Page 15 of Icebound Attraction

The next morning, I cautiously open my eyes to see what time it is. Clearly too early. But I've got a lot to do today, and I can't ignore the minutes any longer, or I'll end up being late.

Hoping that a shower might help me wake up for good, I drag myself to the bathroom, grumbling.

The warm water feels good on my shoulders and neck. I hadn't realized how tense I was. My subconscious must be overwhelmed by all the new challenges ahead.

Maybe I should start the day with a bit of yoga... After all, it relaxes the body and the mind. But before I can imagine myself doing the figure of the dog sitting facing the rising sun, I've already decided it’s a bad idea. Might as well leave it to the really flexible. Me, I'd just pull a muscle.

When I leave the bathroom, Cassy is already drinking her coffee. Without a word - she seems to be respecting my need for morning silence more and more - she passes me a freshly brewed one.

“Are you feeling better this morning?” she asks, peering over the rim of her cup.

I take a deep sip before answering.

“Now that caffeine is coursing through my veins, yes.”

We both laugh.

“Would you like to come to the gym with me this morning?” asks Cassy.

I look at her doubtfully.

Well, a little jog never killed anyone, right?

“Why not, yes!”

“Namaste!” she says simply, handing me her cup of coffee to toast with.

My mouth opens and closes. It seems she wasn't suggesting I just go for a run.

Rha shit... What am I getting myself into...

We finish our coffee and get ready.

Cassy sports all the accessories of a true yogi, while I... well, I throw on the best I have on hand to prevent my pants from tearing at the butt: black leggings and a loose-fitting tee.

The yoga studio on campus is still fairly empty in the early morning. The first class with yoga teacher Lara starts at 7:30. It's supposed to help participants start the day positive and full of energy. But it seems that Cassy and I are the only yogis today, fresh and ready enough to open our chakras.

Lara enters the room with a warm smile and greets us with a friendly “Namaste”.

We begin the class with breathing exercises, with soft, relaxing music playing in the background. I can't help but think of Maddie and how silly she would find this, which completes the stretching of a silly smile on my face.

We do a few fairly accessible yoga poses - fortunately - and finish with more breathing exercises.

At the end of the class, I watch Cassy out of the corner of my eye, who seems to be in a deep trance. She's sitting gracefully in a lotus position with her eyes closed. At the sound of the gong, she slowly opens them and looks at me in amazement.

“What?” she asks, clearing her throat.

I start laughing.

“I've never seen you so calm and relaxed!”

“Oh, I'm quite multifaceted,” she replies with a shrug.

I conceal a smile, and once the mats have been put away, we thank Lara before leaving the studio.

“Coffee! And preferably intravenous,” I moan.

I'm much more flexible than when I woke up, but I still don't feel perfectly awake. It has to be said that such a quiet time before starting the day, personally, makes me feel rather sleepy.

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