Page 30 of Rise After Fall

The stairway is encased in a glass atrium, and you can enjoy watching skiers descend one of the advanced slopes as you climb.

We make it to the second floor.

“How many flights was that?” Jena asks.

“One,” Erin says.

“You mean, we have six to go?”

“Come on, guys. Steps are great exercise. I need the help to drop the extra fifteen pregnancy pounds I’ve been lugging around for over a year,” Anna encourages.

“Didn’t we already try to help you drop that weight by joining the gym?” Brandee asks.

“We made it to exactly one class,” Anna reminds her.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been carrying my extra pregnancy weight for thirteen years now,” Taeli says as we make it to the third floor.

“And I’ve been hoisting mine around for nine. I’m kind of attached to it now. I’m gonna catch the elevator from here,” Jena huffs.

“I’m with her. We’ll go ahead and grab a table,” Leona says as she follows Jena.

“I’d better go and make sure they don’t get lost,” Maxi states.

“And I’ll make sure you don’t,” Sara-Beth says.

“Oh, come on, guys,” Anna bellows.

“Quitters!” Erin yells after them and then turns to us. “Come on. Let’s hustle and try to beat them.”

The remainder of us race up the next five flights. When we make it to the hostess, we’re all out of breath and glistening with perspiration.

Before we can get a word out, Sara-Beth calls us over to a table by the window, where the others are seated with cocktails in their hands.

We join them just as the server delivers a basket of chips and two bowls of fresh salsa to the table.

“I’ll take a water with a margarita chaser, please,” Erin requests.

“Same,” Anna and I chime.

She jots down our food selections and hurries off to get our orders.

Morris and Clay walk in just as our entrées arrive.

Sara-Beth calls them over and asks them to join us.

“We don’t want to impose,” Clay says.

“You’re not. We can make room.”

“Actually, Mom, we’re meeting people,” Morris says as he lifts his chin at two women seated at the bar.

“Oh, playing with the guests, are we?” Erin asks.

“We just finished their lessons, and they wanted to buy us a drink as a thank-you,” Clay explains.

“Don’t worry, boss. They were our last session of the day,” Morris tells me.

“I thought you had a gentleman and his two teenage daughters this afternoon,” I say.