Following months became bearable beneath her steadily increasing muscle mass. Scheduling something healthy after clocking out of hostile work environment hinted at that fulfillment she'd been desperately grasping for. Nerd lady with a lifetime of sport avoidance weighing on her physique, had resolved to attend gym minimum three times a week.
Heavily tattooed homies who invited her to gym in the first place, dipped entirely after their only time here. More invested in dating apps & drinking together after work. She met up with them sometimes for evening smoke seshs or beers, but they remained unconvinced to rejoin the fitness journey.
Perhaps mentioning the creepy gym trainer sitch to them would make her need for backup more apparent. However, the thought of asking for help with this did not cross her mind at the time. Toxic trait of a woman who suppressed her innermost anxieties to continue solo. She dealt with worse people on the daily so it was an easy choice to keep attending despite what happened. That particular gym was the cleanest & better equipped of their venues in the nearby metro area after all.
Seemingly unbothered stance, doing her best to avoid even greeting the useless pervert, should their paths cross. This was made difficult by him purposely following and even daring to interrupt her workout with a group of his latest trainees (tentative harassment victims) to peer at her reluctant demonstration on how to use the machine she was busy keeping track of reps on.
Eventually she stopped pretending to be an unaffected badass & confessed the ordeal to sis, who agreed to be gym her buddy with neither eagerness nor resistance, as she often did. Thus from the tragedies of male dominated environments, a wonderful family bond was unlocked. The sisters began getting together after work. They tried different venues with fewer machines, yet conveniently closer to sis' home address. She was not a sporty gal either but her school years of ballet training showed in her superior stamina and weights.
Their brother, the youngest but tallest, was invited as well. Computer science studies occupied most of his time currently, but he obliged at least twice and was also a pleasant gym buddy.
Watching her kids grow closer over weekly exercise moments also prompted mum to treat the estranged firstborn with more consideration. Their turbulent history & irreconcilable differences were unforgettable, perhaps unforgivable yet. Eventually they were able to at least share a family dinner without violent arguments or reliving childhood abuses.
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Bitch Body
Short StoryI haven't written in a long time. Using my new mechanical keyboard as an excuse to sort some words out. Not sure what I'm trying to say yet. Hoping it don't suck.