Page 17 of One Last Run

Maggie nodded again, but she adjusted her goggles over her eyes so that Danica couldn’t make out her full expression.

“Everything’s great, honestly,” Maggie said, clearing her throat. “I’m just tired. I don’t know how Kiera still works while being a parent. Some days it’s a struggle just to get everyone changed out of pajamas. I appreciate my parents looking after the kids while I’m away so Gwen could also have a break.”

Danica put her gloved hand over Maggie’s. “You’re doing a really good job.”

Maggie gave her a small smile. “I sure hope so. And I hope Grandma and Grandpa haven’t let them have too much screen time while I’m gone.”

Danica shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize all of this was weighing on you.”

“It’s just a constant weight, no more than usual. I’m used to it.” Maggie bumped her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re doing this with me.”

“Me too,” Danica said, smiling. “God, you’re worried about screen time for your kids while I’m just over here considering if being run down by the chairlift can kill you.”

Maggie glanced at the lift above them. “I mean, it’s notnota death trap.”

Glen walked past holding the hand of a tween boy who was far steadier on his feet than she was.

“Glen, what if we just skip the lift part of the lesson and stay magic carpet riders?” Danica asked hopefully.

“Come on, I’ve had seven-year-olds braver than you,” he responded.

“They have more bone density than me, too,” Danica countered, readjusting her bindings. They weren’t ready for the lift yet, but it was looming in the back of Danica’s mind. There was simply no way she’d be able to do it while standing — how Pete had made it look so effortless, she’d never know.

But then again, Pete made everything look effortless. Back in college, she’d never once seen Pete studying or actually writing a paper or finishing an assignment. She’d seen Pete spend hours with video games, play ultimate frisbee most afternoons on the quad, or read books that weren’t assigned for class. Even now every detail she could glean about Pete’s life just seemed as though she was still a woman with her head up in the clouds,never touching down in the real world. It was impressive in a way, and annoying in another — Pete was smart, but she lacked the kind of ambition that drove Danica. Pete had made some kind of app for her thesis portfolio, but Danica had never seen it, and thought that maybe she’d never even finished it. In fact, it was a bit surprising when Pete showed up in her graduation gown. Had they really let her graduate without finishing her senior thesis?

“Earth to Danica,” Maggie said from beside her. “Come in, Dani.”

“Sorry, what?” Danica asked, shifting onto her knees to push herself back up to stand. While a bit easier than standing up in skis, she felt far less stable. At the top of the bunny hill, she watched Glen teach the younger group members a balance exercise using their toe edges.

“What were you just thinking about?” Maggie asked, hopping awkwardly with her board.

“Just how much I miss ski poles,” Danica said, but in reality, that was what she’d been thinking about for a majority of the morning, so it wasn’t entirely untrue.

“You looked really wistful for ski poles, then,” Maggie teased.

“I long for the pole,” Danica announced just as they rejoined the group lesson.

Glen snorted. “Easy, tiger. The kid’s camp can hear you.”

They spent the next hour working on maneuvering down the bunny hill without stopping to shift their edge, and Danica cheated, staying on her heel edge for the majority of the run. It was easier to balance leaning her weight backwards than forwards. Before she knew it, the lesson was done and Glen was giving them all high fives and telling them they were now one step closer to being professional snowboarders. Lift crisis averted.

Reaching the cafe at the bottom of the bunny hill, Danica and Maggie walked in and began loading their plates with every carb in sight.

“So, how’s wedding planning going?” Maggie asked as they sat down with plates heaped with over-sauced pasta and limp french fries.

Danica pretended to be in the middle of a bite in order to gather her thoughts. “Fine,” she said, unsure how to explain the situation. Even during their two-year engagement, they hadn’t done much planning. Danica had asked Eddie to hold off on making decisions until things slowed down at work. She wanted to attend some bridal shows and get ideas and really organize her thoughts, she’d claimed. Given that thingsneverseemed to slow down at work, they hadn’t made much progress before the breakup.

In truth, she’d tried on one wedding dress, and nearly burst into tears in the dressing room from a sudden panic attack. Thankfully, she was there alone, so she didn’t have to explain to any of her family or friends why she’d left after only one dress.

They’d been engaged for long enough to raise some questions from family members about their timeline, but Eddie had never rushed her, and she appreciated that, at least.

She thought of him tearing up on the phone the other day when he’d called to ask her if she wanted to come over to get the last of her things.

Eddie was sweet and kind and emotionally-available. He had a good job, and he was close with his family. Dogs and kids liked him, which was always a good sign. He’d proposed to her after two years of dating, which had initially come as a surprise, but it didn’t feel wrong, necessarily. Eddie was everything she wanted in a partner on paper, and she did still feel sad and confused, but not in a way that made her ever reconsider getting back togetherwith him. He was a good person, but he wasn’t her person. She wasn’t sure how to explain that to her friends.

“I remember how much of a headache the entire process was,” Maggie said, interrupting her thoughts again. “I begged Gwen to elope like nine times.”

“But your wedding was gorgeous,” Danica said. “I loved it.”

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