Fit for You

by Cynthia Tennent

  “I was sick about eight years ago. Breast cancer.” She paused. “I’m sorry. I don’t like to think about it.”

  I didn’t realize she had struggled. She never put the information on her medical forms. Thankfully, she hadn’t done any weight lifting. But now that I knew, I would make sure to work with her on nutrition and antioxidants.

  “I was alone when I was diagnosed. My boys weren’t living here at the time. And my brother was busy with his own family. And my husband, well, he’s been out of the picture since the boys were small. No loss there.”

  Corinne had the sweetest granddaughter, Jenny, who liked to come and watch the creative gym after school. She had Down syndrome and told me all about how she was a cheerleader.

  “Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, Marva had been active in a bowling league and a softball league in the summer. She even attended an aerobics class in the basement of St. Mike’s church over in Gaylord. She was big boned, but not heavy.”

  My first assessment of Marva was that she was strong despite her size. I could see her as an athlete.

  “From the moment I first called her, crying with the news, Marva dropped everything. It wasn’t an easy time. Double mastectomy. Radiation. Chemotherapy . . . two rounds.”

  I couldn’t begin to imagine how scary that must have been. Especially as a single woman with no family around.

  “Marva moved in with me. Her husband, Joe, couldn’t have been sweeter about it. He would come over and eat dinner with us, or at least with her. My appetite was gone.” She took a deep breath and I waited until she was ready to continue.

  “We fight all the time, in case you haven’t noticed. My daughter-in-law calls it blovering, for bickering and loving.”

  I put my hand on hers. “That’s kind of beautiful.”

  “My point is that, when Marva stopped everything for me, she gained weight. She hasn’t gone back to exercising or eating right since then. Says it hurts her knee to move and she can’t get back to her old routine.”

  “She’s doing well now. Did she tell you?”

  “No. She’s kind of sensitive about it when I ask.”

  “I can’t give you details.” Client privacy was extremely important to me. “But she is working hard. You know that. You walk together.”

  “I’m worried she’ll lose interest and go right back to how she was before.”

  We spent the next few minutes talking about ways to motivate friends. I encouraged her to continue to compliment Marva on a job well done, and find ways to enjoy healthy things together. Hiking or walking before or after work. And sharing tasty and nutritional recipes.

  When we finished, Corinne hopped off the casket. “Thanks for listening, Lily. I feel better knowing you’ll keep an eye out for Marva. The only body I want to see in this thing is Bridget dressed as a corpse and covered in ketchup on Halloween.” The irony of sitting on a coffin and discussing health for life wasn’t lost on either of us.

  LESSON TEN

  Identify Weaknesses

  The walkers were late.

  I sat on the coffin that had been dragged to the front window of the community center so that people could sit down to take off wet boots before the fitness class. No sign of anything but a truck with a load of gravel and a man walking a mangy-looking dog.

  They should have been back awhile ago. They named themselves the Walkie Talkies last week. It was fitting. They were so chatty, their mouths moved faster than their feet.

  It had been more than three weeks since I first set foot, and crutch, in Truhart. By now I had hoped the program would be running smoothly. Unfortunately, the road had been as rough as the potholes on Main Street.

  Only six people attended the nutrition class yesterday. Even more depressing was the thought that I had lost my bullied adolescent friend, Rocky. He missed our appointment to talk after school on Monday. And when I texted him he said he didn’t need help after all. I pleaded with him to come by after school so we could discuss his feelings. But he never responded.

  That night I watched the Red Wings play the L.A. Kings by myself in the Callahans’ recreation room. The Kings lost and my favorite player was out with a concussion.

  On top of all that, yesterday my mother called and complained about the L.A. heat wave and how the midday sun made walking the dogs difficult. It sounded like heaven to me. I was so homesick that when she asked, I lied and told her how beautiful Northern Michigan was in April.

  Now I stared out the window and wondered if spring was really a season in this part of the world. What had Elizabeth called it? The muddy season?

  I checked my watch for the umpteenth time. Still no walkers.

  I imagined all sorts of possibilities. Someone might have slipped on the icy shoulder of the road and cracked their head open. Or a car could have failed to see them and plowed into the crowd. The other day, one of my walkers had felt the call of nature halfway through the route. She stopped at a complete stranger’s house and asked to use their bathroom. Anything could have happened to her. Fortunately, she was fine. Almost. With a bright red face, she confessed when she returned that she had clogged the toilet. The homeowner was not happy and threatened to call the city council on us. I called Grady Fitzpatrick, the handyman at the Amble Inn, to pay a call on the house with his plunger.

  Staring at the empty street and thinking about the declining interest in the Fit4You grant was too much for me. I pulled on my coat and boots and went in search of my walkers. Elizabeth had driven me to the doctor in Gaylord on Tuesday. He cleared me for walking without a crutch except in situations where I might get jostled or lose my footing. My new freedom was heady.

  Moving slowly, I kept my eye on the street and watched for hidden pockets of ice. I clutched my coat around me and retraced the route the group had taken. I turned left at the end of Main Street and headed toward a crowd on the other side of the old tennis courts. I clutched my white parka in the cool breeze and followed the trail of boot prints in the slush around the tennis courts and the open field behind the community center. There was nothing in the area that would cause a distraction. Just a hardware store. A beauty salon.

  And the Dairy Cow.

  I stumbled toward the pink building with the ridiculous sign of a cow’s rear end. A sinking feeling settled in my chest as I drew closer.

  Edge Callahan stood by the door shouting, “Free treats today!” He held a basket and handed bags tied with white ribbon to each of the walkers as they passed.

  I couldn’t believe he would sabotage the town like this.

  Everything except Edge blurred in front of me as he became the target of my frustration, which had been building all week.

  The crowd in front of Edge must have seen my dragon breath coming, because I was marginally aware of a path parting in front of me.

  When I was less than five feet from Edge, he had the audacity to wave a bag in front of me with a friendly smile. “Want one? Pete’s Treats is celebrating the Tigers’ home opener with the rest of the town.”

  I grabbed the bag and gave him the kind of evil eye that would hex him had I been given the power.

  Edge lowered his brows and held out his hand. “Are you okay, Lily? There’s a restroom inside if you need it.”

  “I can’t believe you are doing this.”

  “Being generous?”

  I lowered my voice. “You know what I mean.”

  “It’s normal marketing. Uncle Pete is starting up a new business and he’s opening a counter at the Dairy Cow—”

  “And you just waited for my walkers to come by?”

  “The promotion has been going on all day. Anyone who stops in gets a bag.” Edge smiled and passed a bag over my head to June Krueger. “Pete’s Treats. Your kids will love them.”

  I pulled his hand down and then, realizing that I had an audience, I turned and raised my voice, “Thanks for helping me show everyone what happens when we let temptation sabotage our resolve.”

  Edge leaned down an
d whispered in my ear. “You sound like a preacher.” His hot breath swept down my neck and made me even angrier.

  I elbowed him in the chest. “Ha. Ha. See how easy it is to get derailed from a challenge, folks?”

  “I like to think of it as a reward for all your hard work today,” Edge said, passing another bag to one of my young moms.

  “You aren’t thinking of anyone but yourself right now,” I murmured out the side of my mouth.

  “Actually, this is for Pete.” There was that hot breath again. And the faint touch of those whiskers on the edge of my ear.

  I yanked my head away. “This elusive Uncle Pete I’ve never met? Somehow I doubt this was his idea.”

  Edge held up the basket. “I’ve got more for anyone who wants to take some home.”

  I moved around Edge and climbed the front porch, away from his hot lips. I smiled at Addie Adler, who was picking out the chocolates and popping them in her mouth. “Just a few. You don’t want to add more calories than you worked off.”

  She frowned and twisted the top of the bag to keep from eating more.

  “Good job, Aunt Addie,” Edge said. “Save some for later.”

  This time, I returned the earlier favor and let my mouth linger near Edge’s neck. “You have no shame, Edge Callahan.” I didn’t need arm strength for this game. And I intended to win.

  Edge turned until our faces were inches apart. His voice was low. “You have enough shame and guilt to go around, Lily Shue.”

  “Looks like you two need to get a room somewhere,” a man at the back of the crowd said.

  Edge’s eyes traveled from my leggings to my ponytail, and his nostrils flared. “Lily here is reminding me that there’s always time for dessert.”

  Several people cheered and gathered around Edge for another bag.

  I stepped down and put my arm out, preventing anyone from taking more candy. “Edge is joking. Again. One bag is plenty.” I put my hand on the top of the basket. “Every time you are offered sweets, you have to ask yourself if it is worth it.”

  A tall woman near me pointed a finger to her mouth. “I’m asking but no one is answering except my sweet tooth.”

  “Take a deep breath and remember that it gets easier every time you say no.”

  Edge had the indecency to laugh. “You sound like a public service announcement on drugs.”

  “That makes you a dealer, then.” I said it with as much sugar as the bag in his hand.

  “Should I call the sheriff?”

  “That’s funny.” I wasn’t trying to keep quiet now. “Go ahead. I would love to file a formal complaint.”

  With complete ease, he put his arm around my waist and pulled me close. “But I’m not the one standing here on a perfectly legitimate business’s property, preaching to a crowd.”

  I stepped away. My cheeks were hurting from fake smiling. “Just one more loop around town, everyone. But let’s end it before you get to this corner. I’ll see you all next week.”

  In one large, uneasy clump, the walkers moved back toward the lake and the last loop. I watched them, ready to pounce if Edge came anywhere near with his basket of sweets. He was the only person in town who was deliberately sabotaging me.

  I thought about the apartment I was originally supposed to live in—the one that had been leveled by the flood and fire—and decided to ask about it when I got the chance.

  I made it all the way back to the community center before I realized that I was still clutching the bag of candy.

  Ugh! I tossed the bag in the trash and imagined all the ways I could get even with Edge. Cayenne pepper in all his ice cream containers. Zucchini in his candy bags. And the Bee Gees on his playlists.

  I was ready to close the gym for the day when a figure hovered outside the door. At first I thought it was Edge, and I prepared to tell him that Elizabeth was giving me a ride. Permanently. But when the door opened and a dark head appeared, I realized it was my young friend Rocky.

  I almost hugged him, I was so happy to see him. “Come on in, Rocky.”

  He wandered in with slumped shoulders and his hands in the pockets of his sagging jeans. I knew that posture. I had been feeling the same way ever since my encounter with Edge.

  “How are you doing?” I asked gently.

  A rush of words tripped over themselves to get out. “I did all you told me to do. Changed my breakfast and ate healthier snacks. But my sister overheard me telling my mom about my new diet and she told her friends. Then they told everyone. Kids were all throwing apples and carrots at me in the cafeteria. They laughed at me as if I was a freak. And then when I got on the scale, I didn’t even lose a pound. Nothing. After all that, it didn’t work . . .” He stopped abruptly and ran a hand across his eyes. “Sorry. I’m just . . .”

  I put my arm around his shoulders. “Sit down and let’s talk.”

  He looked toward the folding chairs and the window and deflated even more. He was nervous to be seen again.

  “Come sit against the wall with me.” We moved to the back of the room and sat down with our legs in front of us. It was awkward for me to do with my knee brace, but Rocky helped me.

  I thought my day had been bad. But when Rocky told me every last horrible detail of his own day, I wanted to cry. The extent to which kids could be mean to other kids always blew my mind. I wanted to march over to the school and give them all a piece of my mind. The principal needed to know about the bullying that was happening. I would call him first thing Monday morning.

  “Are there other kids who are getting the same treatment?”

  “Some. Mostly they’re girls. And sometimes they aren’t even fat. The special needs girls get it a lot. But then they started a cheerleading team.” Rocky shook his head. “The kids would really tease me if I were in a fat club.”

  At some point Rocky was going to have to get over what other kids thought. It sounded like they had decided to tease him no matter what he did. My mind searched for possibilities. Rocky needed an excuse to hang out at the gym. One that would minimize the teasing and help him reach his goals.

  “Rocky, how about a job?” I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before.

  “Huh?”

  I pointed to my knee. “As you can see, I’m not the best at moving around. I need help cleaning the gym and getting flyers around town. And I need occasional rides,” I said, thinking about a certain red pickup truck I no longer wanted to ride in. “You drive, right?”

  “Yeah, that’s my mom’s car out front.” He gestured out the front window to an older-model sedan.

  “Do you think you would feel comfortable working for me?”

  “I don’t know. The kids might figure it out and tease me more.” His face fell and I put my hand on his knee.

  “Please consider it. I really do have trouble keeping up on my bad knee.” In truth I was doing better every day. He didn’t need to know that. I made it sound like he would be doing me a huge favor.

  The back of my mind kept screaming at me, What are you thinking? My paycheck from the grant was slim. I had already spent my own money on groceries for the fitness class, and now I would be giving up more of my salary. On the other hand, maybe if Rocky was exposed to more support and adults who were going through the same pain, he wouldn’t care so much about the kids at school.

  I vowed to start a program for teens as soon as possible. I would also find a way to contact Rocky’s family and get them on board with supporting his efforts.

  “I can’t pay you more than minimum wage, but it would sure be a help for me. I almost fell on my face moving equipment the other day.” Never mind there was no equipment. I was already lying, might as well make it good.

  “You mean you would pay me?”

  A gust of cool air caught our attention.

  Edge stood inside the door. I ignored him. But Rocky’s eyes lit up.

  “Hi, Edge!”

  “Rocky! How goes it?” Edge avoided looking at me. Did he really think I wanted to rid
e home with him after his corn-syrup-and-sugar-dealing ways?

  Rocky stood up and wiped his cheek. “Just stopping by to help Miss Shue. She says she needs a—a—” He looked at me, unsure what he would be called.

  “An assistant.”

  “A job! Good for you!” If Edge made any comment to Rocky about being able to spend more money on candy and ice cream, I would clobber him with one of the tomato cans we were using for weights. Fortunately, he stayed silent.

  I rejected Edge’s hand and let Rocky help me up. “You don’t need to pick me up today. I’ve made other arrangements.”

  Edge’s brows drew together. “Other arrangements?”

  “Yes. Rocky is going to take me home. Right, Rocky?”

  “Sure. Is it okay if I go call my mom and tell her I’ll be a few minutes late, Miss Shue?”

  While he talked to his mother, telling her all about his job, I turned to Edge. “Obviously, I don’t need your assistance anymore. I’ll take care of my own rides until I move into the apartment.”

  “The apartment?”

  “My leg is better. I’m going to check out the space next door as soon as I can.”

  “Mom is sure going to be upset.”

  “I’ll have Rocky bring me around to visit her.”

  He adjusted his hat. His mouth curled in a tight smile. “I’m dumped as your driver and you’re moving out? You’re hurting my feelings.”

  “You have no feelings. Just jokes.”

  “Ouch.” He clutched his chest, but the humor wasn’t reaching his eyes. “What is it that hurts so bad then? Indigestion?”

  “This will help you feel better.” I pulled the bag of candy out of the trash and shoved it in his hands.

  He stared down at it. Losing his smile. “For the record, Lily, I have a business to run. And people like my business. So don’t blame me for promoting my product to Truhart and any tourists we might get around here. That’s part of what makes Truhart appeal to tourists.”

  “Putt-putt golf and ice cream?”

  He held up the bag. “And now Pete’s Treats.”

  “I haven’t met a single tourist yet.” I lowered my voice so Rocky wouldn’t hear our argument.