Prologue
Hi, there. I’m Finn McKenna and like the lovely Juliet, I’m thrilled to be included in Harmony Healing Collective. I have a college degree in business and joined the corporate world but quickly realized this career wasn’t a fit. I then trained for a year in the practice of reiki, an energy medicine technique originating in Japan. In it, healers pass energy to a patient through direct physical contact or intention from a distance. Reiki is a practice which reduces stress, anxiety and depression, manages physical pain, improves sleep, enhances well-being and brings inner peace. It’s probably new to you all, but I know what I’m doing and can help you in a myriad of ways.
Chapter 1
Finn McKenna felt the energy flow through him. He’d trained vigorously and become so skilled he recognized even the slightest change. Today it was moving slowly like a soft brook babbling from his hands to the client. Sometimes it felt like pins-and-needles tingling, hot flashes, goosebumps, chills or throbbing. But today, it was warm. Gentle. Smooth. His hands heated up; the recipient yawned and her eyes closed. A good sign. She’d come to relieve stress and pent-up anxiety. Reiki was working.
Eventually, the chimes rang. Again softly. The woman, Joanna, would need to be brought out of the session slowly so as not to jar her. He could tell by the expression in her eyes when she awakened that he’d been successful.
But he asked anyway, “Joanna, how are you feeling?”
“Much better, Finn. I’m not worried anymore.” She’d come because she was obsessively concerned about her two adult children.
“Then I’m happy.” He smiled. He was aware of his charm, looks and appeal. He never used them intentionally in his sessions, though.
He pulled the lever on the horizontal chair until it was upright. Then he lifted the arm and she slid off. He was careful not to touch her unless she initiated it. She told him that she didn’t like contact from others and he respected her wishes.
“I’d like another appointment for an attunement.”
Taking out his phone, he called up his calendar. “When is convenient for you?”
“Next week. The same time.”
He entered the information. Though he was booked solid, certain spots had been reserved for repeat customers. He led her to the waiting area, opened the street door and said goodbye. Then he walked out thefrontdoor into the left side of the big open space that belonged to the Harmony Healing Collective, located near the outskirts of town.
The break room area was for owners only. The other side, walled off, was a gym/activity area they were all free to use. The Collective was new and everything reflected that. He grabbed coffee from the shiny pot on the counter and sat down on a fabric couch made of soft material.
His friend Oliver Ricardi came out of his studio and greeted him. “Hey, buddy, in between sessions?”
“Yeah. Fifteen minutes of rest.” Though Finn didn’t feel tired. This session, as mostly happened, energized him too, which was the beauty of reiki.
“I know from whence you speak.” He sat down flexed his fingers. “My hands are a bit sore.” Oliver practiced massage therapy.
“It’s only eleven. You going to make it through the day?”
“I have one more session. I’m taking the afternoon off.”
“Hmm. Any interesting plans?”
“I’m helping my mother with her garden.”
“That’s going to exacerbate the soreness in your hands.”
“I have to help her, Finn.”
Finn smiled genuinely. “It’s nice how close you are with her, despite her clinginess.” Finn heard the longing in his voice. His parents had been killed in a car accident when he was twenty. Now, at 35, he still missed them.
“Hey, how did that date go last night?” Finn asked.
“She’s nice.”
“Nice—a dreadful word for a relationship.”
“Yeah.” Oliver shrugged. “But there was no spark.”
“Sparks sometimes take a while.”
“Not for me. Anyway, there won’t be a repeat with her.”
