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Punting Helmets
Ellie
IarriveatJess’sgym, appropriately namedWork It, Girl,five minutes before my Zumba class. I see her right when I walk through the front door.
“Hey,Chica! You here for Zumba with me?” Her cheery disposition brings a smile to my face.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m ready to shake it!”
“Good, let’s hit it.” She turns to the employee next to her and says something about manning the front while she’s gone and then she comes around the counter to link her arm in mine. “How’s your day going, little mama?” She asks, ever so perky.
“It’s been good so far. Easy morning with the kids. I’m glad I have some time to fit in a class with you.” I smile at my best friend, and she pulls me closer to her with a squeeze.
When we walk into the studio classroom, she heads to the sound system while I take a spot on the floor. The floor-to-ceiling mirrors always throw me off a little because it’s jarring to look at all of my body at once. My attention is quickly redirected to the class as other members flow into the room and start exchanging their hellos.
“Let’s get this party started!” Jess shouts before she turns up the spicy music so loud it fills the whole space.
When the bass starts thumping, I instantly smile feeling the energy start to pump through my veins. My body knows just what to do and my hands start to sway as my hips move side to side and my feet stomp in place.
“Alright, kiddies, the same routine we’ve been working on the last two classes!” Jess says.
She begins to take us through the moves. At first, I feel timid watching my body shimmy in front of me, but that quickly melts away as the whole class of women begins to mimic her as well. Their reflections and intensity of rhythm are contagious, and I let go and begin to dance.
Move after move, feet shuffling, adding big arms to match the music, I’m feeling myself. I see joy staring back at me in the mirror and can feel how wide my smile is from the tightness in my cheeks.
My body doesn’t give a shit that it’s wiggly. It’s longing to absorb the beat. Sweat rolls down my face as we move back and forth, it tastes like glory as it hits my lips.
For the next twenty-five minutes, I’m free — working, dancing, laughing like no one is watching. It’s been years since I’ve felt like my body is only my own and these classes have helped to reclaim it.
At the end of the song, Jess shouts, “You all did so great today! The room is on fire with all the sizzle in here.” She shakes her hands like they’re on fire and laughs. “I’ll see you all back here next week!”
I walk over to my water and guzzle it down, feeling the burn in my throat from laughing and dancing so much. The rest of the class is gone as Jess approaches while wiping sweat from her head with a towel.
“You were killing it today.”
I giggle. “Thanks. I feel like I’m finally starting to get in the groove. These classes have brought me back to life, Jess. I’m so grateful.”
“Glad to hear it, amiga.” She picks up her water and chugs before asking, “So, how have things been going with Hunky Husband?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
I called her after our therapy session and gave her the rundown of our “assignments,” but we haven’t been able to talk about the details since. It’s not really a conversation you can have in passing or with five kids under your feet.
“Hunky Husband and I are figuring it out.” I smile under my water bottle before I take another sip.
“Oh yeah, did youfigure it outfigure it out?” She pumps her hips back and forth in between her hands and I choke on my water. She laughs again while I clear my throat.
“Yes, wefigured it out.” I bite my lip. “Then we figured it out again right after.” I laughed.
“That’s my girl! What did the trick?”
“I realized what you were saying about him loving my body is true. I’ve started to put myself in his shoes so I could see myself the way he does. He still thinks I’m beautiful and sexy—”
“Because you are,” she interjects as she winks at me.
Rolling my eyes, I say, “—so that helped let go. Once I did and gave him a little more direction on what actually felt good, we were good to go. I think he was shocked at how responsive I was, and shit, so was I.” I open my eyes as wide as they’ll go and she laughs. “It’s been years since sex has felt that good and I think he was a little drunk on how turned on I was because it just fueled him to try even harder.” I sigh at the memory of our night. “Then he had to work late on that highway tragedy, so we missed the next date, which sucked but what are you going to do. We tried to get a littlesomething somethingstarted the next morning, only to be interrupted by the kids.” I shrug. “But that first time was amazing, and I can’t wait to do that again.”
“Girl, make the little rascals wait!”
“I tried! They kept taking turns knocking on the door.”
