His eyes went up to the sign board near the top of the building -- 'Hope Nursing Home for Mental Patients'.'

After reading the sign several times, it sank in. He went and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, a nurse came and opened the door slightly, "Visiting hours are over. Please come back tomorrow," saying that she shut the door, leaving David confused and not giving him a chance to say anything.

So he went home. 'How can Tanya not tell me she was living in a nursing home? A mental patient? I'm sure there must be a valid explanation.' Various thoughts went through his mind as he tried to sleep. 'I will have to ask her tomorrow,' he decided as he slid into a deep but uncomfortable sleep.

The next day he went to the park, but was astonished not to see Tanya there. In the whole month he had known her, she had never missed one single day of coming to the park. She was always there when he came. He waited but after an hour had passed, he decided she was not coming. 'Maybe she saw me following her and didn't come because she doesn't want to face me or talk to me,' he thought. But he had to see her. He had to tell her that whatever it was, none of it mattered to him and nothing had changed.

He went to the reception of the Nursing Home. "Excuse me, my name is David Grish and I'm here to see Tanya," he told the nurse. "Tanya?" she asked. "Yes. Tanya. I don't know her full name. Can you please check?" he said. "I'm sorry; but we don't have anyone by the name of Tanya living here," she told him softly. "But…That's not possible. I used to meet her everyday in the park nearby and I saw her enter this building last night," he told her impatiently. "Oh, her name is Melissa," the nurse replied shaking her head.

"Melissa has a rare split personality disorder. She thinks she is a different person, adapts a new name, mannerism and this sometimes goes on for weeks. Sometimes she doesn't return to being Melissa for months. But when she does she cannot recall anything any of the other personalities had done. She completely forgets everything," the doctor was explaining this to David in his office. David was listening attentively, each word sinking his heart deeper and deeper. "Tanya did go to sleep last night, but when she woke up today, she was Melissa again and had no recollection whatsoever of being Tanya or anything about her. So, Mr. Grish, you see Melissa won't remember you because she didn't meet you, Tanya did and there is no saying when or if ever, Tanya will return," the Doctor concluded. David couldn't believe it. How could this happen. There was no Tanya. "Can I just see her?" David asked the doctor. The doctor looked at him for a moment and then said, "Of course." He took him to Melissa's room.

She was sitting by the bedside in a chair. "Melissa, someone is here to see you," the doctor said softly. She looked up slowly and looked at David. David saw how different she seemed. Her eyes were not bright like he remembered; they were blank and cold. "Who is that?" Melissa asked the doctor, even her voice seemed different, smaller somehow. She was still staring at David, taking him in from top to bottom as if seeing him for the first time, which David thought, she was in a way. Before the doctor could answer her, David turned and walked out of the room. He could not take it anymore. There was nothing left for him here.