9 / A HAPPY KISS — Lizzie isn’t entirely unathletic — she’s currently trying, even with a little bit of struggle to handle some of the heavy lifting at the farm, and even though her muscles are sore some days, she feels herself getting stronger. She’s no stranger to athletics, whether that be swimming or rock climbing or some other adventure she finds herself on ... but when it gets down to being as basic as running, she’s no expert. Finley is, however, and thus: they were recruited on the basis of learning from a pro. She’s about to put her hands on her knees again and ask when the hell this mile is supposed to be over, because it feels a lot closer to passing out than she does to success. But — apparently, it’s just down this long stretch, to this particular tree they’d chosen as a marker. And she’s suddenly rejuvenated as she bursts forward, one, two, three ... she doesn’t even count her steps anymore as she bounds past the tree, Finley just ahead of her. “ YES! ” She screams, jumping into the air with her fist pumped up, like she’s in a movie. “ I DID IT! ” In her joyful excitement, she latches onto Finley, gripping their arm as if to say, see, I’m here and I did it — and then, when they get a little closer, she opts for a victory kiss. Hell yeah, two wins! When she parts, she’s grinning, ready to book it in the opposite direction despite her exhaustion. “ Last one back’s to town’s a rotten egg ! ”