Jumping out of the car, I didn’t wait for Grace before I started jogging lightly. I could feel my feet strain over the uneven ground of the soft sand so I pushed harder until I landed on the harder sand by the water. Keeping my stride short whilst I waited for Grace to catch up, I took the opportunity to blink a few times and let the tears that welled up finally cascade down my face. The pure vulnerability at feeling alone in this pregnancy had always been at the forefront of my mind. The idea that someone like Grace would want to be a part of my life, without asking for anything in return except for me to show the same love and support that she has shown, felt remarkably comforting.
The sound of approaching footsteps and her evenly spaced breaths indicated that she was on my heels. With the wind from the approaching storm providing assistance with the drying of my tears, I only had to smile as Grace caught up with me and looked over. Her face was peppered with a pink flush.
Race to the end of the beach? she asked.
Knowing that I’d never been fit enough to talk and run at the same time, I only nodded before I took off towards the finish line. Legs pounding underneath me, I heard Grace shout from behind me.
Hey!
Her voice was far enough behind to tell me that I got a good head start. With the finish line still a few kilometres away, I immediately regretted my initial burst of energy. What felt like adrenaline soon turned out to be a short sugar rush from all the food I ate today. A stomach cramp quickly followed, threatening to jeopardise my lead on Grace. Deciding that I needed this win more than anything, I leant into the wind and pushed harder. Strands of hair that escaped my hair tie now lay damp against my neck, slick with sweat. The pain in my stomach was now a dull ache as the fatigue in my legs forced me to slow down. My uneven breaths produced a sound louder than the waves crashing on the shore and I wheezed my way towards the last one hundred meters. Sweat dripping down my face, I stumbled towards the end, eventually collapsing on the sand and waiting for death to claim me.
Just a second behind, Grace also collapsed onto the sand but stayed in a seated position, gulping in the air readily available on the breeze that snapped at our faces.
You cheated, she panted.
Pausing to ease the burning sensation in my chest, I replied: Don’t hate the coach, hate the game.
Grace turned to me in confusion before she corrected: You mean, don’t hate the player, hate the game?
Waving off her comment with a shake of my hand, I pulled at my legs to drag my body up into a seated position and said dismissively: Same, same.
Grace scoffed at the disregard and assured me: Ah, no. No, it’s not. As she sat there staring at me, she added: I’m beginning to think that you missed one-too-many days of school.
Thinking back to my time at school and how many days I did miss, I smiled and replied: Yeah probably.
After a brief pause in exercise, both Grace and I stood up and stretched out our legs for the run back to the car. Going at a more leisurely pace this time, both Grace and I settled in beside one another, our feet hitting the sand at the same time. The caress of the wind against my face provided a brief interlude from the humid heat. Despite the cold water, summer was still drawing closer. The wind from the impending storm that had initially dried my tears was now gently lapping at my ankles, slowly pushing me back towards the car. Feeling like I had enough energy to pick up my pace, I lengthened my stride and started to even out my breaths when a sudden stabbing pain shot to my lower stomach. Jolting to a stop just meters from the car, I bent over to clutch one hand to my abdomen and place one on my knee to steady myself. Wincing in pain that I could now feel between my legs, a look of confusion crossed my face.
Grace stopped and turned to look at me.
Oh my God! she shouted.
The panic in her voice forced me to lock eyes with her so that I could see where she was looking. Noticing that she was staring at my legs, I followed her line of sight and looked down. That was when I saw the blood. I saw Grace in my peripheral as she rushed towards me, clutching at my stomach was all I could do before darkness enveloped me.