HANNAH
By late afternoon, Hannah finally stepped out of the house.
Jason had shown up later than planned to deal with the fallen tree in the yard. When she put Lyvie down for a quick nap, he all but shoved her out the door, leaving her stumbling on the porch.
"Go run," he said. "You need it."
He wasn't wrong. Her head was a storm cloud of noise. Work, Carmen, Mike... it all circled like buzzards waiting to land. So, she took his command and ran. Because at least running made sense.
Dressed in her running shorts, a ragged t-shirt with the collar and sleeves off of, and an old pair of running shoes, she finally felt like she could breathe. The air was heavy with humidity, but she welcomed it. The sweat, the sting, the silence, she didn't care.
It took a few minutes to find her pace. But once she did, the world fell away.
Inhale for three steps. Exhale for the next three.
Mile one.
Inhale. Exhale.
Mile two.
She passed a couple holding hands. Then a man with a child strapped in a carrier to his chest. The ache in her throat returned.
She ran harder.
Two steps, inhale. Two, exhale.
Each breath was now jagged and shallow. Sweat pooled under her hat. Her ponytail slapped her neck.
Mile three.
Her breathing increased as she forced her body to an almost sprint.
Mile three.
She thought running would help. But the trail was full of reminders. People she didn't know, living lives that didn't hurt. Lives so similar and yet so distant from her own.
The path cleared into the parking area just as her mind clouded over again. She pushed herself harder, weaving around the growing crowd near the park. Her stride turned frantic, ragged, and her chest heaved. She wasn't just running anymore, she was trying to escape.
Her watch buzzed, signifying another mile completed.
Finally, she slowed. Arms swinging, head tilted back, she forced herself to breathe normally. Her feet carried her to a quieter patch of grass, just away from the main trail. Most people were moving, either walking or biking, except for the woman at a nearby picnic table, eyes on her laptop. Laughter from children on a playset soared in the air.
Good. Fewer eyes and less chance of falling apart.
She puffed out her cheeks and let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from her face with the edge of her shirt. She knew she shouldn't stop cold, but walking seemed impossible. So, she wandered further from the trail, hands on her head, trying to get her lungs back in sync.
Inhale for three steps. Exhale for four.
Spotting a vacant bench, Hannah lifted one leg, stretching her hamstring. She lifted a leg onto it and bent. She grabbed her foot and stretched out her hamstring. She switched to the next leg and repeated the same motion
A throat cleared behind her.
"Just when I thought I wouldn't run into anyone from work out here."
Hannah whipped around.
Carmen. Of course, it was her. Sitting at the picnic table, cool as ever.
"What are you—are you working? At the park?"
YOU ARE READING
Of Course, It's You
Romance[Book 1 in the Of Course series] The only reason Hannah made it to this wedding, was because her friends asked for her daughter to be the flower girl. After the death of her wife, Hannah resigned herself to a life devoid of love and she's determined...
