Catching a Breath

Chloe Davis was in her usual rush. Mornings were practically a workout. Her routine involved sprinting from the bedroom to the bathroom, fitting in a makeshift breakfast, and balancing her laptop precariously in one arm, all while trying to catch her breath. "I'll be home by 7!" she shouted into the void of her apartment, knowing only her perpetually unimpressed houseplant was listening. It was the same every day. But, one Thursday morning, the world decided it didn’t want Chloe rushing anymore. It happened at the crosswalk near her office. One moment she was texting about meeting deadlines, and the next, she was sitting on the curb, her ankle throbbing. A nagging pain but hardly unbearable. A sprained ankle. Great, now she was going to be late. At the clinic, Chloe felt the weight of her hectic schedule confront her. With limited mobility, she had a forced break in her day, and it was infuriating. Her phone buzzed silently in her bag, messages piling up like a guilty conscience. "You look like you need a raincheck," a familiar voice teased. It was Sam, her childhood friend she hadn’t seen in years. Back in town "for a bit," as he put it. Serendipity never had such bad timing, she thought. "Yeah, but only on life,” Chloe quipped, attempting a smile despite the stinging sensation in her ankle. They exchanged knowing looks – Sam’s was more of a smile that said, "I’ve always been here," suggesting Chloe knew where to find him if she needed. By lunch, Chloe was tap-tapping emails into her phone with immense focus, pretending like everything was normal. Sam’s concerned words, "Let’s grab lunch," broke through her keypad typing rhythm. They ended up at a cozy café that felt more like gentle nostalgia. Sam ordered coffee while Chloe absent-mindedly poked at a salad. "Maybe your ankle sprain is life telling you to slow down," Sam suggested, sipping his coffee casually. "Easy for you to say," Chloe retorted, pretending to scroll through emails. "You travel and explore on your own terms. I have responsibilities." Sam chuckled. "Responsibilities are fine, Chloe. But tell me when was the last time you walked at a pace that wasn't a powerwalk?" Chloe opened her mouth, then closed it again, realizing she couldn't remember. "Look." Sam pointed out of the window. "Life’s still happening, even if you’re not rushing to catch it." His words echoed in Chloe’s mind for some time. She couldn’t quite shake them. After lunch, she avoided her usual fast lane methods; no running to catch buses, no squeezing in meetings back-to-back. She felt oddly liberated. As days passed, Chloe found herself phoning in unhurried conversations with Sam. During one of those calls, Sam shared about his adventures abroad, working odd jobs to fund travel instead of chasing a corporate career. "Oddly satisfying," Sam had said. "And I realized I’ve got so much more to give when I'm not exhausted." "Maybe," Chloe hesitated, "I've forgotten how it feels not to rush through life." Another week went by. Chloe started noticing little things during her lunch breaks – a wisp of dandelion fluff floating by, a dramatic pigeon courtship dance, the rhythmic tick of autumn leaves falling. Finally, it was Sam who threw the idea at her. "You’ve got vacation days, right? Let's take a road trip to nowhere." Initially, the thought terrified her. But beneath that terror simmered undeniable excitement. Their road trip was punctuated with laughter, a woodland hike where her ankle didn’t offend, and camping by a tranquil lake that mirrored constellations in stunning clarity. Chloe allowed herself to breathe, taking in each moment fully. Arriving back home, Chloe had found what she didn’t even know she’d lost. Not a career milestone or checklist item, but... air. Space to live. The next Monday morning, Chloe took her time getting ready, blending her smoothie molasses-slow. Her houseplant seemed to nod in approval. As she hit the crosswalk, Chloe noticed the way the light hit the dew on nearby grass. Life was, quite frankly, beautiful, even when she went at a lighter pace. And this time, Chloe was in no rush to outrun it.