The Way We Were (6 page)

Sofia shed her short sheepskin coat and sat down at the table. “I’m glad, too. And if you want to talk about him, or anything else, I’m here.”

Ana smiled over at her. “You’ve become such a lovely woman, Sof. All this with Opal reminded me of how we almost lost you.”

“Don’t think about that. It churns
negative energy when you want to be producing positive vibes.”

“Yes, Ms. Yoga Teacher.” After Ana fixed them tea, she returned to the table. The scent of mint filled Sofia’s head.

“I don’t want to talk about me or bad things,” Ana said. “Tell me what’s going on in your life.”

Sofia shrugged. “Classes are going well. Life is solid. I’m on my way now to our old high school to finalize
plans for how yoga classes will fit into the physical-education schedule. I wanted to check in with you, and it was sunny out, so I drove over here first.”

“Will you have lunch with Gus?”

Sofia took pleasure in the thought of the mild-mannered vice-principal. “Yes, after our meeting.”

“Honey, do you
want
to teach high school kids?”

“Yeah. I think it will be fun to deal with that
age group.” She sipped the tea, enjoying its warmth. “Not many teens take yoga classes, and I want to spread the word about centering, stretching, strengthening. It could make a difference in their lives.”

“Sounds great, then.”

Sofia spent an hour with Opal, then drove back to Queens to Eastside High School. As she entered the building, she replayed in her mind what she’d said to Ana.
She didn’t see herself as any kind of evangelist for yoga, but it would be satisfying to help others find some of the solace she got from the practice.

She’d just turned a corner when she came face-to-face with a wall of students. A cacophony of noise rose from them.

“Get back,” an adult called out. He was shooing away the spectators.

Another said, “This isn’t helping.”

“Marcus,”
a deeper voice shouted, “Step away from Jason.”

“He's hardcore. I’m sick of it.”

“Jason’s attitude isn’t any of your business.”

“It is when he shoots it at me.”

The kids had begun to disperse, and Sofia could see one teacher in between two boys. Her friend Gus stood next to him, but wasn’t saying anything.

“This is no way to solve a problem. Hear me out. Neither of you have
gotten violent yet.” He shot a glance at Gus. “Mr. Carney is going to take you to the office to talk is all.”

“That’s right,” Gus put in. “You didn’t fight. I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen, one way or another.”

A woman in heels and a skirt came up to the group. “Can I help?” she asked.

“Yes.” To the boys, Gus said, “Ms. Talbot and I are taking you with us.” He stepped in
front of the man between the aggressors. “Let’s go.” Before the four of them walked away, he said, “Thanks, Max. Appreciate it.”

She hadn’t recognized the guy in the navy shorts and blue windbreaker jacket as his back was to her. He was the head of Phys Ed, Max Walker. She’d met him once to discuss the integration of some yoga into PE, and he seemed amenable enough. Max nodded to Gus, moved
along the stragglers, then turned to go down the hall.

“Mr. Walker,” she called out.

He pivoted. Sofia was surprised by the impact of those deep brown eyes framed by dark hair. Plus, his face had reddened, and the color heightened all its planes and angles. A glimmer of recognition dawned in his eyes. “The yoga teacher. Sara, right?”

“Sofia. Ludzecky.”

He hit his head with his
hand. “That’s right. I was on my way to Gus’s office when…well, you saw it.” A frown now, by dark, masculine brows. “I’m afraid he’s tied up. Um…” He looked around as if he didn’t know what to do with her.

“I can wait a bit for the meeting. Is there a teachers’ lounge around?”

“Sure, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

“I can take care of myself, Mr. Walker. You don’t need to babysit.”

“No, seriously. I’m being rude. It’s just, um…”

“Your chakra is out of line.”

“My what?”

“One of your energy sources that feels tension and stress. It’s coursing through your body right now, causing physical distress.”

As if to underscore her words, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m tense, but the rest of what you said is a like another language to me.”

“No matter.
Just point me to where I can wait for Gus.”

“No, I’ll come with you. Get you coffee.”

“I don’t drink coffee.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

As soon as she came even with him, Sofia’s senses went on alert. Her head got light. Her body weaker. God, no wonder. She’d been sitting down the last time they met, and now she realized she came up to only
his shoulder, and he had to weigh twice what she did. His strides were long as they walked down the hall, and Sofia had to laugh at herself. His wasn’t the only chakra going haywire.

After Sofia left, Ana took their cups to the sink, put away the dishes in the washer and wiped down the counters and table. Then she went upstairs and checked on Opal, who’d fallen back to sleep
after Sofia’s visit. Ana stood over her bed, noticing the soft sweep of her lashes on her cheek, the pale skin beneath her eyes, the colorless lips. She felt a huge swell of love for her child. After a moment, she covered Opal with a blanket, kissed her forehead and left her to rest.

Back in her own bedroom, she sat down at the vanity. And was seized by a memory, of her sitting before another
mirror so long ago…

“Here, let me do that.”

She met the gaze of her new lover in the glass. “All right.”

Bare chested and gorgeous, twenty-seven-year-old Jared took the brush from her. Only her mother and sisters had brushed her hair before, never a man, but then again, she’d done much with him that she’d never done previously. Starting at her forehead, he gently ran the stiff bristles
through her long mane. Once, twice, three times…she closed her eyes and lost herself in the sensation. Then she felt lips on her neck.

She whispered, “I must be dreaming.”

“No, this is real. Exquisitely real.”

“Sexy Dr. Creswell can’t possibly be nuzzling my neck.”

“He is. And he loves what he’s doing.”

She grasped his hand, kissed his knuckles. “I still can’t believe it, Jared.
That you return my feelings.”

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been dying to touch you since you walked into my class.”

“I’m not in your class anymore.” She tried for a siren’s smile. “I’m not even in the school.”

“Which is why this could finally, finally happen…”

“Need any help there?”

Ana startled out of her memory. “Um…”

Still watching her, he walked into the room. Came closer.
He was covered in perspiration and he’d taken off his shirt. The scent of a man’s sweat mixed with Jared’s essence. She studied him in the mirror. He’d filled in some from the man she’d first been with, gained about twenty pounds, but the weight looked good on him. He captured her gaze like before. “Remember our first time?”

She squirmed on the chair. “That you brushed my hair?”

“That,
too. I could do it again.”

Her eyes rounded.

He chuckled. “I meant brush your hair, Annie.” A hand on her shoulder. A squeeze. “I told you we’d take this slow.”

Edgy, she swung around and wrinkled her nose. “You need a shower.”

“I do.” Inching back, his expression turned to one of concern. “Are you all right?”

“Because of last night’s discussion?”

He nodded.

“Yes. I’m
willing. As long as we take it slow.”

“I guess I shouldn’t have come in here. But I saw you from the hallway and I remembered…other times.”

“I don’t want you to tiptoe around me.”

His grin was slow and easy. “I’ll go shower.”

“I thought I’d work out now.”

“Fine.” He cocked his head. “Are you going anywhere today?”

“No.”

“Great. I’ll make us homemade pizza for lunch.
Opal loves it.”

“So do I.”

She felt awkward now, and he appeared to, also. Without saying more, he left her alone. Ana took in a heavy breath and let it out. She repeated the process. She didn’t want to hope they could work their problems out, but it was impossible not to. She guessed she had to keep her optimism to a minimum. Not only because she was scared that she might experience the
crippling pain of losing him again but they’d done so much damage to each other, she truly wasn’t sure if they could get past it all.

On Opal’s third day at home, Jared was doing his best to entertain her. She’d awoken from a nap and suggested they play Scrabble.

He sat across from her over the coffee table. She was comfortably ensconced on the couch. “Think you can beat
me, princess?”

“I don’t know.” She sounded cranky. “Just don’t let me win.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Opal scanned the rooms. “Where’s Mom?”

“I think in her den. She’s checking out some applications to the school.” Notifications to students were due in a little more than a month, and it was a hard time for Ana to be away from work, but she refused to go in until the family sick
time and vacation days she’d taken were up.

“You guys need a break,” Opal told him, showing her unusual maturity for a ten-year-old. “Aunt Sofia can come over and stay with me.” Now her eyes danced. “Or Aunt Lizzie.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Who knows what trouble she’d get you in, kid.”

Elizabeita liked to churn things up with her nieces and nephews. She’d let the twins do some daring
stunts off the couch, allowed Opal to turn on the stove when they baked together and told Lexy and Amy what a brat Luke used to be as a teenager. Basically, she was a generous, giving girl who hadn’t grown up enough yet. Jared had always liked her. Unfortunately, of all the Ludzecky siblings, she hated him the most. “My answer is no on Lizzie.”

“What about Lizzie?” Ana came into the room.
Dressed in pink cotton sweats, she’d pulled her hair up in one of those ponytail things.

“I said you and Dad should get out of the house sometime. Aunt Lizzie can stay with me.”

“She’s coming for lunch tomorrow. But there’s no need to worry about your father and I getting out.”

Opal’s young face turned serious. “Yes, there is. Me being sick has been hard on you. I know you worry. Go
to dinner someplace you used to like.”

Jared glanced at Ana, and he knew from the tightness around her mouth he wasn’t going to like what she said.

“I’m already going out early next week, Opal. To a wine-and-cheese party for the last fundraiser for the music hall garden at my sister’s building.”

Well, that wasn’t too bad.

“Dad should go with you.”

“Opal, give it a rest.” Ana’s
tone held traces of exasperation.

“Why? He knows everybody in your family.”

Ana tensed. “I’m going with someone.”

The tiles Jared had just picked up clattered onto the table. “You are?”

“Um, yes. Mark Milburn.”

His heartbeat sped up, and like Othello, old, familiar feelings of jealousy and frustration surfaced as they had in their past. Before they started dating and she’d
flirted with one of the jocks in his class. Or after they were married and they had a fight about an administrator who Jared had thought acted inappropriately. Once, when she was mad at him, she danced too many times with a colleague.

He couldn’t keep himself from asking, “When did you arrange this?”

“Last week, Mark asked if I’d like to make plans after the surgery was over so I could
do what Opal said, get out of the house. When I told him I was going to the fundraiser for the music hall, he asked if he could come along.” She shrugged. “He said he’d donate to the cause.”

“Did he now?”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Don’t fight! I didn’t mean to make you fight.” Tears had formed in Opal’s eyes.

Standing, Jared got up and moved next to her on the couch. Gently he hugged
her close. Soothed down her hair. Let its lemony scent calm him. “We’re not fighting, baby. You should know that Mom and I decided we’re going to try hard
not
to fight anymore. We made a pact of sorts.”

“Really?” she mumbled into his chest.

Over her head, his gaze went to Ana, who was watching them intently. His frustration about the date dwindled, but he was afraid to believe in what
he saw in her face: approval, admiration and acceptance.

The next day, Lizzie breezed into their home, carrying presents. When Ana met her sister in the foyer, a bitter-cold draft swirled at her feet. “Hey, sis, shut the door. It’s freezing out there.”

“You got my message, right?”

“Yep, and I’m fixing us lunch right now.” The scent of cooked bacon filled the house.
“Let me take your things.”

Her baby sister removed a full-length coat made of gray down. Today, she was dressed in a charcoal wool suit with a pink blouse beneath. Black boots completed the outfit. When she took off her scarf, Ana saw her hair was back in a fat knot at her neck. “I can’t remember the last time I saw you dressed so primly.”

“I had a budget meeting at work. I’m trying to
bring in this exhibit, and it’s taking me forever to convince the board. Orchestrating something like that would be a big step for me.”

“What exhibit?”

“‘A Comparison of Two Masters: Picasso and Dali.’”

Ana’s brows rose. “I’d never have put them together.”

Elizabeita’s hazel eyes sparkled. She loved art, always had, even as a child. “We flew to the Dali Museum in Florida to see
the show when it was there. The content is small, but the comparisons are fascinating. And the audio tour is exceptional.”

“Good for you, kiddo.” Ana shook her head. “Sometimes, I marvel at all the sides to you.”

“Aunt Lizzie?” Opal called out from the family room. “Come see me!”

“Be right back, honey.” To Ana, Elizabeita said, “She okay?”

“Bed or couch rest still. Tomorrow she’ll
be able to do more.”

“I brought some quiet stuff to occupy her.”

“Thanks for thinking of that.”