Page 38 of Archer

As I hurried away, I heard Janelle say to Elton, “He sells himself short.”

I didn’t catch his response from my fleeing, but when I glanced back over at the two of them, they were chatting quietly with each other, both laser-focused on me. My face warmed under their scrutiny, so I whipped back around, speaking to the closest student.

It was so nice, like pretty freaking fantastic, what they said about me, but I didn’t really know what to do with it. The thoughts played out in the back of my mind as I ran the class, and as that peaceful stillness that centered me descended in my core, it struck me. I’d been so focused on wanting to share what yoga and singing bowls and everything else had done for me that it never occurred to me that anyone might feel about me like I didabout Aziza. It was humbling. It made me more determined than ever to buy the Harmony and Joy brand from my mentor and turn the studio into my everything.

After class, I hugged all my students who were open to it goodbye as they went back into the world to face the rest of the day. I hoped they’d carry the inner stillness they’d found in the last hour with them through the rest of their day. Janelle and Elton stayed behind and helped me finish cleaning and setting things to rights.

“What do you do?” Elton asked Janelle while we worked.

A huff of laughter fell from her mouth. “What don’t I do? I’m like Crispin. I went to college and got a degree to work in corporate America, then discovered I hated it. After that, I started collecting certifications like some people collectPokémoncards. I’m a massage therapist, I run errands for the elderly, I help my mom with her at-home childcare center, but I’m also certified to teach yoga, life coach, and personal training at the gym.”

Elton and I both stared at her wide-eyed. “Wow,” he said. “You’re kind of a jack-of-all-trades.”

Her laughter filled the air, much like Aziza’s always had. “It never gets boring. I’m able to live my life in a way I enjoy, make money helping people, and…” She shrugged. “I don’t know. A lot of my friends and family think I’m all over the place, but it works for me.”

I nodded. I knew exactly what she meant. My father had the same feelings about my decisions. He didn’t understand trying to make a living with a job that didn’t have firmly structured hours with guaranteed money. “I feel you.”

She gave me a small smile. “I know you do. You’ve inspired me a lot. You already had a good-paying job that you left to pursue what was in your heart. I’d just gotten started, but I realized quickly that life wasn’t going to work for me. Watching you and all the changes you’ve made, and now your dedication to this beautiful place…” She lifted her arms and gestured around, then let them drop. “It inspires me, Crispin. You’re like my idol.”

I felt my cheeks warming again. I’d never heard anyone speak about me quite like that. Hopefully one day, I’d have the funding to ask Janelle to teach a class or two. She was the exact kind of instructor I wanted here.

As soon as she left, Elton asked, “Do you have time for a lunch break?”

I thought of the laundry I wanted to do, and I’d been planning to sage the whole space, but I’d made a promise to Archer to eat three times a day. Plus, it really felt like Elton and I were becoming friends, and I didn’t want to miss out on that. It was nice having someone my age to hang out with. And I was dying to tell him that Archer was my official Daddy. “Sure. You want to go to Luxe?”

He shrugged. “That works for me.”

After I closed the studio, we went over and put in our order at Luxe and then settled at a table. “So how did you like this class?”

A wide smile spread across his face. “I think I liked this one even better. I plan on trying them all out, though, so I can plan to attend regularly.”

“I’m so happy you came back today, but I love that plan so hard.”

His head bobbed up and down as he nodded happily. “Me, too. I know I need to. When I get distracted…” He trailed off.

“Distracted?” I prompted

“Yeah.” He leaned his elbows on the table. “You know I’m a writer, right?”

“Of course.”

“Well, sometimes I can’t decide which way the storyline is going, and other times I can’t sit still enough to write, so I end up wandering my apartment, or the hotel, or just sitting in one of the restaurants, staring off into space. It’s hard to get my mind to settle. But after your last class, I went into this headspace. It wasn’t like anything I’d experienced exercising before.”

Understanding what he meant completely, I asked, “Were you feeling very Zen-like?”

He nodded his head again. “Yeah, that’s it. Then I had so much clarity on my next couple of chapters that I couldn’t wait to sit at my desk and bang them out. It was a relief since I’d been stuck, and it was making me anxious.”

“But I notice you didn’t rush out of there today. Was it not as helpful?” I found it interesting how yoga affected people in different ways depending on the class, the time, or their own mindset.

“Ha, today was exactly what I needed. I have some decisions to make for the end of the book, but I have to start weaving details in now. Sometimes I’m excited about that, and other times it feels so overwhelming.”

“That makes sense.”

“Yeah, so close to the end of class, things started to click into place like puzzle pieces. I’m not quite there yet, but I feel like it’ll come now without me struggling so hard that I check out and lose focus.”

“That’s cool. Thanks for sharing that with me.” Archer had a spot on the website for testimonials. I wondered if Elton would mind giving me one. How did you ask for that exactly?

“My doctor’s been urging me to try yoga for years. If I’d realized it would help like this, I would’ve listened to her. In my mind, it was another thing that would keep me from working.”

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