She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“It’s important to always be comfortable. I’ll meet you in the car.”
“But I don’t want to exercise,” she called after him as he jogged back down her path pretending not to hear her.
Suspicious and struggling to come up with a valid reason not to go, Maggs hurried to her room. She dug out her exercise leggings and top. Then pulled several layers over that. Lacing her feet into sneakers, she hurried to the front door.
“You’re not going to force me to run are you?” Maggs said, getting into Mr. Goldhirsh’s car.
“No running, dear. I’m injured.” He turned the car around, and soon they were heading down to where her gallery was.
“Ha, you injured is still fitter than me.”
“We’re going to work on that, Maggs. Because while you have no wish to talk about what happened, I know something did.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. He always saw what others didn’t. She went for “I’m all right.”
“No, you’re not. It’s in the eyes. I can tell you’re troubled.”
“I’m trying to change that.”
“Excellent.” He patted her hand. “And I can help.”
He pulled up in front of the rec center.
“Okay, I’m totally clueless why we are here.”
“Come along, Maggs. Today you are taking your first yoga class.”
“Oh, hell no!”
“Yoga is about cultivating self-awareness and spiritual development. It helps teach the body to self-observe.”
“Ah.” Maggs looked at the building before her like it housed fire-breathing dragons. “Can’t I self-observe from home?”
“Out you get now.”
“Do I have to?”
He chuckled as he got out of the car and came around her side. Opening her door, he held out a hand.
“How come Aunt Jess doesn’t have to do this?”
“She keeps fit by riding and walking the land. My girl is one of the healthiest—mentally and physically—people I know.”
“Of course she is,” Maggs muttered, getting out of the car.
“Life is about small steps, dear. This is just another one.”
She let him lead her into the rec center. Maggs stopped just inside the door. Every senior she knew was in the place, plus Fin and Luke.
“I don’t think I want to do this.”
Fin, who’d been stretching, looked up and found her. His smile was slow.
“I really don’t want to do this.”
As if sensing her panic, Fin started making clucking noises.
