“That’s not very reassuring.”

“We’re not going to kidnap Megan and hold her against her will.”

“Well, when you say it like that, of course it sounds bad—”

“It’s going to be fine,” he says. “You know it is. Stop looking for troubles where there are none.”

“Okay. But the moment he starts making things weird, we are leaving.”

“THANK YOU, everyone, for showing up on time! You have all been awarded one Sunshine Point for Arriving on Time. If, at the end of the class, you’ve accrued six Sunshine Points, you may turn them in for a hug and a yogurt parfait with chopped walnuts. Oh, who am I kidding, you’ll get those anyway, because what do we say here at Lamazing Grace?”

“Hugs are love!” most everyone chants around us.

“Bear, sit down.”

“He made it weird.”

Otter tugs me back onto the mat.

IT’S NOT—okay, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, Marty is ridiculous, and I couldn’t care less about the goddamn Sunshine Points. And hell, the breathing part of it is all right, learning that the whole hee hoooo thing you see on TV and movies is pretty much bullshit. It’s all about the deep breaths, the parasympathetic breathing to help relax, to slow each breath, to drop your heart rate and blood pressure. I’d always thought it was just a dumb thing that was meant to be a distraction for women in labor, but it’s actually starting to make sense.

And yes, Megan is a pro at it. She’s diligent and watchful, listening as if it’s her first time she’s ever been in the class. She, of course, ends up getting fifteen Sunshine Points by the time she’s done. “I’m going to destroy that yogurt parfait,” she tells us, eyes dancing.

The other couples in the class seem to be just as into it as Megan is, following along like it’s the last thing they’ll ever do.

And Marty isn’t… so bad. I mean, if you ignore basically everything about him. He’s happy doing what he’s doing, and he seems to be all right at it.

But it’s not any of that, really, that I seem to focus on.

It’s Otter. And how serious he’s taking all of this.

He’s sitting behind Megan, her back to his chest, and breathing in deeply when instructed. He’s got his tongue stuck out between his teeth, looking a little like Izzie does when she’s really concentrating. He’s watching Marty closely, taking every instruction to heart.

He’s good at this.

He’s really good at this.