“Cody, tell us why you’d like to receive gifts instead of give,” Reese said.
“Because I need things,” Cody said simply. “These people I live with now don’t have jobs. They make money by being foster parents.”
“Are they bad?” Emma asked, forehead creased. “Do they hurt you?”
Cody blinked, taking his hands out of the pocket of his hoodie. “What? No. I mean, not really. They’re not that bad. But they don’t care about me. No one does.”
“We do,” Reese said.
Cody brushed his dark hair off his forehead. “You don’t even know me. You’re just doing this to make yourself feel like a good person.”
Reese seemed temporarily flummoxed.
Roan leaned forward, resting his hands on his thighs. “It’s not as simple as that.”
“What is it then?” Cody asked.
“It’s true that helping people, especially kids, makes us feel useful. And my mom always told us to be useful to others whenever possible.” Roan shifted in his chair, crossing one ankle over a knee. “But also, because I went through some hard things when I was a teenager, I’d like to help if I can.”
Reese looked at her watch. “It’s almost seven thirty already. We should probably get everything cleaned up. Roan needs this gym for his clients in the morning.”
“What kind of stuff do you do here?” Cody asked.
“It's functional fitness,” Roan said. “Movements that make you strong at real-life stuff, not just looking good in a mirror.
“Like what do you do?” Emma asked.
“It’s kind of a combo of weightlifting, cardio, and gymnastics,” Roan said. “Every day is different. And everyone scales to their level—you don't have to be fit to start."
“Could we come here?” Marcus asked. “Maybe if I got stronger, the bullies would back off.”
“Is that something anyone else is interested in?” Roan asked, trying not to smile with delight. This was exactly what he’d hoped would happen.
“I’d come, if it was free,” Cody said.
“I don’t think I can do any of that stuff,” Julia said.
Roan shook his head. “Actually, there are quite a few things you could do safely, as long as your doctor's cleared you for exercise. Have they said anything about that?"
“She said I should stay active but nothing too intense,” Julia said.
“Excellent. If you guys want to come after school, I’ll train you as a group,” Roan said. “And yes, it’s on the house.”
“I’m not sure,” Emma said. “It sounds hard.”
“We can start slow,” Roan said.
Emma glanced over at Reese. “I’d rather take dance. That’s what I love to do. I used to take dance when I was younger, but my dad said he wouldn’t pay for them any longer.”
“Let’s talk,” Reese said. “I think we can figure something out.”
That drew a smile from Emma. “Okay. Cool.”
“I’d like to try dance too,” Marcus said.
Reese smiled back at him. “Sure. If you guys want, Roan and I can put our heads together and come up with a schedule. One day CrossFit, the nextdance?”
“I’m not dancing,” Cody said. “Not a chance.”
