Poppy glanced at her watch. She felt like a million bucks. She felt she would be fine running twice as fast, twice as far. Roxie was right; a running partner made all the difference. Young people could really do wonders for the middle-aged, Poppy thought. All that vitality, that get-up-and-go.

Roxie said, “So what do you do for work now?”

“I’m in the bounce house biz.”

“Come again?”

“For birthday parties and carnivals and stuff. I rent ’em out, blow ’em up, clean up the puke.”

“Interesting,” Roxie said. “Never occurred to me somebody would do that for a living.”

“It’s a drag,” Poppy said. “Money’s alright, though.”

Roxie slowed her pace and sniffed the air. “Smell that?” She held her arms in the air and slowed to a complete stop, as if standing still would intensify the aroma. “We’re close.”

Poppy lifted her chin, nose to the air. “Yes,” she said, the air suddenly sweet with blossoms. “Smells like honeysuckle.”

“It’s just up ahead.”

They jogged another quarter-mile, around a gentle bend, and, “Wow!” Poppy said, inhaling the air, thick with the sweet aroma of the white blooms. The great branches of the trees, heavy with broad, dark, glossy leaves, reached across to meet overhead, some of them interlacing like fingers.

“Wow!” Poppy said again wondrously, standing still with her chin tilted up to the sky, the scent of the blooms dizzying. She filled her lungs with it.

They stood in a comfortable, lovely silence for a bit. Poppy felt like she was in the Garden of Eden. She jumped to grasp a bloom and pull it to her face, couldn’t quite reach, and missed. Roxie hopped to retrieve it easily, and she pulled it down and handed it to her. Poppy buried her nose in the warmth of the white petals, then she let go, and the branch sprang back upward and bounced. A soft breeze skimmed over her face. A few sandpipers speed-walked across the sidewalk before her, looking aimless and distressed, like they were lost and running late for an important meeting.

Roxie cracked all her knuckles, then her neck.

“I reckon I should head back,” Poppy said. “If I go any further, I’m setting myself up for a hell of a hike back. But thank you for letting me join you and bringing me to this place.”

“My pleasure.” Roxie knelt to tighten the knot on her shoe. “I’m off tomorrow and I’ll be running the same route at the same time, if you care to join again.”

“Tomorrow?” Poppy said. “Yes, that should work. Tomorrow will be our last full day on the island, boo-hoo. We need to be out by ten o’clock the following morning.”

Roxie tucked a loose strand of hair into her braid. “You’ll wanna make the most of your last full day then, right? Get an early start?”

“Good point,” Poppy said. “Let’s plan on it. I’ll meet you right in front of our place, same time.”

“Perfect.” Roxie gave her a half-hug, hip to hip, then she trotted off.