Curves | ONC 2020 Shortlist

30. Juliana and Biscuits and Gravy

They kept walking, past the parking lot and around to the other side of the park. They didn't hold hands again, but at least it wasn't awkward anymore.

"What's the messiest thing in your life?" Jenny asked, apparently determined to erase her previous mistake.

"Uh..." Juliana's mind spun in circles, unprepared to go from zero to private so quickly. She decided on a lighter topic. "I might have too many running shoes."

"I might have too many pajamas," Jenny commiserated.

Juliana chuckled. "Is there such a thing though?"

Jenny grinned. "Nope, you're right. One can never have too many comfortable things to sleep in. Or lounge around the house. Or go to the store."

"You go to the store in your pajamas?" Somehow Juliana could picture it. Jenny would look cute picking up bananas in her PJs.

"Sometimes." Jenny's face went from guilty to impish. "Mom hates it when I do that."

"Let me guess, she wants you to meet a nice man in the produce aisle."

"Men, women, employees, whoever. She just wants me to be happy."

"She sounds sweet."

Jenny's lips pursed to the side. "I don't know if sweet is the right word for her."

"What word would you use?"

"Free-spirited. Wait, that's two-words, isn't it? My dad used to call her his lovely biscuits and gravy. Also not one word."

Juliana's eyebrows lifted. "He thinks biscuits and gravy is romantic?"

"You don't understand. He loved biscuits and gravy. Being called that was a high compliment."

"Past tense?" Juliana observed, wondering how recent the loss was.

Jenny nodded. "Yeah. He died of a heart attack many years ago, though I call it B and G overdose. Pretty sure gravy ran through his veins and eventually congealed somewhere. What about your dad? Is he still around?"

Juliana tensed. She wasn't ready to talk about that part of her life yet. "He's... around," she hedged. "Just not in the picture."

"One of the messes in your life?" Jenny guessed.

"Yup."

"Divorce?"

"Nope." Juliana knew she was being evasive, but new acquaintances didn't need to know she was the product of an extramarital affair.

Jenny seemed to catch on and thankfully changed the subject. "What made you interested in personal training?"

Juliana couldn't help smiling a little. She loved being asked about her line of work. "The way the human body works is amazing. Muscles moving tendons moving bones." She made a fist, opened it, and then wiggled her fingers to demonstrate. "There's a certain poetry to it. Most people live imbalanced lives. I like helping people find their balance again. Find their poetry." She glanced at Jenny before ducking her head. "It's cheesy, I know."

"I like cheese!" Jenny blurted before making a face. "No, what I mean is, that's not cheesy at all. It's beautiful. I never thought of it that way. It's hard for me to see the elegance of the human body when I'm covered in flab. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There's actually nothing wrong with you. Your body is doing what it was designed to do. You just need to find the right balance, that's all." Juliana believed this with all her heart. Wanted to help everyone else realize it too. No one was ever permanently broken. She just wasn't sure how to convey this to people without sounding like a New Age crackpot.

She glanced at Jenny. If the girl wanted to scoff at what Juliana was saying, she didn't let on. Seemed to be lost in thought, actually. What was she thinking about? Juliana would love to peek inside that pretty head of hers.

Wouldn't you like to as well? Soon, my dear reader. Soon. After you vote. ;)