are to have you home safe. Those few days were torture. The not knowing,” her voice catches and I hold on tighter. “We’re just really glad you’re back…” she trails off and pulls away. Her lip is trembling and those caramel-colored eyes fill to the brim with unshed tears. She looks up and presses at the corners of each eye, shakes her head, and then smiles as if she’s just put herself in check. Kat has always been one of the strongest women I know. Of the four of us, she’s usually able to keep it together in difficult situations. I hold her hand and Maria’s. Bree sits at the foot and places her own on my ankle. I wince sucking in a breath. She jumps back.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s your ankle.” Her face is scrunched into a worried one.
Maria’s eyebrows narrow. “What’s wrong with your tobillos ?” She brazenly clutches the blanket between her fingers and pulls it back. Bree chokes back a sob and covers her mouth with her hand. Kat looks away the tears finally falling. I look down and see the bandages wrapped around each ankle are soaked through with blood. Looks like it’s time for the nurse to change them. Maria’s jaw tightens and she speaks through her teeth. “Why are they like this?”
It’s surprising that they act as though they haven’t been informed of my injuries. Then again, Chase would spare them. “Uh, Danny. He had me shackled by the ankles and wrists. I was connected to this pulley system, but the shackles were too tight and rusted through. When I struggled, they dug in. At the time I didn’t notice. Really. It’s just that the wounds got infected, so they’re giving me oral and topical antibiotics. Doctor says I’ll be fine. Really. In a couple weeks it will be like nothing ever happened.”
That’s when Maria begins to pace, muttering obscenities under her breath. I can barely catch a few words. Something about cerdo asqueroso which I recall meaning ‘disgusting pig’ and then she says martarlo, which I know for a fact means ‘kill him’ in Spanish.
Kat shakes her head, holds my hand and smiles. “Well, with us around all the time, you’re sure to heal quickly. Right ladies?”
I scrunch up my face, but that movement hurts. Really bad. I close my eyes to breathe through the jolts of pain spreading from my head down to my gut where nausea bubbles.
I will not throw up, I will not throw up. Breathe through it, Gigi. You’ve done this a million times before.
When the pain lessens and the nausea subsides, I fake a smile. Kat and Maria don’t buy it, concern heavy in their gazes. Bree ruffles through her giant patchwork purse. She pulls out a little brown bottle with a purple label. It says Valor on it.
“Here, sniff this. It’s Valor, an essential oil. It will give you strength and something else to think about besides the pain.”
I inhale deeply and am reminded of doing yoga. Taking classes with the girls, Bree calling out the cues in a serene tone. A happy place. As soon as I can move without pain, I’ll be back to the practice.
“Reminds me of I Am Yoga,” I say with a wistfulness I know she can feel. She tips her head and caresses the side of my face.
“Good times,” she agrees.
“The best. I can’t wait to go back. What’s going on with the studio?”
Bree stiffens her shoulders and twists her lips. She clasps her four-and-a-half-month pregnant belly. I lift a hand out and she holds mine over her stomach. I can almost feel a baby there. At least I’m able to convince myself I can.
“I don’t know yet. Chase found a new location though, says it’s mine if I want it.”
I press up trying to sit straighter. “Really? Where?”
One of her eyebrows rises into a point. “In your building,” she snorts. I shake my head. My man’s protective qualities know no bounds. “As if you didn’t know.”
I open and close my mouth. “I so didn’t! I swear to God.”
Her head pops back. “Huh. Well, when I
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s your ankle.” Her face is scrunched into a worried one.
Maria’s eyebrows narrow. “What’s wrong with your tobillos ?” She brazenly clutches the blanket between her fingers and pulls it back. Bree chokes back a sob and covers her mouth with her hand. Kat looks away the tears finally falling. I look down and see the bandages wrapped around each ankle are soaked through with blood. Looks like it’s time for the nurse to change them. Maria’s jaw tightens and she speaks through her teeth. “Why are they like this?”
It’s surprising that they act as though they haven’t been informed of my injuries. Then again, Chase would spare them. “Uh, Danny. He had me shackled by the ankles and wrists. I was connected to this pulley system, but the shackles were too tight and rusted through. When I struggled, they dug in. At the time I didn’t notice. Really. It’s just that the wounds got infected, so they’re giving me oral and topical antibiotics. Doctor says I’ll be fine. Really. In a couple weeks it will be like nothing ever happened.”
That’s when Maria begins to pace, muttering obscenities under her breath. I can barely catch a few words. Something about cerdo asqueroso which I recall meaning ‘disgusting pig’ and then she says martarlo, which I know for a fact means ‘kill him’ in Spanish.
Kat shakes her head, holds my hand and smiles. “Well, with us around all the time, you’re sure to heal quickly. Right ladies?”
I scrunch up my face, but that movement hurts. Really bad. I close my eyes to breathe through the jolts of pain spreading from my head down to my gut where nausea bubbles.
I will not throw up, I will not throw up. Breathe through it, Gigi. You’ve done this a million times before.
When the pain lessens and the nausea subsides, I fake a smile. Kat and Maria don’t buy it, concern heavy in their gazes. Bree ruffles through her giant patchwork purse. She pulls out a little brown bottle with a purple label. It says Valor on it.
“Here, sniff this. It’s Valor, an essential oil. It will give you strength and something else to think about besides the pain.”
I inhale deeply and am reminded of doing yoga. Taking classes with the girls, Bree calling out the cues in a serene tone. A happy place. As soon as I can move without pain, I’ll be back to the practice.
“Reminds me of I Am Yoga,” I say with a wistfulness I know she can feel. She tips her head and caresses the side of my face.
“Good times,” she agrees.
“The best. I can’t wait to go back. What’s going on with the studio?”
Bree stiffens her shoulders and twists her lips. She clasps her four-and-a-half-month pregnant belly. I lift a hand out and she holds mine over her stomach. I can almost feel a baby there. At least I’m able to convince myself I can.
“I don’t know yet. Chase found a new location though, says it’s mine if I want it.”
I press up trying to sit straighter. “Really? Where?”
One of her eyebrows rises into a point. “In your building,” she snorts. I shake my head. My man’s protective qualities know no bounds. “As if you didn’t know.”
I open and close my mouth. “I so didn’t! I swear to God.”
Her head pops back. “Huh. Well, when I
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