Chapter 11
JACKIE
What Sarah didn’t know was that telling her to surprise me was out of the box for me.
I didn’t like surprises. At least, my anxiety didn’t.
Predictability was my friend. Giving her the reigns was essentially giving her control, but I didn’t mind it one bit.
I wasn’t lying when I told her that things had always been easy with her before. She always put me at ease.
By Saturday afternoon, I was in relaxation mode, watching a favorite movie of mine when my phone rang with an incoming call: Sarah.
“Jackieeeee!” She squealed at me. I burst out laughing. What else could I do?
“Sarah, are you drunk?”
“Um, no. Well, not yet. Actually, I found something really fun I thought we could do today. Have you ever done indoor skydiving?”
“That’s a definite no.” More accurately, a hell no. Heights weren’t my friend, indoor or out, but the goal was to open my mind to new and exciting experiences. Not that I was excited about this.
“That’s perfect! I booked us the last two slots available at HighFly, and it’s in two hours.
Dress comfortable, pants and T-shirt are fine.
And make sure you wear sneakers. They’ll take care of the rest, but we do have to get there about ten minutes early.
Send me your address, and I’ll pick you up in an hour!
” Then she clicked off the line with a giggle.
Peering down at my leggings and crop top, I realized I needed to go change into something more practical for this foray.
I paused the television and ventured into my room to find the right attire for indoor skydiving.
What the fuck? Nope, don’t do that Jackie.
You told her to make plans, and she did just that. Stop whining.
I changed into a pair of distressed skinny jeans, a lavender V-neck top, and some black and white Converse sneakers. I snapped a picture in front of my full-length mirror and sent it to Sarah.
Is this good?
*Photo attached*
A few minutes later came her response:
Sarah:
That’s…perfect.
I was curious about her pause in that message, but I didn’t allow myself to overthink it. I followed her instructions so what could she say? Returning my gaze to the mirror, I realized my hair was a bit of a mess, so I ran my hands through it to tame it just a bit. That would have to do.
I checked the time on my phone, noting Sarah would arrive in the next thirty minutes or so.
Feeling nervous about the heights, I opted to do some of the breathing exercises Dr. Potter taught me.
In for four counts. Hold for four counts.
Out for four counts. Hold for four counts.
After cycling through three times, I felt relief and relaxation overtake me.
I then realized I should probably let my sister know where I was going.
I’d mentioned to her before about reconnecting with Sarah and how I was encouraging myself to venture out more and enjoy life.
Find my happiness. She couldn’t have been happier for me.
Going to HighFly with Sarah.
Be back later.
Stephy:
Wow! Ok. Be safe sister!
Always, sister.
Love you!
Stephy:
Love you too!
Sarah was at my door just minutes later, so I located my purse and slid my phone into the outer pocket. Fetching my keys, I locked the door, and in moments, we were in her car and on our way.
“I should warn you, heights and I don’t get along. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’m at a negative twelve. But, I did some breathing exercises so I’m okay for now.”
When we got to the next traffic signal, Sarah turned to me with a sympathetic look on her face. “Have you ever done meditation? I practice that and do some yoga just to help me with work stress and keep my body active.” I could tell she wasn’t trying to impose, but help. That’s who she was.
“I’ve considered it before. Even mentioned it to my therapist. Do you have any recommendations?”
“I do!” And I loved her enthusiasm. “When we get to HighFly, we can do a brief cycle in the car before we go in. I use an app with calming sounds. I’ll let you find one you like.”
“That sounds great. Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Always.” I could tell she meant it too.
“If this is just me overthinking it, tell me now. But I noticed a pause in your response when I sent you that picture earlier. Was there a problem?” My insecurity was rearing its ugly head.
“Absolutely not! It’s just that, well, lavender looks really fucking good on you.” I detected a slight rasp in her voice, but she quickly cleared it from her throat.
“Oh, thanks. It’s my favorite color.”
“Duly noted.” And with that we’d arrived at the skydiving venue. Sarah put the car in park and handed me her phone with the meditation app open. I found a sound mimicking waves in the ocean and handed it back to her.
“Is it okay if we hold hands for it?” she asked. I loved that she asked. Many people didn’t understand consent went for so many things, not just sex.
“Yes, I’m good with that.”
She started the sound for a guided meditation, and we held hands with our eyes closed.
The soothing voice on the app instructed us to take slow, deep breaths and clear our minds, which wasn’t easy with the way the simple touch of her hands felt against mine.
We stayed in that pose, facing each other in our seats, for several minutes, though it could’ve been hours, and I wouldn’t have complained one bit.