Page 15 of Serenity & the Hermit
I let that word sink in for a moment. Sure, I have a family of my own, but we aren’t the ‘do anything’ kind of family. We’re the ‘tolerate and avoid’ kind. The idea of this feels foreign to me, but it also makes me feel warm and welcome. Like maybe this is the kind of belonging I always dreamed of…
After daydreaming about a world where family really does have each other’s back, I snap out of it and realize I probably only have a few minutes left to get myself dressed and ready before my ride gets here. Forcing my feet to move faster than I really want to, I head back into my room and search for the easiest outfit I can get into while still being able to move freely. Going with a pair of harem pants and a fitted tank I can pull up over my ass instead of over my head, I gather my things and get to the door just as a bright yellow sedan pulls up outside and a bubbly, familiar-looking woman gets out and bounds up the path to my door.
“Yvette,” I say, pulling it open before she can even knock.
“Oh! Goodness. You gave me a little fright there. How are you feeling? I bought you a lemon meringue cupcake and a latte to help you feel better. They’re in the car waiting for you.”
“That’s so kind. And since I’m not supposed to take these painkillers on an empty stomach, it’s also really thoughtful. I don’t know what to say here. I mean, you’re all rallying around me and you hardly know me.”
“Well, you’re part of the town and you’re responsible for making Nelson smile—which I honestly thought was an impossible feat until this morning—so all us Valentine’s are more than happy to help. You already know about the soulwink, right?”
I blush. “Yeah. And I’m hoping it doesn’t seem crazy to you that I believe in it?”
She giggles and shakes her head. “Not at all. We’ve all gone through it,” she says, reaching out to help me navigate the steps toward her car. “When you meet Jade, she’ll immediately ask your jacket size and invite you to have cocktails with us. She gets very excited whenever she’s proven right.”
“Is she ever wrong?” I ask as we both climb into her car.
She pauses before she starts the ignition and thinks. “I don’t think so. Not so far, anyway. I know that when Otis—that’s my husband—and I met, she was the first one to call it a soulwink. Otis fought it tooth and nail, though. But in the end…” She turns to me with a smile and a sigh, “the soulwink won, and we’ve been disgustingly happy ever since.”
“Sounds like a dream,” I say wistfully. “Which is kind of funny, because when I first met Nelson, it was more of a nightmare. He growled at me in front of the post office and then he pulled a gun on me at his place.”
“My lord! That man had better spend the rest of his life groveling at your feet to make that right.”
“Well, he’s off to a good start if last night is anything to go by,” I say with a wiggle of my brow.
Yvette giggles as she starts the car. “You can tell meallabout it on the way to the studio. Don’t forget your food.”
I take the pink paper bag tucked into the center console and place it on my lap, peeking inside. Sweet, lemony goodness floats up and tickles my senses. “This looks and smells amazing,” I say. “But who’s looking after the bakery if you’re here.”
“Oh, Otis is there. That man looks just divine in a pink apron. You’ll see,” she says, giving me a wink as she reverses out of my driveway and points the nose of her car toward Whisper Valley’s Main Street, and we’re on our way. This totally feels like I’m living in a dream.
NELSON
Sitting with my legs crossed in front of the class, I bring my palms to heart center and bow my head. “Namaste.” They echo it back, and then there’s a flurry of sound and movement as students break into conversation while also collecting their things.
“You know, Nelson,” old-lady Doris says as she reaches out a gnarled hand and places it on my forearm. “I always thought you were such a cantankerous ass with the way you stomped about town growling at people. But after meeting you again today, I’d like to change my opinion. Seems you just needed a little zen in your life.”
With a deep chuckle, I cover Doris’s hand with mine. “I take that as the highest of compliments, ma’am. And I hope you’ll come to Bendy Bodies again soon.”
“Oh, you can be sure you have a regular client in me. We oldies used to do yoga once a month at the local gym but having a full time studio in town means we can do it more often. My old bones will feel young in no time.”
“Glad to hear it,” I say, releasing her before making short conversation with a few other students as they all file out of the room. It’s then my eyes find the greatest sight of the day. Serenity standing in the doorway, looking spectacular in flowing terracotta pants and a fitted black tank, her sling, of course, and a massive smile on her face.
“I kind of imagined myself up there as the instructor, but I have to admit, seeing you transition from Warrior Two to Downward Dog, had me forgetting all about my troubles for a moment there.”
Hooking my finger under her chin, I grin as I lean down and press my lips to hers, tasting sugar and lemon on her sweet lips. “Please don’t be too mad at me for doing this without you. You were exhausted and needed your rest. I’d have waited for you to wake if I didn’t know how important it was that you opened today. I chose the best scenario I could think of that had you opening on timeandlooking after your health.”
She runs a hand down my sweat-damp chest as her blue eyes look deep into mine. “I’m not mad. I’m touched. You went to a lot of effort to take care of me, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so…”
“Loved?” I finish for her, the word falling from my lips before I even have the chance to stop it. And once it’s out there, I don’t even feel embarrassed. It’s the truth. It may only be a single day since we met, but I know without a doubt that I have fallen in love with her.Soulwinks for the win, as Jade would say.
“Is that how you feel?” she asks, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. “You love me?”
A massive grin takes over my face as I reach up to tuck her dark hair behind her ear. “Will it send you running if I said that I do?”
“No,” she whispers. “It’d just make this day continue feeling like a dream.”
“Dreams are good,” I murmur. “Especially when they come true.”
