The Promise
Excerpt from The Promise
Kate began jogging the day she took leave from her job as a real estate salesperson. Her modest savings, plus Sara’s salary, is to buy her two years in which to finish a manuscript she’s worked at, off and on, since college. She has no idea whether it’s any good or not. No one, other than Sara, has even suggested that it is, or could be. It’s been ten months now, and she’s spent part of each day telling herself that she’s a fool. Money is tighter than they expected. They hadn’t counted on expensive repairs to the roof or Sara’s Aunt Fannie needing help with home nursing expenses after a nasty fall.
At forty-one and twenty pounds overweight, expensive running shoes and a neon-orange jogging outfit had taken her no farther than the first block. Each time thereafter for weeks the pain was excruciating. Giant blisters live on her heels and the balls of her feet. Still she runs three or four times a week, and always on those evenings when Sara works late. Lately, they are too exhausted to do much more than fall into bed, promising each other a special weekend soon.
At the one-mile marker, Kate gets a second wind and settles into a comfortable pace, Scout striding easily alongside her. While running, she often works out problems with her writing or fantasizes about some erotic adventure with Sara on a nude beach in Key West. There were other women before Sara, but no one she’s ever wanted to make a commitment to. Then, six years ago, Sara happened, a complete and wonderful surprise.