sneak

For the past month, we’ve been sneaking out in the early morning—she in a Navy SEAL-worthy vest and me in one that looks like an ill-fitting lifejacket—as we supercharge our morning walk.

I felt sheepish when my partner caught me sneaking a cookie shortly after I had encouraged him to forgo dessert so we could “be healthy together.”

He first encountered molecular structures at 10 years old, when he sneaked into the school library, picked a book at random, and was captivated by the images, despite not understanding what they were.

It’s like we were 14 years old trying to sneak it from your parents.

I quickly snuck back into my hideaway and stayed quiet, listening to the gnarled sounds of this massive animal grazing just feet away from me.