Bette shook her head to rattle the memories out. She grabbed a white, short-sleeved, slim fitted collared corset top that enhanced her already perfect breasts. Bette completed the outfit with a couple of strands of pearls, the perfect shade of pink lip gloss and allowed her curls to flow freely. She stared at the reflection in the mirror for a long minute. Then left before she changed her mind.

***

Tina spent the majority of the night tossing and turning and thinking of Bette. She sat the deer artwork on the nightstand and stared at it for hours it seemed. Bette knew how much Tina loved that piece and Tina knew Bette considered it one of her most prized possessions. Why had she packed it for Tina? Tina reached over to the empty pillow next to her and ever so lightly stroked it. She knew the answer. Tina wiped tears from her eyes. Her head hurt from the lack of sleep and the bottle of wine she downed. She was a mess.

She needed to clear her mind and the best way she knew how to do that was to run. Hard and fast. Luckily her apartment was a stone’s throw from Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre haven almost entirely framed by the Pacific Ocean and one of the greatest urban parks in the world according to the brochure that was included in Tina’s welcome basket when she arrived in Vancouver. It definitely did not disappoint with its beaches, gardens, trails, activities and scenic views. Tina didn’t have time to fully explore the park but she did make time to enjoy a run every morning along the Seawall where she got to breathe in views of the ocean, the mountains, towering evergreen trees and the stunning Vancouver skyline. Her only time to really breathe.

None of that mattered this morning. Her mission was to outrun her thoughts, the images of Bette and that stupid deer painting. She needed to run until her legs gave out and that they did.

She tasted the nectar of sweat mixed with tears as she collapsed, gasping for air. Tina’s lungs felt like an elephant was sitting on them. She hadn’t pushed herself like that in a very long time. Tina rolled onto her back on the grassy knoll and stared at the sky almost hyperventilating. She closed her eyes to calm her insides.