Satellite Heart

Chapter 7 | Just Say Yes

F's POV 📡

As it turns out, it merely took one week before my mum and I got on each other's nerves. It is not even slightly surprising, considering we both have very strong personalities, and that for the past few years my visits have been very scarce; mostly for special occasions. She would come to visit while I was in Uni, and I would sometimes take the train down for the weekend too during those years, until I got busier and busier with work and studying towards becoming a fully-fledged barrister.

The next year and a half went by in a blur, caught between working and studying in organised chaos. Until the pandemic kicked off, my routine was pretty well split between my classes for the Bar exams. Volunteering at a family law firm became a pupillage, mainly providing free legal services for a local women's shelter. I knew that was what I wanted to do when I started.

The past week flew by, too. I left my duties behind for a while, dedicating my energy to helping my mother with the take-out menu for her café, even reaching out to my former classmates so they could assist us on spreading the word about it. Anything that could help her out during these dire times, I'd do it in a heart beat. I managed to get most of my work done virtually whenever I could, but it became clear that I needed to go back to Bristol when I got a call from Sam during one of my morning runs on the beach.

The sun is setting ahead of me, as I run over the hill located behind the harbourside. It's perfectly still, the only sound is the crash of the waves in the distance. I huff, the climb up the hill  reminding me how rarely I get the chance to do this back in Bristol. I need to get back to exercising more, both for my physical and my mental state. 

Run boy run! This world is not made for you

Run boy run! They're trying to catch you

Run boy run! Running is a victory

Run boy run! Beauty lays behind the hills

I push through a growing stitch. Up, and up, there is nothing stopping me. My movements are more hectic and less coordinated, but I keep going, my eyes dead set on making it until the end of my race. The sound of my heart is buzzing through my ears, almost making it impossible for me to listen to my music while my feet pound the asphalt beneath me.

Run boy run! This ride is a journey too

Run boy run! The secret inside of you

Run boy run! This race is a... RING RING!

The music comes to a sudden stop, and my legs forget how to leg. The sudden movement almost makes me fall to my knees, my breath still ragged and my arms still in motion. For a few seconds, I must look like a mad man, or a puppet, my brain sending some sort of commands to my body that are not registering as quickly as it should.

RING RING!

I give a quick glance to my phone, "Sam, hey" I breathily greet him. I am still out of breath, and it sounds just like that.

"Hey mate! You alright?"

I cough profusely, looking for my bottle of water, gulping it down entirely before I croak out "I-I am good yeah. You caught me in the middle of a very unimpressive 5K run actually." My breathing is slowly going back to normal, my legs slightly wobbly but still strong enough to carry me to a nearby bench.