
he bikes.
i run.
it's just my adventure at first, the quest to find somehting i've never seen before.
i run my fingers over the map of the trails, finding it, realizing a destination.
i stretch the tight out of my muscles with jim brickman, and we start to run together.
i pass them as i go, josh groban, taylor swift, michael buble, brand new, coldplay. they wave and pass by.
i run at a normal pace, my breath catching occasionally.
i take a wrong turn. and end up in another parking lot.
he stands, with his little brother curriosity at the parking lot, and looks around the lot on his bike.
i stop in front of the kiosk, with it's map.
i've taken a sharp left.
he asks.
i tell.
we figure out where to go next, and i start back up through the miniforest, up steep hills that his little brother legs can't get all the way up.
so when i emerge from the fragrant place, i wait.
and do crunches.
he comes, and i point to where we should go next.
he starts ahead, i follow.
i run hard, to keep up, and am surprised at my energy.
we sludge through a muddy part of the dirt trail and make it back onto the boardwalk.
i see it.
we do a full circle of my adventure, and end up on a small platform, hanging into the water.
i smile, at the sight of what i was trying to find.
my breathing is ragged, and i have a cramp in my side.
but i made it.
i slump onto a bench and he asks me if this is all i wanted to find.
this skating pond, not frozen, with little algae.
i nod.
what! he says,
you can get here from the main path!
i laugh.