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“I’d like that.”
“See ya tomorrow,chica.Why don’t you come over and I’ll cook? It’ll be way better than whatever that crap is you’re drinking. It smells like dirt.”
“Yeah, I know. I’d like that, but—” Gia stuck the key in the passenger side door. The driver’s door was on strike of late—but at least she could still get in.
“Savannah won’t be there. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, then it sounds delicious. Thank you. Send me the address, okay? I have tomorrow off.”
“Be there at six. And come hungry. I’ll make my mama’smenudo. Lots of protein. You like pigs’ feet?”
“Um—”
“I’m only kidding! You can’t take a joke tonight. I’ll text you the address.Adios.”
Like that, Roxi and her little red sports car were in motion, backing out with authority and zooming off into the dusky evening air. Gia had to hand it to her—if shewasworking an angle, she was succeeding. With a sigh, she climbed into the passenger seat and crawled past the gear shift, careful to not catch her shorts. She landed in the driver’s seat with a thud and recited a key principle of new Gia’s life. “God give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” She lowered her voice and added editorial. “That last part is important.Know the difference.”
Gia fired up the old hatchback, and the one radio station that came in crystal clear was playing “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” It had to be another sign.
Frog legs
“Can I ask you something?” Gia was on one knee, affixing and re-affixing the Velcro straps on her climbing shoes. Each side needed to be the same degree of security—not too tight, not too loose. Capri climbing tights hugged her quads and hamstrings with compression in just the right places, and a fitted tank showed off increasingly toned arms. She’d tucked her short hair into a cap, dark wisps framing her ears. It had happened to her, too. Gia was becoming one of the catalogue people.
“Course,” Caleb said, in a way only teenaged boys can. He was as casual as a Zumiez store on a Saturday afternoon, nonplussed by the fact that they were gearing up to climb The Dragon for time. The loser would buy sodas from the mini-mart—with ice—and winner would get bragging rights until the next time they trained together.
“When am I going to meet your dad? I’ve heard about him—but never seen him. Is he out playing golf all the time, or what?”
“Um—” Caleb looked over his shoulder toward the back office and Gia followed his lead. The clock above the door read just after 4 p.m. “He’s not available now, but maybe next time?”
“Out playing golf, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Caleb chuckled. It wasn’t his normal, carefree laugh that was often followed by a snort. This was a forced chuckle.
“Hey Gia! Can I see you in the office? I want to run something by you.” The voice was unmistakable—husky and high-pitched at the same time. Courtney found her. Which was just as well. Caleb was going to beat her to the top of the The Dragon anyway, and soda wasn’t allowed on her diet. And diet soda wasn’t a reward for anything.
“Mom! We’re in the middle of something!” Caleb protested—soda was onhisdiet. And he was guaranteed a free one for less than a minute’s worth of effort.
“It can wait, puppy. C’mon Gia. I need to talk to you.”
“Your mom calls youpuppy?” Gia mouthed and tapped Caleb’s shoulder as she handed him the loose end of a rope.
“Long story.” Caleb dropped the rope, sulking as he went in search of a new potential victim.
“G!”
“Coming!” Gia jogged toward the office, each footstep leaving a temporary indentation in the padded floor. A day off work meant she was in the gym during operating hours, a chance to be around people who weren’t on her team—or teaching her or schooling her. Which, for the record, were different things. Courtney presented as a passionate teacher, but there was something going on with her Gia couldn’t figure out. Caleb could care less about teaching—he wanted to take her to school and leave her in his (chalk) dust.
“How are things going?” Courtney pointed toward the chair opposite her, the partner’s desk arrangement of the office leaving nowhere for guests to sit. There wasn’t a clear square inch of space on top of the desk—papers were stacked on books, which were haphazardly stacked around a large desk calendar.
“Oh, fine.” Gia sunk into the fancy mesh-backed desk chair, with its ergonomic lumbar support and neck rest, and wondered how much they’d spent on a single chair. Had to be a grand. Maybe more.
“That’s good. Listen, I need a favor. Do you have plans Saturday? We had an employee quit and I need someone to help me with a climbing clinic for 7-10-year-olds. I’d get Caleb, but he has a lacrosse game and I need someone who’s good with kids and not flustered easily and—” Courtney didn’t stop to breathe.
“I’d be happy to.” Gia talked over her because, she’d really be happy to. When Roxi’d asked her what she wanted for her future that night in the diner, working with kids had risen to the surface. Giving back while doing something she loved was up there, too, and she’d been journaling about starting a non-profit aimed at getting kids involved in climbing. The problem was, she didn’t know how to start a non-profit. Or how to get kids involved in climbing. It was a dream she only half-heartedly expected to follow.
“Really?”
“Sure. It sounds fun.” Gia leaned back into the mesh and let the chair cradle her back. The seat of desk chair at work was flat from years of people breaking it in, and the back rest was hanging on with a generous wrap of duct tape. This one was like sitting in a cloud. A strong, supportive cloud.
