The Honeymooners

Thirteen. Star jumps and cookie dough

I bounce from my left foot to right foot, waving my arms back and forth in front of my body as my heart hammers against my chest. The exercise class is halfway over, and I'm fit to drop. The break in my fitness routine is messing up my earlier progress at the gym. I take a large gulp of water out of the bottle I brought with me, watching Enzo chat with his new friend.

Jude, the guy Enzo is doing push-ups with came over after the warm up and asked if they could spar each other in the boxing section of the routine as he always ends up hurting his girlfriend's wrist when they go together. Jude's girlfriend Flora stepped into partner up with me, and she's amazing. At first, we bonded over our unique names and then the fact our other halves were both teachers and lastly that she used to live five minutes away from where I did in Kent as a kid.

"You're in Leeds for your honeymoon?" Flora says when I let her know we were married the other week.

I nod wriggling my fingers about to try to rid the tingling in them. Jude had nothing to worry about, Flora is a beast in the boxing ring and very nearly shattered every bone in my hand. "Yep, we're staying with Enzo's parents at their farm."

"I can't imagine travelling around England for my honeymoon. I'd want sun, sand and cocktails all day long," she responds.

"It isn't all that bad-" I have to stop myself mid-sentence and think about the words dribbling from my mouth. "No, I want sun, sand and cocktails all day long too—I deserve it."

Flora fist pumps the air. "Yes, girl."

I giggle. "I guess we're halfway there with the cocktail bar down the road and it is sunny today."

Flora nudges my side with her fingers. "That's true. There is a fabulous Mexican restaurant not far from here either."

"Sorted then," I reply, getting in position when the instructor comes back from a quick toilet break.

Enzo jogs over to the other side of the room and catches my eye, giving me a thumbs up to ask how I am. I wave to which he winks and then the music floods in and we are all jumping around like teenagers at their first rave. I move my arms up and down in fluid strokes, crossing them over my body to engage my core. Then, we pick up our weights and do several squats, getting down on the floor to finish the circuit with crunches before repeating the same course four times.

Twenty minutes later we're halfway through the last circuit, and my body is on fire. It's sticky in here with all of the sweaty bodies, even with the aircon turned up to the max. I have to put my weights down as my legs feel like jelly and a white light pours into my vision. I always get like this. I push myself too far and end up almost passing out.

"I don't feel too good," I mumble dropping onto my knees and placing my forehead on the cold gym floor.

"Ambrosia, you all right there?" Flora says, stopping her workout to come and kneel next to me.

The music stops dead and rushed footsteps replace the beat.

"Hey," Enzo soothes, smoothing his hand up and down my back, panting in my ear. "You having a funny turn again?"

I nod. "Yes, I'm too hot."

"Let's get you outside. It is baking in here," he helps me stand, leading me out of everyone's view.

"I went too hard. I don't know my limits."

Enzo makes me sit on the first step of the staircase, running to the toilets to grab some wet tissue. I close my eyes when he rubs it all over my face and neck, feeling my body temperature drop immediately.

"You do this every time. Lucy will be mad at you," he responds, moving the wet tissue over my bare arms.

"Is everything okay out here?" the instructor says, shutting the door behind him.