Broken Hero

“Lucy, look!” Sarah does a 360 spin to show off her yoga pants. “I’m actually using them to do yoga in!”

I laugh. “That’s great.”

Mandy gets up from the chair and stretches. “You’re still coming to the fair tonight, right?”

“Yep. I’ll actually be manning the bakery stand for a while, so you have to come by and buy some cookies.”

She puts a hand on her chest. “It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.”

They head down the porch and we walk together towards the spa. It’s a beautiful day; a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight. The town fair, I had been told, was the pride and joy of Claremont’s social calendar. Every year the planning committee sought to top the one prior, and the entire town pulled together to make the day as special as possible.

Sarah unlocks the door to the spa. “That’s why I’m doing yoga,” she says. “So I can eat your aunt’s cookies later.”

Mandy laughs. “As if you wouldn’t anyway.”

Sarah pretends to look affronted. “Are you saying I can’t control myself around baked goods?”

“I’m saying you do what you want, when you want.”

They unroll their mats, side by side, while I roll mine out in the front. It’s been a long time since I’ve taught others. I might know the movements by heart, but I’m still happy we decided on running a trial class.

Sarah sits down cross-legged on her mat. “Jack does say I lack impulse control.”

“Is he bringing the kids tonight?”

She nods. “They’re so excited for it, it’s like Christmas.”

“They love the merry-go-round, right?”

“Oh, it’s their favorite.”

“Nora barely spoke of anything else the last time I saw her,” Mandy says with a smile.

I shake my head at them. “Are you guys ready to start?”

“Yes. I’ve even turned off my phone,” Mandy confirms. “I’m ready for blast off.”

Sarah rolls her eyes. “Dork.”

It’s so good to be back on the mat like this, to be stretching out and relaxing. The routine I’ve chosen is an easy one, with plenty of soft poses in between the difficult ones. I correct their downward dogs and remind them of their breathing. For a long while, we practice in blessed silence, nothing but the sound of our movements and slow breathing.

It’s nearly an hour and a half later when we finish with the last pose and just relax on the mats. The sound of birds and the hum of nature filters in from the meadow beyond, and the air smells of lemongrass from the essential oil burner.

I’m entirely relaxed.

Correction-I should be entirely relaxed.

Because the calmer my mind gets, the more it drifts to Oliver’s lips on mine. They tingle at the memory. I clench my hand into a fist and try to force the image of him to disappear. Relax. Don’t have R-rated fantasies of your boss.

“Come on, you two,” I say, sitting up into a lotus position. “Time to slowly return to the real world, and to thank each other for the practice.”

Sarah doesn’t open her eyes. “But I’m finally relaxed. No dishes to do, no children climbing about.”

I grin. “Come on.”

“Just five more minutes?”

Mandy and I pull her up into standing, laughing. “We have a fair to get ready for.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The midday sun is hot as we walk back along the gravel path. I’ve spent more time outside in the past few weeks than I did for years in Dallas, cooped up in dimly lit treatment rooms, and it shows. My skin is more tan, yes, but I feel much brighter. Funny that I never realized how much I missed the sun.

Sarah shoots Mandy a sly look. “Is Logan coming to the fair tonight?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.”

I can clearly hear the tightness in her voice. “Maybe he will, if Oliver is going. Don’t they go way back?”

Sarah nods. “Years and years. But Oliver isn’t coming. He’s a lost cause.”

“Really? I thought that-”

A car honks on the driveway, the motor idling.

“Shoot, he’s early.” Mandy swings her bag up on her shoulder. “That’s my brother. I’ll head home and get ready. See you both at the fair?”

“Text me when you get there.”

Mandy takes off at a light jog and the car door slams behind her. I barely have time to see the driver before it takes off in a huff, dust rising from the dry gravel.

Sarah shakes her head. “I do wish she and Logan worked out.”

“Do you know why they’re… the way they are?”

“Something happened in the past.” Sarah waves a hand. “I’m sure they’ll get over it.”

I think back to how some of my friends stood up for Kyle, despite what he’d done, just because of his high-paying job. “Sometimes the past matters.”

Shrewd eyes look at me, and not for the first time, I get the feeling that under her bubbly facade Sarah is an excellent judge of character. “Yes, sometimes it does. The class you just led was fantastic, by the way.”

“You think?”

“Yes. This town won’t know what hit them.”

My smile is entirely genuine. “That’s amazing. I’m excited to get started on flyers.”

“And I’ll make sure to let people know tonight, too. Anyone who is anyone will be at the fair.”

I push my hair back and try to keep my voice neutral. “But not Oliver?”