Read Online Balancing Acts by Zoe Fishman - Free Book Online Page A

he searched his mind for the appropriate word. “Useless!”
    Naomi laughed. “Much better. It is pretty useless. It’s more like slushy ice.”
    â€œWhen Dad and I were out last weekend there was some good snow. We made a snow cat.”
    Naomi fought to keep herself from making a face. Whenever Noah mentioned his dad, she reflexively tensed up. Gene had come back into Noah’s life in the past year. Even acknowledging it mentally made her angry and defensive. She knew that having him around was good for Noah, but she couldn’t help but feel as though she were waiting for Gene to mess up royally. She didn’t trust him for a minute, and she fought with herself internally every time Noah expressed happiness about their newly formed relationship.
    â€œOh yeah?” she asked, battling the urge to make a sarcastic remark. “What’s a snow cat?”
    Noah took her hand again, instantly calming her down. Even though she tried hard to maintain a neutral front, Noah somehow knew, with wisdom way beyond his eight years, that Gene made her nervous.
    â€œIt’s what you make when there’s not enough snow to make a man,” Noah explained.
    Naomi laughed. “That’s resourceful. What did you use for whiskers?”
    â€œStraws! That was Dad’s idea. It looked pretty cool. We took some pictures.”
    Gene was a photographer. That was how he and Naomi had met, so many years before. They had both been somewhat big shots on the New York underground photography scene. Now Naomi could barely pick up a camera and mostly felt zero connection to what had once been her biggest passion.
    Gene, on the other hand, had turned his skill into a full-blown career as a fashion photographer. When his photos first started appearing in magazines, Naomi had not been surprised. The perks of that job—young, beautiful women, drugs, and a jet-setting lifestyle—all seemed like perfect matches for a man with eternal Peter Pan syndrome.
    While Naomi had been changing diapers and wrestling with strollers on subways, Gene was screwing his way through Milan. Now, only when Noah was more of a buddy than a baby, was Gene back in his life. Gene had missed so much, and willingly at that. Naomi wasn’t sure if she could ever forgive him or take him seriously. The mere mention of his name made her want to scream.
    â€œI can’t wait to see them,” said Naomi, regaining her composure for Noah’s sake. “Hey, what do you know about yoga?” she asked him, eager to change the subject.
    â€œOh, yoga is cool,” said Noah. “We did it at school once. It’s when you stretch and think about stuff,” he added knowingly.
    Naomi smiled. “Think about stuff?” she asked.
    â€œYeah, you know. You close your eyes and are quiet on the inside,” he explained.
    Wow, thought Naomi, my own little Zen master. “Good definition, monkey,” she said. “I’m going to start taking a class on Saturdays for a while.”
    â€œCool!” answered Noah. “Can I do it, too?”
    â€œMmmm, I don’t think so,” said Naomi. “This is something that I’ll do myself.” Noah’s face crumpled a bit as he turned to face Naomi. Her heart smushed, seeing him look so forlorn.
    â€œDon’t worry,” she said as she squeezed his hand.
    â€œWhat about Saturdays at the park?” asked Noah, a slight whine creeping into his voice.
    â€œWe’ll still go to the park. My class is early in the morning. I’ll be home by noon and then we’ll go. You won’t even know I’m gone.”
    â€œWho’s going to stay with me? Dad?”
    Naomi tensed involuntarily. “No, Cecilia will come over and fix you cereal. She’ll hang out for a bit and then, before you know it, I’ll be back.”
    Noah digested the information as they walked. “Okay. Will she watch cartoons with me?”
    â€œMaybe.