“I did not know whether they would approve it.”
“That is when pending information is most useful.”
She accepted it without a joke. “You are right.”
Then a small smile returned.
“Still hot.”
“This is not the appropriate response.”
“I like when you’re direct.”
“I am always direct.”
“You are often carefully direct.”
I took the page.
“The revised plan can accommodate the deposit even without the prize if you teach one monthly workshop and reduce discretionary spending by twelve percent.”
She blinked, then looked back at the page. “You already recalculated.”
“Blake’s decision may remove the cash award.”
“You did it this morning?”
“During lunch.”
“Amy.”
“What?”
She regarded me without teasing or alarm, only the disorienting experience of being seen and cared for at once.
“You didn’t have to.”
“I know.”
The phrase was Dani’s. Using it felt intimate. I continued.
“You still need to decide whether the certification is part of a career plan or an attempt to repair your relationship with distance running.”
Her warmth became caution.
“Can it be both?”
“Yes. But not secretly.”
She looked down at the payment terms.
“I want the program.”
“For what?”
“To coach runners who think running spaces aren’t for them.”
“That is a career plan.”
