I laugh. “I did. Congratulations to us. You ready to do this?”
“Chris is still going to meet us for the last mile, right?”
“He’ll be there.”
He looks to me and sighs. “Run through the pain, huh?”
“Yes. Run through the pain. It works.”
“It’d better.” He takes his earbuds that are hooked to his music player and hands them to me. “We have the playlist Chris made for us, but first…I wrote another song for you. For us. Maybe for me. I don’t know. It’s a rough recording, but…”
“It’s a really good place to start.” I put in the earbuds, and then I clamp my hand into his while his music begins to play. “Here we go.”
“I’m ready, love.”
The terrain under my feet is all too familiar, and it brings back the same healing energy I used to get when I was a senior at Matthews. I hope that I can pass this on to Sabin.
We run, taking it slowly and steadily, and I listen to his words about his past, about reclaiming what he’s lost, and about how he’s going to fight like all hell for a future.
I SUPPOSE I SHOULD LET YOU GO.
FEAR IS ALL I’VE EVER KNOWN,
A FEVER OF A HIDDEN MAN.
CAN YOU TELL I’M A HURTING MAN?
CAN’T YOU SEE I WANNA BE YOUR MAN?
THIS IS ALL UNFAIR.
OH, THIS IS MY CALL.
I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW
BECAUSE YOU’VE SEEN MY SOUL.
I WAS A LONELY ONE,
IN THE SHADOWS.
SO, I PUT IT ALL IN THIS SONG.
SO, YOU’LL KNOW ONCE AND FOR ALL,
I WAS NEVER HOME
BEFORE YOU.
COURAGE, I NEED IT,
AND GUILT, I FEEL IT,
WITH MY HANDS
AND HEART.
I’M NOT A COWARD, BUT I DID NOT FIGHT.
