Voyeur II

Thomas Cane

The young girl, no older than ten years old, is dashing around her circular cobblestone path.  She takes her strides in joy and great effort with her tongue curled up against her nose, lips pressed tightly together.  After completely the first lap she walks over to her father sitting on a bench who gives her a reassuring high five.  With barely a moment of hesitation she begins running again with the same fierce determination.  This cycle continues that eventually pauses as she high fives her father and takes a seat to wipe the sweat from her brow and adjust her sneakers.  The father sits back relaxing next to his wife and older daughter who is staring into her phone.  He proudly displays a beaming grin towards the youngest, clearly his plan had begun working.  Several months prior to this journey he was noticing how active his daughter was becoming, always seeking the next adventure or physical enterprise.  Coupling this with the family interest in a vacation the tickets were purchased and soon enough the family ended up in Rome.  What he did not reveal to his youngest was she would be participating in a youth training camp for cross-country running and track events.  He had the signature fatherly instinct that this would be an unforgettable experience for his daughter, and a way to truly nurture her passion.  There was also the added benefit that his wife approved of the idea.  As she finished up her last lap the family gathered together their luggage and began moving through the Piazza towards their hotel and the would-be bright future.