Hana spun in a circle at the school courtyard, arms stretched wide, a grin lighting her face as if the sun itself had taken residence there.
"I've decided," she declared. "Tomorrow we ride."
Harvey blinked at her from his usual bench. "Ride what?"
"Bicycles! Down the coastal road. The wind in our hair, the ocean beside us, snacks in our bag. It's number two on the list." She flipped open her notebook and held it up:
2. Ride a bike down the coast.
Harvey narrowed his eyes. "That's… like twenty kilometers. You really think you can handle that?"
"I can handle you, can't I?" she smirked.
He sighed, defeated. "You're going to kill yourself trying to live."
She looked at him then—not with anger, but with that strange, haunting calm. "Better than dying without trying."
---
They met the next morning near a rental shop. Leyah had picked bright yellow bikes with baskets. She wore a scarf that flapped behind her like a hero's cape.
They rode side by side down the coastal road. The sea glittered like a mirror, and waves whispered beside them as they passed fishing boats and wind-blown cliffs.
At first, Leyah rode fast, laughing and pedaling like a storm. But after an hour, Harvey noticed her shoulders sag.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Peachy," she panted.
"We can take a break."
"No way. I'm winning this race."
"It's not a race."
"To you."
She pushed forward, stubborn, until her breath gave out and she wobbled to a stop.
Harvey pulled over and helped her down gently. They sat beneath a shady tree, sipping juice. Leyah leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I used to love riding bikes when I was little," she said. "Felt like I could go anywhere. Like the world was endless."
She paused. "Then I got sick. And suddenly the world became… small."
Harvey didn't say anything. He just let her lean on him, watching the sea stretch endlessly ahead.
Eventually, Leyah sat up, pulled a pen from her pocket, and scribbled a note on her list.
Harvey peeked.
#2 – Ride a bike down the coast – with someone who makes the world feel big again.
She looked at him and smiled. "You're good at that."
"At what?"
"Making things feel big. Important."
"…I don't do anything."
"You show up," she said softly. "That's more than most."
Harvey looked away, heart heavier than the sea.
She leaned in and whispered, "Don't fall in love with me, okay?"
He glanced at her, startled. "I won't."
She laughed. "Liar."