Chapter Eighteen

Jade squatted down on the front porch's wooden steps, laced up her sneakers, and then started up her playlist. "Happiness, hit her, like a train on a track. Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back." ... She stretched her arms above her head, basking in the gorgeous day outside. It was somewhat chilly out, she could see the little puffs of her breath in the air, but it was also the perfect temperature for a good run.

An older woman across the street was pouring mulch around her newest saplings. It was unusual that Jade saw any of the neighbors outside; it seemed they didn't enjoy the cold either. She gave the woman a quick wave as she walked up the driveway and headed east, soaking in the warm rays from the clear skies overhead.

Her long ponytail swayed with every stride she took. Through her earbuds, she could hear the thudding as the rubber soles of her shoes bounced off the pavement. Her heart held a steady beat as she jogged, barely putting