Page 8 of Mr. Green

Step 4-Meditate-Do this once a day for at least fifteen minutes, relaxing the mind and body.

You have to be joking.

Step 5-Drink Moderately-Alcohol can be fun, but too much is damaging to the body and brain.

That’s sadly been discussed.

Step 6-Drink water-Drink, drink, drink. You need to make sure your cells have all the liquid possible to grow and help you. Add some lemon or cucumber for taste, but make sure you’re drinking enough. You can tell if you have enough by what color your urine is.

That one is quite descriptive. They don’t leave any details out in this article.

Step 7-Gratitude-Make a list of things you’re grateful for and keep adding to it every day.

That actually sounds nice. I should do that.

Most of those sound like a good idea. I guess I should try a meditation. I’ll do anything at this point.

I click through my phone and find a meditation video. I set the phone on the small table next to the bath and follow all the directions the calming voice is guiding me through.

“Get yourself into a comfortable position.

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in through your nose.

Hold the pause,

and then let it go through your mouth.”

The voice continues talking me through my breathing. My shoulders sink below the warm water and my body becomes weightless. It’s as if the world around me no longer exists.

I stay in the water until it’s cold. I dry myself off and start combing my hair. I think I’ll make meditating part of my routine. My shoulders aren’t up to my ears and my chest doesn’t feel as tight. Who would’ve thought it would work.

As I’m working the comb through the knots in my hair, Ryan’s face relaxing in the tub pops into my mind. He would’ve loved meditating, resting his arms over either side of the tub, and feeling relief. My eyes look up at a sad expression with glazed eyes looking back in the mirror.

“Lana! He left you and isn’t coming back. You have to let him go.” I scold myself.

I need to remember the best way to ensure I’ll stay happy. The only way I see it happening is never letting anyone take my heart again. I need to stay away from anyone with a penis, especially from an old crush with a man bun. They’re all trouble.

Chapter 6

Lana

It’s early, and the grayish darkness consumes the room as I trudge my aching body over to the dresser. I pick gray water-resistant pants that are soft inside, plus a gray long sleeve shirt with a dark gray wind breaker jacket. It’s the beginning of spring in Washington, which means it’s freaking cold outside. It’s almost enough for me to crawl back into bed and cuddle under the covers.

I stare at the bed, debating on going back to it or not. My body is in pain. It’s sore everywhere. It’d be so easy to pull up the covers and get cozy. I know I’m supposed to go for a run. I should, but the comfort level of the bed is enticing.

No!Come on, Lana!

I need to do this. I make the bed so it’s less alluring. Besides, I’d do anything to not hear the rhythmic sound of my alarm again. If I could break it to smithereens, I would. I only pressed the snooze button once today. Progress.

I’ll just go for a jog around my neighborhood. I’ll get my first run done. I can do this—I think.

Once I lock the front door, I start running before I lose my nerve. My legs pump up and down the stairs of my apartment complex, through the many buildings on the property, and finally to the street. It’s a smooth, but slow start. I get my groove around minute five, which happens to be as I’m running through my favorite neighborhood in town. All the homes have a view of the lake, and the houses have perfect landscaping with hydrangeas and pink cherry trees. It’s a cookie cutter kind of place, but it feels like home.

Moving is good. It’s helping with my stiffness and it’smaking me motivated. I’m getting my body back to feeling healthy and it’s going to be better than ever. I keep envisioning my body as muscular and strong, which makes me keep running.

It’s still dark, the glow of the streetlamps lighting my way as my feet hit the concrete below me. It’s a slow pace, but I focus on moving one foot after the other. My breathing is labored as I try to keep up. It’s been a long time since I’ve moved like this. There’s not another soul about, so I don’t feel self-conscious.