A Shower Well Earned

Wow! I walked out of the gym tonight with jiggly knees.

After our drills, I rolled with The Crusher. He’s been not so crushy lately, which is good. Then I rolled with another white belt. He had the fire in his eyes. He almost armbarred me but I wriggled out, rolled him over, and put on the choke. Then I rolled fiercely with another white belt. He peeled off my left arm and shoulder-locked me. I challenged him to a rematch. We were locked in combat. My feet were slipping on the mat from the rivers of sweat we generated. I was exhausted but felt the smoothest I’ve ever been. I don’t know how long we were going for . . . five minutes? ten minutes? three hours? Who can keep track of time when you’re so focused? I only know that at some point we clapped each other bro-style on the shoulder to call it a night. The gym was closing, and we were no closer to the end of the roll than we were to the beginning.

I came home so sweat-dampened that Four-Year Old told me I had to shower before I brought him up Red Bear and tucked him in. (He also didn’t want me to move his pillows because he had secreted a Tupperware full of oatmeal chocolate chips beneath them. He’s definitely my son!)

            “Your wife is a beast!” I slapped Husband on the back as he sat drinking peppermint tea in front of the computer, trying to finagle a seven-letter Scrabble word to beat Maven, his computer opponent.

            “I know,” he said, not taking his eyes off the board.

            “Feel this gi!” Now, you know someone loves you when they feel your sweaty gi. I guided his hand to my pants, collar, and tee shirt. I threw out some word combinations to try to jump-start his game. “Thistle! Tightest! Highest!”

            “Wow! That’s some serious sweat,” he said, eyes still on the computer.

Husband got his seven-letter word. He beat Maven. I took a well-earned shower, luxuriating in the hot spray that rolled over my back, shoulders, and my legs, leopard-spotted with righteous bruises. I put on my robe and went downstairs to get Red Bear. I tucked Red Bear in next to Four-Year Old, who had fallen asleep, and I gently kissed him on the cheek.