Page 64 of Talk Birdie to Me

“I don’t know,” Geena said. “I just think through them, then move on.”

“You can’t outsmart your emotions.”

“Why not? I can think through everything else. It’s worked for me so far.”

“Has it?” Taylor let out a soft laugh. “You’ve been pretty tense the last few months.”

“With due cause.”

She’d be the first to admit the divorce mediation had taken up too much of her time and mental energy. And seeing Ricky at the restaurant a few days ago had brought up some annoyance, just like it did every time she spoke with him since they separated.

“Fair,” Taylor said. “But you aren’t dealing with that stress.”

“I told you, I’m working through it all.”

Was she?

She was still struggling to sleep at night, and she couldn’t blame that on Gary anymore. He was mostly silent once she covered the cage, and what little noise he made was inaudible from her bedroom.

But that was just how it was sometimes. Didn’t everyone have trouble sleeping from time to time?

“You need to get those emotions out of your brain and out of your body.” Taylor put her hands above her head, breathing near-effortlessly. “Why do you think I run?”

Geena did feel like she was clearing out some stuff. But it felt more like she was clearing out a lung than any emotions.

“I feel a little better,” she admitted. “Does the breathing part get easier?”

“Eventually,” Taylor said. “But we’re going to level you up each week.”

“We’re going to what?”

Taylor grabbed her phone from the bag around her waist. “I’m sending you the link to the app I used when I started. It’ll keep track of the running and walking timing for you. We can run together on Sunday mornings, and you’ll just need to run two other times during the week to keep up with the program.”

“Wait, wait, wait. I said I’d run with you today. I didn’t commit to any program.”

Taylor tapped a button, and Geena’s phone dinged in the bag Taylor had given her to wear. “Give it a week and tell me how you feel next Sunday. It’s just two days. Try it?”

Geena didn’t really want to commit to anything. Once she committed to something, she was locked in. Her brain wouldn’t let her off the hook for any reason. So she had to guard her commitments like they were precious things.

“I’m giving this two more times of what we did today,” she said, her breath finally regulating as her townhouse came into view. Just in time since low, dark clouds were quickly rolling over them. “I’ll let you know next Sunday if I want to keep doing it. That’s all you’re getting from me for now.”

Taylor dropped her arms to clap with glee. “You’re going to love it. Promise.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“You came out once with me. That’s the hardest part, the getting started. The rest is easy. Momentum is magic.”

Geena couldn’t argue with that. “One. Week.”

Taylor’s hands went up in defense. “Got it.”

Geena unlocked the door, and they both went straight for their water bottles. Geena chugged hers, feeling like she hadn’t had any water in a week instead of half an hour.

“So how have things been with this guy?” Taylor waved her bottle in Gary’s direction.

“Thiiiis guuuuuy.”

Gary’s vocabulary was growing the more he settled in. Geena couldn’t tell if he was picking up new words and phrases or if he was just showcasing more of what he had already learned.

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