try to run on it before it’s totally healed. What did Marc say?”
“I haven’t told him. Please don’t mention it yet.”
“Eva . . .” Angela tried—and failed—to keep her “mom tone” from emerging. “He’s our teammate. We should be honest with him.”
Being honest with Eva yesterday had felt better than Angela had anticipated. Maybe the truth really did set you free. Except when it came to her talk with Simon nearly a week ago. Since her bluntness then, neither of them had called the other or scheduled a time to get together. But Angela couldn’t in good conscience ask him to hang out, knowing how he felt about her and that there was no future between them. That would be cruel.
“I’ll tell him. But I don’t want him to try to talk me out of the race.” Eva pounded a fist into the soft bed comforter. “I’m not giving up.”
“But maybe giving up is exactly what we should do, Eva. There have been so many things against us, and while it’s been an amazing experience to be here, perhaps running the race wasn’t the reason we really came. Besides, we can’t complete the ultra-marathon if your ankle hasn’t healed.”
Eva pulled her braid over her shoulder and stroked the end piece, a contemplative look on her face. “Perseverance, secret of all triumphs.” The words were almost a whisper, a breath of a kiss as if from a ghost.
A shiver coursed through Angela. “What did you say?”
“It’s just something Brent used to say. When it looked like his and Marc’s business might go bankrupt. When he got the flu just before a huge meeting with an investor. When an impending storm threatened our honeymoon plans and we had to scramble for a plan B. I’m not sure where he first heard it—”
“It’s a Victor Hugo quote. Wes used to say it too.” It had been one of his favorite encouragements, especially in the early days of their marriage and parenthood. How had Angela forgotten?
After all the hard work she’d put in, why was Angela so willing to abandon ship—especially if Eva was still up for it? Sure, Angela had done the training, although sometimes begrudgingly. But had she ever really dug in her heels and told herself she would finish the race, no matter what?
That she would find a way to forgive Wes, no matter what?
That she would discover how not to just survive but to find true joy . . . no matter what?
Angela’s gaze rested on the yellow flowers on Eva’s bedside table, and she imagined herself as strong and honorable.
Faithful to her family.
To love.
To herself.
Angela inhaled softly. “If you’re sure you can do this, then I’m with you.” She reached across the bed and snatched Eva’s hand. Her sister-in-law’s eyes widened. “One hundred percent, I’m with you.”
28
Even though she was in New Zealand in large part to train, having time away with her children was by far the greatest perk of this trip.
And Angela hadn’t seen them this excited in a long time.
“Please follow us and we’ll finish our tour at the Green Dragon, where you’ll receive a complimentary Hobbit Southfarthing beverage.” Their tour guide, Chrissy, led a group of twenty-five down the last leg of the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour—a surprise for Zach’s birthday. The tour alone cost a decent amount, not to mention flights for Angela and all three kids to Auckland, but Eva had insisted on paying, and Angela couldn’t refuse since it meant Zach got to visit the set of his favorite books turned movies.
It was just too bad Eva and Sherry couldn’t join in the fun, but her sister-in-law’s main priority was getting her ankle healed as quickly as possible. And there was no way their mother-in-law was going to leave her alone at the house to fend for herself.
“Mom, can you believe this?” Zach whispered for the thousandth time. His jaw had remained permanently locked in a position of awe as he darted from one side of the path to another among all the little hobbit holes. They were built into rolling hills, each one with grass for a roof and a squat, round wooden door. The doors displayed an assortment of earthy colors, from greens to reds, browns, yellows, and a few pops of a robin’s egg blue. Stone chimneys only slightly taller than Angela piped out faint wisps of smoke. Most of the plants in the vicinity appeared to be short, sprawling greenery.