I Fell in Love with Hope - Lancali

you?”
kind
SONE YEAR AGO
ony wants to race today. Since she barely has the strength to pace
without getting lightheaded, she and I came up with a set of rules. I
walk a loop around the atrium, twice around, to make up for my twolungedness,
she says, while she only does one. Whoever crosses
the finish line first wins.
A few steps around a corner, I look back over my shoulder to see
how much Sony has to catch up. And whoever I knock into this time
isn’t as small as Neo.
My front meets with a body as I turn the corner. Seconds later, my
back meets the floor, shoes slipping out from under me. A noise I
don’t make often rises flatly to my lips.
“Ow.”
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” A man bends to my level. His voice is
deep but not heavy, light enough to pull you back to where you are.
“Are you okay?”
“Sam!” Sony scurries to my side, skidding to her knees like a
superhero, sound effects and all. She removes her backpack,
pretending to rummage through it.
“Don’t worry,” she says, planting a hand on my chest. “I’m a firstclass
medic!” She is not.
Making all sorts of phony medical machine sounds, Sony tickles my
sides up and down, rousing squirmy, unwilling giggles. “Get up at
once, you scoundrel. We have worlds to conquer–wow. You’re big.”
Sony stops when she notices the man standing at our level. She
blinks, looking him up and down. “I’m Sony!” Her hand almost hits