Read Online While My Pretty One Knits by Anne Canadeo - Free Book Online Page B

right?”
    Wanda laughed. “Students come in here with years of stress and bad body postures to release. I think you did really well.”
    Lucy would hardly go that far. She’d barely muddled through without totally embarrassing herself and splitting the seams on her yoga pants. Lucy glanced out the window at the dark gloomy day, the specter of the Knitting Nest filling her view.
    “I never noticed your studio before. But I don’t come down this street much.”
    “We opened about a year ago. It’s a little out of the way and it’s taken people a while to find us. It might sound awful to say,” she added, “but there’s been a parade coming through here the last few days. They all want to see the Knitting Nest. A little ghoulish, if you ask me.”
    “Yeah, it is pretty tacky,” Lucy agreed, though she could relate to the crass interest. “Did you know Amanda Goran at all?”
    Wanda swallowed and nodded quickly. “She was a bit standoffish when I first opened.” A kind way of describing Amanda’s prickly personality, Lucy thought. “But we’d become pretty friendly lately. She took a few classes here and whenever she had to go into the city for the day, I’d check on her dogs.”
    Lucy’s eyes widened and she took a moment to reply. No way could she picture Amanda doing yoga. But Wanda’s claim that Amanda took frequent trips into Boston was even more intriguing.
    “I’m sure Amanda must have appreciated that,” Lucy said finally. “She really loved those dogs.”
    “Oh yes, she did. It was a very spiritual connection,” Wanda agreed in a wistful tone.
    “Did she go into Boston a lot?” Lucy knew the question was a bit nosey, but now she was curious.
    “Oh, a few times a month, I’d say.” Wanda shrugged. “To see friends, she told me. But I thought maybe she was in a relationship. Technically, she was still married to Peter, of course. But she did have a certain glow lately,”
    “Yes, she did.” Lucy had seen it with her own eyes. It was a bona fide glow, not just owning to Amanda’s cosmetically whitened teeth. A romantic relationship would explain the makeover and weight loss, too.
    “Well…I hope she was happy,” Lucy added. Happier than she seemed most of the time I knew her, she nearly said aloud.
    Wanda nodded solemnly. “I think she was happy. And is at peace now. I was heartbroken when I heard the sad news. But I always try to lift my vision, Lucy. Amanda’s death served to remind me that it is so important to be here now. To be focused and aware. To be grateful for the simple things. To allow ourselves to be happy…to simply… be .”
    Wanda’s philosophical insights left Lucy with a slight wave of vertigo. The speech sounded vaguely familiar. Hadn’t she read it on a package of Celestial Seasonings tea?
    Wanda leaned forward and bowed slightly. “Namaste, Lucy—the divine in me honors the divine in you.”
    Lucy stood wide-eyed for a moment, then in a reflexive reaction, found herself bowing toward Wanda. “Right…Namaste. And thanks for the class.”
    Wanda smiled and drifted into the group.
    Dana and Suzanne had been standing nearby, talking with some of the other students. Both had already pulled on their sweatshirts, jackets, and shoes. Lucy rummaged through her tote bag to catch up. They walked outside and stood on the sidewalk, near Suzanne’s car.
    “I’m parked right down the street,” Dana said. “I’m still taking you guys out to breakfast, right?”
    “That’s right,” Suzanne answered. “You got two free classes and I’ll never do the macerena again. I can at least get a bacon-and-egg sandwich out of the deal.”
    “Sorry, Sue. They don’t serve egg sandwiches at the Sprout. You can get an egg-white omelet and some tofu bacon,” Dana told her with a smile. “And they serve really awesome oatmeal. Hand-cut oats, with dried cranberries.”
    “Be still, my beating heart.” Suzanne rolled her eyes. “I should have slept late and made my gang