Carolina paused. She didn’t, actually. Years of heavily preached Catholicism had her unsure of the spiritual nature of it all. But she had vowed to try new things.
Carolina:Maybe. I’ll text you tomorrow.
Enrique:Miss you, love.
Carolina wanted to sayI love youto him. She felt it. But she wasn’t sure of the implications of the words.
So she replied with a smiley face.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Enrique hadn’t heard from Carolina all night. That was fine, but he missed her. In such a short time, he had become so used to having her around. Funny, how love could make you feel that way.
Was it love?
He couldn’t stop thinking about her. But it was too soon for love.
Wasn’t it?
He went surfing late at night. Tiburón decided to spend more time up near Blanca, and Jaime was visiting some friends in Malibu, so Enrique spent a rare night alone in his house.
The next morning, Enrique drove back to Barrio Logan to pick Carolina up and take her to yoga. She had texted in the morning saying she wanted to try it, which made Enrique happy.
He greeted her with a kiss. “Did you have fun with your aunt?”
Her face lit up. “A great time,” she said as she settled in the seat across from him. “I never wanted to leave.”
Ouch.
Well, that hurt a little.
“I mean, of course to see you I did.” Carolina reached her hand out to rest on his leg. “It was just nice to reconnect.”
“You might be able to reconnect more,” Enrique suggested. “What if you stayed with her here in Barrio Logan?”
“I guess I could possibly,” Carolina said, gazing out the window at the many murals under the freeway.
Enrique sensed the tension in the air, but surely his anxiety was messing with him again. He changed the subject.
“Hey, have you ever done yoga?”
She shook her head. “Is it fun? I’m a dancer, so I like movement, but it always seemed slow and boring to me.”
“It’s great. My studio, Riffs, is down the street from my house. We practice on an outdoor deck surrounded by bamboo. Sometimes they have live music. In today’s class, they use a sound bath to help get you into a meditative state.”
She scratched the base of her neck. “You lost me at sound bath.”
“Come on. It’s fun. We’re taking the Yin Yoga class.”
“I’m sure it will be great.”
They stopped at a boutique, and Carolina bought some yoga clothes, which hugged her smoking body.
Enrique went back to his place to change into his own clothes, and then they headed toward the studio. Enrique was proud to show her off around his town. When they got to class, he helped her with her borrowed mat, bolster, blocks, and blanket. She followed him out to the redwood deck.
“Wow, this is really nice. Thanks for bringing me here.” She gazed at the hummingbirds flying overhead.
“I come here every day. It really helps me focus. Being here, on the mat, is my version of church.”
