Pregnant Pause [H.S]

Chapter 21

Amidst

I woke as the sun was rising. I dozed for a few minutes, rolling over in bed in search of a comfier position. I flipped my pillow to the cool side and rested my cheek against it, my eyes cracked halfway open to observe Fitz sleeping soundly. Undisturbed by my restlessness, her even breaths caused her hair to lift off her cheek and then settle back down before being blown again.

I envied her ability to sleep through light, noise, and movement. Sometimes I wondered if my alertness meant that I wasn't even really sleeping at all. Sometimes it didn't feel like it.

Another few minutes of dozing occurred before I rubbed at my weary eyes and carefully got out of bed. After chugging a glass of water in the kitchen and realizing that I was the only one awake, I decided to take advantage of the early morning peacefulness and go for a run.

I didn't know my way around the quiet coastal village, but I figured if I stayed close to the water I'd have a good chance of finding my way back. So, wearing a pair of black football shorts, socks, and running shoes, I set off into the clear morning.

The sun was out and the fog was nowhere to be found, yet it wasn't too warm. It was early morning, but as I jogged past what I could only assume to be the downtown core featuring a grocer's, a drug store, and a hardware shop, the owners were already outside sweeping their stoops and opening up.

Birmingham was too noisy, too busy, and too industrial to run around. This sleepy village in Wales was perfect for me: uncomplicated and peaceful, yet active enough that I didn't feel alone.

I hadn't run in the open air for a long time. As glorious as it was to clear my mind, my body was feeling the burn from the uneven ground, sloping roads, and my perhaps-too-hurried pace. Niall and I went to the gym a few times per week, but with everything that had transpired throughout the summer, I'd fallen off the wagon... and I was feeling it.

I was jogging next to the beach, and when my lungs were starved and my side was shooting electric bolts of pain and my legs were burning, I promptly collapsed on my back in the sand. Gasping painfully for air, I squeezed my eyes shut and curled into my side, applying pressure to it for every excruciating, shallow inhale. My heart was pounding like a drum, and I laid there for at least a few minutes waiting for it to subside.

When I could finally breathe without wincing in pain, I let my head fall back against the sand and opened my eyes, seeing stars. Eventually, my vision adjusted to the sunlight, and I stared into the fresh green leaves of the tree above as I tuned in to my surroundings.

It wasn't just my heart that was hammering – there must have been a construction site nearby. First a hammer, then a drill. Then both of the sounds ceased and I could only hear raspy laughter.

Slowly and with a grimace, I sat up, dusted off my hands, and pushed myself up. The back of my arms, legs, and my back were covered in sand, sticking to sweat. I brushed myself off as best as I could, knowing that I'd only tackled half of what was there but not caring enough to try harder.

My hair was too long, and I reached up to push it off my forehead. I held it to the top of my head with one hand and placed my other hand on my hip as I walked back to the road, immediately spotting the construction site. A new house was being built just across from the beach.

I was walking out my sore muscles and couldn't help but observe. As far as I could tell, there were four men working on the house: two hammering and drilling up in the rafters while another two operated the machinery to cut the wood below. At this early hour, they were already sweaty and dirty. They grunted from the effort. They completed their tasks with precision and paused in between to joke with one another. They were happy.