Dandelion Run

         "Goddamn yellow things," Maura grumbled as she stepped out of the car.

         Rob rolled his eyes as he made his way to the restored barn. "Oh, come on! You took your meds three hours ago. The dandelions won't hurt you."

         "Those blasted things kept me from properly training half of last year and made my life miserable three weeks ago. I'm entitled to complain."

         At that, Rob wandered over to a patch of grass and plucked a flower. He brought it over to Maura and waved it under her nose.

         "Here you go," he chimed. "Call it a gift."

         "Get that thing away from me," Maura mumbled before dashing away.

         Rob blinked but followed, chasing her around the parking lot for a minute before she climbed on the roof of the Passat.

         "Damn. Sure you didn't use up all your race energy with that move?"

         Maura shook her head and slid down the side. "Nah. Besides, we still have at least two hours before we get to Des Moines. I'll have some time to recover."

         "Right. Well, I'm going to step in this barn here and use the facilities."

         "Don't take too long. We don't have quite that much time before the race starts."

         Rob resumed walking to the barn, leaving Maura in the parking lot. She stretched for a few moments before bunny hopping across the pavement. She was walking back to the car when Rob emerged from the rest area building. He flashed a quick grin at her as he dug into his pocket.

         "Your turn to drive," he chirped while tossing the keys to Maura.

         "Lovely. I get the hundred miles or so of nothing but empty fields and not much else. Thanks a bunch."

         "You've been to Des Moines before, and I don't want to have to pull over in the middle of town because I have no idea how to get to the hotel."

         Maura sighed. "Fair enough, but you're taking the Iowa leg on the way back."

         They got back in the car and resumed their drive south. A half hour passed before either one said anything. Rob stared at the wind turbines and beige hued skeletal remains of corn plants while Maura dodged oncoming mergers getting on the freeway. As they passed the Mason City exit, Rob shifted in his seat and faced his traveling companion.

         "So you've run this race before," he began. "What was it like?"

         Maura grabbed a water bottle and sipped before answering. "Cold. And windy. The temps never got above 43, unlike this year where we're actually getting some sunlight. We started the race going into a headwind because we're running through downtown and around a bunch of fairly tall buildings. It's kind of like back home."

         "Indeed."

         "The one upside is it's a fairly flat course and a loop. All the action is pretty well contained. There's even a sculpture garden nearby. We can stop by at some point since it's not far away."

         "We'll see how I feel. I haven't run a mile in at least twelve years prior to training for this."

         Maura smiled. "You can walk if you need to. Since we're in the recreational division, you can go however fast you want. I'm really hoping to run under eight minutes, but dandelion-delayed training might put the kibosh on that."

         "And maybe it won't."

         They arrived in Des Moines a couple hours later and made their way to the hotel. Rob hauled in the bags and Maura checked into the single room. The presence of two beds made them sigh in relief, especially since Rob had no plans to join Maura until three weeks before the race. Rob flopped on the bed by the window and shut his eyes.

         "Don't get too comfy," Maura admonished. "We have a race to get to soon."

         "But the bed's so comfy," Rob whined.

         Maura sauntered to the window and parted the curtains to flood the room with golden sunlight.

         "Alright! I'll get changed!" he exclaimed as he leaped for his suitcase.

         Maura shook her head before grabbing her own running outfit.

         After changing, they walked the mile to the course and picked up their race packets. They spent the forty five minutes prior to their race pinning their numbers and wandering the outer edges of the sculpture garden. Rob plucked another dandelion rooted next to a spider statue, prompting an eyeroll from Maura.

         "Come on," she said. "Let's get our bags checked. We'll need to get to the start in ten minutes."

         Rob nodded and stuck the flower in Maura's bag when she turned her head. He grabbed their bags before following her to a nearby tent. When their bags were stowed, they wandered over to the start and joined the mass of runners waiting for the gun.

         "I'm glad you let me tag along," Rob blurted as they inched closer.

         "I'm surprised you wanted to join me," Maura replied. "I know you'd been going to the gym, but I don't recall you being into running."

         "Maybe it's because I wanted to see you. I've missed you, Maura. Things were not the same after you left."

         Maura sighed. "I didn't choose to leave, and that's all I'm going to say about it."

         "I know. We should focus on this race for now, anyway."

         "They'll want the runners a little closer to the front. I started a bit of a ways back last year and had to fight through traffic. See you at the finish line?"

         "You might have to wait for me for a bit."

         "Then I'll grab our bags after I'm done."

         "Fair enough. See you at the finish line."

         Twenty minutes later, Rob stepped across the line to find Maura waiting for him, their bags at her feet. She held the dandelion behind a slip of paper.

         "Seven forty five," she announced as he approached.

         "Nice. Looks like the dandelions didn't hold you back at all."

         "No. They didn't."


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