THE COACH said they were bad players, told them to go two miles, and when they got done with that he sent them another two. At the first corner Noah said, fuck him, fuck him and all his coach clothes. Terry’s chest and legs burnt, and his throat felt like it might close. He wondered how it’d be, like this maybe, tight chest and throat, or something else, like lying down, or more quickly even, eyes shut, the moment a word shapes in the throat. He kept running and got the asthma inhaler from his waistband and put it to his mouth and held it in.

On the drive home he saw Alice Washington standing on top of a house and her arms spread wide, yellow light all around her, and many blue flowers. A car blew its horn and shook Terry’s head. He tried. He couldn’t get her back.