The Running Dream

After the winning meet, Fiona drives Jessica home, and they find the Channel 7 News van parked in front of Jessica’s house. As she walks in the house, Jessica hears her father talking about the financial difficulties that the accident caused and how the school won’t accept any responsibility for what happened, even though it was at a school event and on a school-chartered bus. Jessica is mortified that all of this is caught on video and yells at her father. When Sumner tells Jessica that it’s an integral part of the story, Jessica fires back, saying, “The story is my team trying to do something amazing and positive! We do not have to get into all this negative stuff!” (248). Sumner relents and asks instead to meet Sherlock, effectively changing the subject.

After the reporter leaves, Jessica goes inside to find that her father is angry with her. While he apologizes for his negativity, he explains that because the insurance companies have not come to a compromise, he is working sixteen-hour days to keep the household going, and they’ve taken out a second mortgage on the house. The lawyer that Jessica’s parents have hired says it could take years for a settlement to happen. Additionally, if they don’t get an appropriate settlement, then there won’t be enough money to cover the future expenses necessary for Jessica’s health, including future prosthetics. He argues that “As your parents, we need to prepare you for your future” (250).

Stunned, Jessica asks why they never told her any of these troubles. Her parents thought she had enough to worry about and didn’t need this situation added to her burden. Suddenly, Jessica realizes that she has been anxious about walking again while her parents were thinking of her future. That future won’t include a running scholarship and won’t involve attending the same school as Fiona. These revelations cause Jessica to feel like she has been hit “in the gut like an unexpected punch” (251). She goes to her room in tears.

Jessica endures many painful conversations with her family, even Sherlock, and finally tells her father he can call the television station back to give them more information. He kisses her goodnightand as he leaves, he asks for Lucy’s last name. Jessica tells him, then panics that he might contact them and bring up the memory of their dead daughter. She says desperately, “It would be mean to ask them to help us!” (253). Her father looks oddly at her, then insists he wants to try to help them. He closes the door to her room.