Chapter 41: The Gym
*If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit. – Bansky*
After their talk, Reese told Helen not to stop going to the gym. She was doing good and should keep up her routine. Monday she didn’t go. Tuesday she almost talked herself out of going. But she went.
Pinky realized immediately that Helen was not her usual happy bubbly self. Her heart wasn’t in the workout.
“Helen? Why don’t we go talk in my office?” Pinky suggested.
Helen nodded and followed her into the small office behind the reception desk. “Let’s go ahead and get your weight and measurements.”
She stepped up onto the scale and Pinky wrote down the number. Then she stood still as her waist, thigh and arm measurements were taken. When that was all done, they sat on opposite sides of the desk.
“What’s bothering you?”
“It’s nothing important.”
“If it’s making you miserable, it’s important.” Pinky said pulling up Helen’s file on the computer.
“Is that true?” Helen asked pointing at the mural painted on the wall.
It takes FOUR WEEKS for you to see a difference. It takes EIGHT WEEKS for your family to see a difference. It takes TWELVE WEEKS for the world to see a difference. Keep pushing.
Pinky smiled. “It is. No matter what you’re doing, starting something new, breaking a habit, making a change within yourself. You see it first at about a month, those around you will see it in two and everyone else in three.”
“So, keep going.”
“Exactly. Now, tell me what happened between you and Reese.”
Helen looked at her in confusion.
“I’ve known him just about all of my life. He’s never been with a woman this long. Usually, you never even know that he’s seeing someone. But you, every Monday you two are at Cognac. He’s been here every afternoon that you come in. He’s called me several times and asked if you could have various things for breakfast or lunch.”
Helen gave a small sob and Pinky handed over the box of tissues.
“Suddenly, you look miserable and Reese is asking to use the gym in the middle of the night. What happened?”
“He wants me to be something I’m not.” Helen whispered.
“I’ve never seen him head over heels for a woman before. And, sweetie, he is so far gone, he doesn’t even realize it.”
“I can’t do what he wants me to do.”
“How do you know?”
“What?”
“Three months ago, would you have thought that you’d be able to run a mile without stopping?”
“No.”
“But last week, you did a mile and a half.” Pinky smiled at her. “You’ve lost seventeen pounds and three inches. Did you think that you’d do that?”
“I have?”
“My numbers don’t lie. You started at 241 with a waist of 52 and now you’re at 224 and 49. You’re not going to know what you’re capable of until you try.”
“But he wants to…”
“Has he made you do anything that you didn’t want to?”
She thought about the photo shoot. She didn’t want to do it. But when he told her that it was just for her and not even he would see it, she had agreed. The whole time, he told her that if she wanted to quit, she could.
“He’s asked me to push myself. Test my limits.” She admitted softly.
“That’s the only way we grow.” The younger woman smiled. “Had my Marine not tested me, I would never know that I could take down someone twice my size. Or eat a full pizza by myself.”
Helen snickered. “Small?”
“Large. Stuffed crust loaded from Cecilia’s.” Pinky smiled and had a dreamy look on her face.
“Aren’t you the one always preaching moderation?”
“I also live for my cheat days.”
“Monday.” Helen said sadly.
“Sweetie. You miss him and it’s only been a few days. I only have the ability to tell you about food. What I can tell you is sometimes, we all need a little comfort food. I’m not saying eat a whole gallon of ice cream. But the pints are on sale across the street.”
Helen smiled her thanks as she got up to leave. After a shower and debate with herself, she stopped at the store across the street. Chocolate chip cookie dough was her choice for heartache.
But when she got home, she just couldn’t eat it. She found herself thinking about sitting on Reese’s lap as he would feed her ice cream. Or at Cognac, where he would feed her loaded berry lava cake with pink champagne.
JD took the pint and put in the freezer. Then he sat on the couch and pulled his mom in close. She laid her head on his chest and cried.
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