Page 47 of Shift the Tide

Kiera turned to leave, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”

Her dad called after her, his voice still teasing, “We’re just saying, if you need advice on handling complicated romantic feelings, you should just ask us. Between your mother and me, we’ve got so many complicated romantic feelings about each other, it isn’t even funny!”

Kiera stopped in the doorway, turning back just enough to give them a dry look. “I'm not sure that a straight couple that has been married for decades can help me in this new queer adventure.”

Her mom winked. “At least you admit it’s an adventure.”

Shaking her head, Kiera disappeared down the hall, still feeling the heat in her cheeks. But as much as she wanted to be embarrassed by the conversation, she couldn’t ignore the slight weight that had lifted from her chest.

An hour later,Kiera found herself standing outsideLuna Pole & Aerial, the studio windows reflected against the late afternoon sun. She hadn’t planned on being here. She had planned to go to Pilates. She wasn’t sure she enjoyed Pilates, necessarily, but it was now familiar, which meant predictable and safe.

She wasn’t sure why she hesitated when she passed the pole fitness studio again. Through the glass doors, she could see two women chatting as they changed into heels, looking at ease in a way Kiera could barely comprehend.

She told herself she was just going to grab a brochure. That was all. Just information. She stepped inside before she could change her mind.

The front desk attendant, a woman with a blunt bob and a septum piercing, greeted her with a warm smile. “Hey there! Here for a class?”

Kiera opened her mouth, ready to explain thatno, she was just looking, but then the attendant glanced at the clock.

“There’s a beginner’s class starting in ten minutes. If you want to join, I can get you set up.”

Kiera hesitated, her stomach clenching like a fist.

She could think of a dozen reasons to say no. She had planned on Pilates, she wasn’t dressed for this, she didn’t know what she was doing. But then she thought about the kiss with Izzy and initiating that very hot phone sex; how she had let herself be bold for once, andbrave; how her parents had been so unbothered when she’d told them. The relief of it. The realization that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t always have to be the careful, predictable version of herself.

Maybe she could justtry.

She squared her shoulders. “You know what? Yeah. Why not.”

The woman grinned. “Love that energy. Let’s get you signed in.”

Ten minutes later, Kiera stood in a bright, mirrored room, barefoot, surrounded by sleek metal poles spaced evenly throughout the studio. A handful of other beginners — some looking just as nervous as she felt — stood or stretched nearby.

The instructor, a bubbly redhead named Sam, clapped their hands together. “Alright, welcome to beginner pole! Who here is brand new?”

Kiera raised her hand, nerves spiking the moment she did. She glanced around and saw she wasn’t the only one, but that didn’t make her feel any less exposed.

Sam beamed. “Awesome. First thing you need to know is that pole is foreveryone. No matter your strength level, no matter your background, this is a safe space to learn, have fun, and maybe discover you’re stronger than you thought.”

That was… oddly reassuring.

They started with basic warm-ups — shoulder rolls, hip circles, core activation exercises — and then moved into simple grips. Kiera had assumed it would be all spins and climbing, but the first ten minutes were just learning how toholdthe pole properly.

When they finally moved on to a beginner spin, the fireman spin, Kiera was sure she was doing it wrong. She watched Sam demonstrate, the move looking effortless, before she tentatively copied the motion. She stepped, hooked her leg, and… immediately clunked against the pole, sliding down in the least graceful way possible.

“Holy shit,” she muttered under her breath, laughing as she caught herself.

Sam chuckled. “That was a perfectattempt. Try again but trust your momentum more.”

Kiera tried again. And again. And by the fourth or fifth time, she managed a wobbly, slightly stilted spin.

Her arms ached. Her legs were already burning. She wasterribleat this.

But she was havingfun.

For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t worrying about what came next. She wasn’t thinking about Alex or the divorce or teaching or what the hell she was doing with her life or even Izzy. She was justhere, in her body, trying something new.

And damn, it felt good.

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