Secrets of Attraction

Thirteen: SUZY

Eomma had left me a message to meet her at the yoga studio. Stephanie bailed because she needed to study for a monster chem test. I planned on getting to class before everyone else so I could grab some prime space up front. The eight-block walk to yoga helped clear my head, got my blood pumping. I stole a quick peek through Soop window to see if Joohyuk was working. He was behind the counter with Subin. A smile stretched across my face. Iced Americano or Cinnamon hot chocolate tonight?

I fully expected to be the first one in the studio for class but was surprised to see eomma in scorpion pose, being assisted by Haein. His hand supported the small of her back, lips moving with words sounded like humming from where I stood. I waited in the doorway until she finally came out of the pose, one foot and then the other. They turned to see me, and my first instinct was to bolt - it felt like I'd walked in on something private, but the both of them smiled. 

"Soo, you're here early." Eomma's face was flushed pink, her hair held back with a headband. She looked radiant. Ten years younger. Haein smiled at me.

"Ready for some heart openers?"

"I, um, guess so."

Haein padded out to front desk. Eomma wiped down her face with a towel. I unfolded my sticky mat next to her. "When you said to meet you I just assumed you were stuck at work."

"Oh, no - there's an advanced class before this one; I wanted to see if I could handle it."

"Oh." For some reason, her taking a class without me bothered me. When she first started, she'd practically bribed me to come with her. It was cool she'd found something to throw herself into, but at the same time it felt like she was moving on from me. Why hadn't she asked me to come?

"You're taking our usual class too?"

"Haein told me this is going to be more a slow stretch tonight. Will you caught me if I topple over?"

I remembered what Stephanie said - how eomma rocked mermaid pose. I hadn't really noticed, until now. Yoga wasn't a competition; you weren't supposed to compare yourself to anyone else, but Eomma excelled at it.

"You made scorpion look easy."

"Did I? My arms were shaking, I thought I was going to flop my head."

"Couldn't see that from where I was standing."

She tossed the towel onto her mat, grabbed her water bottle. "So if I was leading a class, I wouldn't look out of place?"

I shook my head. Friendly chatter filled the studio as people arrived for class. I walked over to the prop station and grabbed a strap and a block, then sat down cross-legged on my mat.

"Teacher training starts next week."

"Wow, already? I thought you were just thinking about it."

"Why don't we go next door after class, hang out instead of getting our drinks to go. Catch up, sound good?"

"Sure."