to unpack all of that. Those memories only served to remind her of what she’d lost even before Wes died.
Because despite her initial resistance, she’d eventually fallen for the amiable, stable Wes Jamison. Hard. She’d given him everything, and he’d stuck by her even when life hadn’t turned out the way they’d planned.
But then . . . he’d changed, making her own sacrifices somehow feel less than.
“Mom?”
“I . . .” How much should she really tell her daughter about her relationship with Wes in those early years? “As you know, we started off as lab partners. Then we became friends. And then . . . more.”
By the look on her daughter’s face—furrowed brow, bitten lip, a frown—she didn’t appear to be satisfied with Angela’s answer. “So how will I know when I’m in love?”
Where had that question come from? Angela said the first thing that popped into her head. “Maybe praying about it would help.”
A raised eyebrow. “Do you pray anymore, Mom?”
“Of course.” Liar. Her conscience mocked her because yes, it had been awhile since she and God had been on speaking terms.
It wasn’t like she blamed God for Wes’s drowning. It had been Wes’s choice to be there exploring that shipwreck in the first place, despite her begging him not to go.
But God required forgiveness, and she didn’t know how to bear his disappointment in her at not being able to forgive her husband.
Oh wow.
Angela sped up once more until she full-on sprinted. Knees groaned, hips creaked, armpits chafed, but still she couldn’t outrun the thought.
Now that it was out there—now that she’d admitted it to herself—it couldn’t be stuffed back in the box.
“Mom, wait.” Kylee caught up to her.
“Sorry.” She slowed to a jog.
There was silence once more between them. In the distance, a cheering erupted. They were getting close to the finish line. Incredible. It had gone much more quickly than she’d expected.
“I think I might love Ethan.”
Angela nearly tripped at the quiet words. Her attention zoomed in on Kylee, who stared straight ahead. Had Angela heard her right? Was that the name of the boy she’d seen her daughter wrapped around a week ago? And had she seen him since, despite Angela’s directives? “Who is Ethan?” She tried to control the indictment in her voice, but no dice.
“Never mind.” Kylee’s face hardened. “I don’t know why I thought I could talk to you about this stuff.”
Then her daughter sped toward the finish line—and away from Angela.
As Angela followed, completing her first marathon ever, victory didn’t taste as sweet as she thought it would.
* * *
Eva downed the last of her water and crumpled the paper cup in her fist. “I still can’t believe we made such great time. Under four hours? It’s unreal.”
The Queenstown Recreation Ground, a large public gathering place inside the city, was playing host to the end of the marathon. Past the finish line, volunteers had set up tables displaying an assortment of water cups, fresh fruit, bagels, and other refreshments to help the competitors recover from the race.
“I can. You’ve been rocking it during training.” Marc grabbed the cup from her and threw it into the garbage can along with his. They’d already eaten some of the food the organizers provided and then had waited with Sherry and the kids for a while afterward at the finish line for Angela and Kylee. But Marc was still thirsty, so they’d headed back this way. “Where’s the hot chocolate when you need it?”
“Look, there’s chocolate milk.” Eva snagged one and tossed it to him.
With a quick flick, he twisted the cap and took a swig of the milk. “Not the same.”
“There’s always coffee.” She pointed to a food truck serving artisan drinks made with fair trade beans.
He pretended to shudder. “I don’t know how you can drink the stuff.”
“Because it’s delicious.” She poked Marc in the ribs.
He snatched her finger with one hand. “Yeah, well, so is hot chocolate.” He pulled her close so she was inches from his chest. “When was the last time you had it, anyway?”
Her joviality fled with his sudden nearness. Ever since her chat with Kimberly, she’d been purposeful about not spending too much time alone with Marc. But she couldn’t help but feel drawn to him after four hours straight of running together, chatting about everything under the sun.
“Uh, I don’t know. Not since I was a kid, I guess. But then I discovered I despise chocolate in all forms.”
“Someday you should try it again.” Marc released her