Page 40 of No Such Thing as Serendipity

Leave it to Emma to choose another intense class. This one was called silent conversation, and the room was full. There were at least a hundred people in attendance.

Vera did a plug for the retreat before she introduced Robyn. When Robyn took the stage, she welcomed all the outside participants and greeted those of us she knew.

“I’m thrilled that so many showed up today. Many of you know about this program, but bear with me while I explain it to those who don’t. I’ll try to be brief.”

I couldn’t help but admire how natural Robyn was on stage.

She gracefully moved around and talked so effortlessly that I’d bet everyone thought she was talking to them.

She explained that for the next hour and a half, she’d invite volunteers up to have a silent conversation with someone else in the audience.

“Words are forbidden,” Robyn said. “I know, some might think it’s ridiculous, but understand, sometimes words get in the way.

We’re so busy formulating our responses we miss what the other person is trying to say.

In a wordless conversation, we’re forced to focus.

We’re more open to the other person’s message. ”

Robyn moved to the edge of the stage and sat down. “With so many participants, everyone won’t get an opportunity today.”

Someone behind me called out, “Bummer.” The sarcasm was thick in her voice.

Robyn laughed. “I bet some of you just took an enormous sigh of relief. Of course, this is voluntary. We’re not here to make anyone uncomfortable. In case you don’t get the opportunity, observing is just as powerful. One might say even more so.”

“You know the warning label that says don’t try this at home?

” Robyn paused and looked around the crowd.

“Well, I’m telling you to try this at home.

It can be an amazing tool to help you communicate with your loved ones.

” She pointed toward the back of the room.

“My contact information is on the table. Please, reach out to me and let me know how you incorporate it into your own communications.”

“Now,” Robyn said as she stood. “Vera and I will demonstrate how this is done before we call up our first participants.”

Vera walked to the center of the stage. It only took a few seconds to determine Robyn was asking for a raise. I could tell by Vera’s reaction, she was privy to what Robyn was doing.

After they’d finished and Vera had turned down Robyn’s request, Robyn smiled at the audience. “Of course, that wasn’t a real interaction, or Vera would have gladly given me a raise.”

Everyone laughed.

“The point is, were you surprised how easy you followed the conversation?” Robyn asked.

I nodded and glanced at Emma, who was nodding along with me.

“All right then, I need some volunteers.”

The number of hands that shot up shocked me.

The first half hour, I watched mesmerized. My gaze shifted between the participants and Robyn, who helped facilitate the discussions. I was impressed by her intense concentration and the skillful way she inserted herself just long enough for the pair to move forward.

I’d seen plenty of women command a boardroom, but this might have been the sexiest thing I’d ever witnessed. Fuck. I needed to get my libido in check, so I focused harder on the participants. My attention kept drifting back to Robyn, no matter how hard I tried not to.

I’d been so entranced by what was happening on the stage, I’d not realized that Robyn had chosen Katlynn and Helena to join her.

Katlynn bound up the stairs with a confident aura, while apprehension showed in Helena’s cautious ascent.

Robyn welcomed them with a hug before she turned the stage over to Katlynn.

I nudged Emma. “What’s she going to do?”

Emma shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know, but poor Helena looks terrified.”

I nodded before focusing my full attention on our friends.

Katlynn placed both hands over her own chest and pushed against it. Then she did an exaggerated shrug before she lifted her hands to shoulder level and shrugged again.

Coupled with her expression, I interpreted she was trying to convey confusion. Helena must have picked up her meaning because she nodded.

Katlynn put her hands over her chest again, lifted them off, and then put them against her chest. She repeated the movement several times, signifying what I believed was a beating heart.

Helena smiled at her and placed her own hands over her own chest and mimicked the gesture.

A silent, prolonged gaze connected them, so no gestures were necessary. Even though I couldn’t see their eyes, I could feel their heat.

Abruptly, Helena took several steps back, shook her head, and made an exaggerated frown.

She held her left arm out in front of her and then let it drop to her side.

Then she grabbed her left arm with her right hand and lifted it to an extended position.

Once she let go of her arm, it fell back against her side. She repeated the gesture several times.

By the pained expression on Katlynn’s face, she interpreted Helena’s meaning the same as I did. Helena’s actions represented her physical deterioration.

Katlynn steeled her jaw, stood up straight, and pounded her fist against her own chest. Several people in the audience gasped at the gesture, while Emma flinched beside me.

Helena, seeing the determined expression on Katlynn’s face, stood a little taller herself, and a hopeful expression replaced the apprehension that was there moments before.

Katlynn smiled and held out her hand palm up toward Helena. For several beats, Helena looked from Katlynn’s face to her outstretched hand before she took a tentative step forward.

Even though Katlynn leaned forward, she remained standing in place.

Her expression conveyed her struggle not to rush toward Helena.

Instead, she wiggled her fingers as if to encourage Helena to come to her.

I viewed it as an invitation, but also an acknowledgment that the decision was in Helena’s hands.

Damn. When had I become skilled at reading people?

Helena’s second step was less tentative than her first, and by her third step, she showed no apprehension as she covered the distance between them.

The audience cheered when Helena grasped Katlynn’s hand.

Robyn appeared beside them and put a hand on their shoulders. Her eyes were misty. Watching the pair had been so compelling that I’d temporarily forgotten Robyn.

“Wow,” Emma said.

“Wow is right,” I responded.

Robyn spoke to them in a voice too low for us to hear. Helena and Katlynn sported enormous smiles and still held hands.

“Thank you for that lovely conversation,” Robyn said as Katlynn and Helena made their way from the stage. “That was beautiful. I hope everyone watching can see the magic happening without words.”

“I’m stunned,” someone called from the audience.

“I know, right?” Robyn smiled. “The first time I attended a silent session, I was skeptical, but I’ll ask you the same question the facilitator asked me. Have you ever seen an opera or gone to the ballet?”

Murmurs rose from the crowd.

“See.” Robyn pointed at the group. “It all clicked when she said that. I’ve gone to several operas, and I don’t speak a lick of Italian, yet I followed the story. That’s what we’re doing here, evoking emotions through means other than words.”

Katlynn and Helena had returned to their seats beside Emma and still held hands. I peeked around Emma and gave them a thumbs up.

Robyn called more participants on stage, including a trio, before announcing there was time for one more pair.

She placed her hand on her forehead, cupped her hand, and peered out at the group. “I’m looking for one more, so raise your hands high.”

I felt Emma shift beside me, but I was too busy staring at Robyn to give Emma much thought. As Robyn’s gaze swept the crowd, her eyes widened when they met mine.

She nodded at me and mouthed, are you sure?

Huh? Was she asking me whether I was sure about her? Certainly she wouldn’t do that in front of everyone.

“It looks like we have our last pair.” Robyn pointed toward me.

What?

When Emma let out a squeal, I realized she wasn’t pointing at me after all.

“Come on.” Emma jumped to her feet and grabbed the back of my shirt.

Did she expect me to get up in front of everyone? By the twinkle in her eye, I believed she did. I balked, but something stopped me.

Besides, how bad could it be, anyway? Typical Emma, she’d do some sappy thank you for the time we’d spent together.

I tried to block out the eyes on us as Emma led me up the stairs onto the stage. Despite my trepidation, after Robyn wrapped me in a hug, it all became worth it.

Once we broke our embrace, Robyn squeezed my arm and said, “You’ve got this. Just allow yourself to be vulnerable.”

I smiled at her. “In other words, surrender my control.”

“You said it, I didn’t.”

During my exchange with Robyn, I nearly forgot I was standing on a stage in front of at least a hundred people. I was used to speaking in front of crowds in my job, but I had no frame of reference for standing on stage not saying anything.

Next, Robyn embraced Emma, and I swear I heard Robyn tell Emma to be gentle with me, but I couldn’t be sure.

Robyn faced the crowd. “We have our final participants of the day. As you can probably tell, they’re sisters. Not twins.”

The women in the audience who knew us laughed, having heard us say it many times.

“I’m going to step aside and let them take it from here.” Robyn winked at us before she backpedaled to the wing of the stage.

Emma faced me and took my hands in hers. She gazed into my eyes for some time until it became uncomfortable. She released one of my hands, touched my head, and vigorously shook her head before she placed her hand over my heart and nodded with gusto.

I took it to mean I was supposed to listen with my heart, not my head, so I gave her a quick nod of agreement. She smiled before she turned and walked across the stage away from me.

What the hell was she doing?