Page 35 of His Loving Wife

“Are you doing this because of what my teacher told you? She’s really making a big deal out of nothing. I’m not having problems at school, and if I was, I can just talk to Doctor Arrington about it. I don’t have to take some stupid class.”

Except Noah wasn’t talking to Dr. Arrington about the bullies. Kate had already asked him. At this point, she was more concerned with his self-esteem; she believed taking this class would improve his confidence.

“This will be good for both of us, all right? Just give it a chance.”

He responded with an eye roll, pushing past her to enter Hidden Oaks Fitness Center.

There was a small waiting room at the front, heat pumping through the vents. By the time she approached the counter, Kate could already feel a thin layer of sweat at the back of her neck.

“Kate and Noah Brooks,” she said. “I pre-registered us online.”

The man behind the counter was short, but his shoulders were broad, his biceps practically bursting from beneath his short sleeves.

“I’ve got Noah in the beginners karate class, is that right?”

“Yep.” She tried to ignore her son’s loud sigh.

“Did you want to sign up for a certain class, or are you here for the open gym?” the man asked Kate.

“I’ll take a look around. Maybe sign up for one of the classes later.”

“If you’re trying to find something during his karate class, we offer Self-Defense in Studio B and Zumba in Studio D.”

“Good to know,” she said, although neither were up her alley. Kate couldn’t stomach the idea of dancing around a room of strangers; if it weren’t for her phobia of water, she’d hit the pool. Now she wasn’t sure what to do, but it was important to her that Noah found an activity that would keep him busy and improve his confidence. She thought it might help him at school.

The man behind the desk looked to Noah. “Your class is in Studio C. There are lockers in there for your bags. Follow me.”

Before he walked off, Kate grabbed Noah’s arm. “Give it a chance, okay?”

He nodded, a small smile beginning to peek through.

She followed them into a narrow hallway that led to the main gym area. To her left, was a wide arena of bare space, a line of mirrors on the far wall. She stared at her reflection as she passed. To her right was the more crowded area of the gym. Machines and dumbbells and more mirrors. Kate tried to remember the last time she’d been to a gym. She used to frequent the gym on campus, before the children’s activities filled her week. She’d abandoned her former discipline, but now she was making time for herself again. This was her resolution.

Another aspect of the new year Kate enjoyed: she was good at making a plan and sticking to it. Lose ten pounds. Stop buying coffee. Read a new book a month. She carved out these changes as best she could. This year, her goal was to find her physical strength. She needed to start a new adventure, even if all she could manage as a wife and mother was joining a gym down the road. At least it would be an hour to herself a couple days a week. Maybe she’d quit by the end of the month, as most new year hopefuls did, but Kate doubted she’d be like that. She was committed.

After she undressed in the locker room, she locked up her belongings and walked out into the open arena. A jolt of insecurity cemented her where she stood. She looked around, unsure what she should do first, where she should go. Should she try the treadmill? The machines were too intimidating, already saved by meatheads that seemed to know what they were doing. She didn’t want to make a fool out of herself.

She peered into one of the studios, watching as people prepared for the next class. She was surprised to see the room was made up mostly of women. About half were her age, the others about a decade younger. None of them had the aura of insecurity she had; they all seemed at ease.

At the front of the room, she saw a familiar face. Detective Marsh. Their eyes locked at the same time, and Marsh offered a wave. She looked different in her neon-colored active wear. She wandered across the room.

“Kate, I didn’t know you were a member at this gym.”

“I just signed up. Noah’s taking karate classes, and I thought I might as well break a sweat while he’s doing that.” She looked around the room again. “Do you take this class?”

“I’m the instructor. It’s a self-defense class.” She took a sip from her water. “Thinking about staying around?”

Now, Kate felt awkward. Detective Marsh was the one person who understood exactly why Kate should take this class, and she suddenly felt on display.

“Let’s get started,” Marsh said, looking around the room. Her eyes seemed to connect with Kate’s, but maybe it was just her self-awareness acting up again. “Line up.”

They did an initial warm up, running and hopping in place. Kate immediately began to feel herself sweat, but she no longer felt as self-conscious. At the exact point when she thought she might collapse, they had their first break. She and the other members stood around the mat, watching as Marsh demonstrated a series of moves with another participant, someone who actually knew what she was doing. They broke off into pairs, and tried to mimic what they’d just seen.

Kate would have sworn no more than five minutes had passed. She was laser focused on each hit, each duck, each sprint. It was the first time in a long time—who knew how long—her mind wasn’t focused on some errand, some responsibility, traveling away from her, back to where they were that night in August. Now, her mind was only focused on this room, the people in it, and her next move.

“Is that it?” Kate asked when the class ended, her breath shaky.

“Flies by, doesn’t it? That was an hour.” Detective Marsh wandered over, grabbed the towel that had been draped over her shoulder earlier and wiped her forehead. “Will I see you next week?”

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