Kate imagined the headlines as she slogged up the path behind Tony. She hadn’t anticipated rain, even though this was Vancouver. It had been hot and sunny for several weeks, and she’d expected more of the summery weather. But when her alarm blared at four-forty-five and she managed to unglue her eyes, the clouds outside her window were thick and it was already sprinkling. She’d waited for him to call and cancel. Instead, he called and confirmed. And now, twenty-three long minutes into the walk, the sprinkle had turned into a full-scale downpour. Her jacket was dripping. Her bare legs were freezing. Her new trainers were sopping. “This is invigorating.” Tony was marching along the pathway, using his cane, but still moving at a pace that made her pant, although at 6:00 a.m. the only pace she was truly capable of was a stationary one. Horizontal and stationary. “Feels good, breathing in all this fresh air.” He drew in a deep lungful and expelled it. She was trying not to breathe.
