He came down after dinner to join Sero, Jasmine and Rufus in the basement and, with great ceremony, pulled rolling papers out of his shirt pocket to roll the first joint. Sero had tried smoking weed a couple of times at high school parties but hadn’t really enjoyed it, as it usually just made her sleepy. At college, her lab friends weren’t into pot and neither was James. Now, watching Micah inhale deeply and with pleasure, she was intrigued to try it again. They passed the joint around; the first drag made Sero cough, and the second went straight to her head. “A1 quality weed,” Micah declared, and they all shared high fives and hugs. After the others had left the basement, Micah said, “I’m so proud of you, Sero. You’re making a real difference to this place. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Sero flushed with pride and slept heavily that night, her dreams vivid and fantastic.

* * *

The next morning, she still felt a little high, and perhaps this was why she found herself deep in concentration during the morning meditation session. “Every element of our life is within our control,” Micah said. “Just take the example of nourishment. We can choose not only what we eat and how much of it we eat, but also how quickly we eat and with whom we eat. We can even choose whether or not to eat. The practice of fasting teaches us to tolerate discomfort. It shows us the value of disciplining ourselves. That’s why we don’t break from our work outside to eat a meal. Fasting for periods of time helps focus the mind and our commitment.”

Sero considered this. She enjoyed food greatly, but did she always stop to taste each bite, or to consider how the setting in which she ate affected her perception of the food? She might also be guilty of eating without forethought and indulging in the hedonistic pleasure of the food. As she resolved to try to think more consciously about this, she was startled by a ringing sound. She cracked open her eyes and saw Micah’s legs moving swiftly through the group and into the house behind them. On the second ring, she recognized it was the doorbell, which was hardly ever heard since the door was always unlocked and someone was always at home.

Distracted from her meditation, Sero gave up and opened her eyes. She heard the front door open and Micah exchange harsh words with someone. A few moments later, Micah returned, continuing his discourse on the value of self-discipline. Sero snapped her eyes shut.

Later that evening, when Sero brought up the subject of that morning’s meditation, Micah was curt with her, unwilling to engage in further discussion. “I’m sorry, Sero, I’m just tired,” he said. “I have a migraine and I haven’t been sleeping well. I think it would be best if we slept in our own beds tonight.” He kissed her gently, holding her shoulders.