The Running Dream

Because she isn’t ready to get on a bus again, Jessica doesn’t go to the league preliminaries with her team. Instead, she stays home and helps her mother in the flower garden. This time with her mom allows Jessica some reflection on life in general. She wonders if older people look at their life in terms of seasons. Right now, Jessica sees her life as sixteen years of spring that is interrupted “by a sudden, deep freeze” (237). She wonders if things will change enough for a thaw to happen. Her mother is happy in her garden, and Jessica tries to “hold onto the warmth of her sunshine” (237).

Fiona has qualified for the 800-meter league finals, and Jessica congratulates her for her achievement. At first, Fiona is hesitant to celebrate because she doesn’t want to hurt Jessica’s feelings, but Jessica insists otherwise, although deep down she feels isolated from the team. Fiona then tells Jessica about the meet, including Vanessa Steele’s winning races, but notes that Vanessa could not break Jessica’s record from the previous year.

What did annoy Fiona was that Merryl didn’t show up for the meet. When the coach called home, Merryl’s mother said she was ill.