The Runner

The Runner

Marilyn answered the doorbell with an air of irritation. Seeing who it was did not improve her mood.

Linda was the chairperson of the Healthy Heart Foundation, and, what seemed like a long time ago, her best friend. Marilyn and her husband Jeff had met her when Linda was publicist for the annual marathon. Jeff always ran in it, and always won.

What did she want today? Marilyn wondered.

“Marilyn, I’m so sorry,” Linda began. “I should have called a lot sooner, but.…”

It was tedious to have to listen to everybody’s feelings of guilt, Marilyn thought, cutting her short with a nod.

“It’s all right. Come on in.”

“It was all so sudden,” Linda started again lamely. “Did you have any idea he had a bad heart?”

“No, we didn’t know it all until he collapsed,” Marilyn answered, repeating the same story she’d told over and over.

“I found this poster from the race, and I thought maybe you’d like to have it. There were only a few copies made, and after what happened, we didn’t want to, uh, use it. I hope you understand,”

As much as she didn’t want to, Marilyn took the poster Linda offered her and unrolled it. Her throat tightened and her eyes filled with tears.

“Why are you giving me this?” she demanded. “I don’t want it. He never came running back to me, you know. After you, he just kept going.”