Dotty’s was decorated with characters from Encanto, a favorite film of Nora’s.
Chad looked at the bowl she’d chosen for him – The Incredibles. It was a favorite of Sonny’s.
“Yeah, funny story.” Nora tried to laugh. “I want healthy food to bring joy. I have a love of animated films and I thought Chad was twelve or something.”
Dotty dug into her oatmeal. “Why would you think that?”
Nora let that comment go, choosing instead to smile politely as she opened a bottle of kombucha. She poured two small servings into juice glasses she’d found in Chad’s cupboards, and then set them in front of Dotty and Chad.
“Is this a spoonful of sugar?” Dotty sniffed her glass. “It smells like hair of the dog.” She took a sip, made a choking sound, and then spit it back into her cup. “Pass.”
Chad stirred his oatmeal, ignoring his kombucha.
Nora had lots of experience with reticent patients. This was a turning point. She could either roll over and admit she couldn’t help these two, or she could be the difference-maker in their lives. Nora found her inner drill sergeant, the hard-lining alter-ego she’d developed in response to her mother’s princess tendencies.
“Drink your kombucha.” Nora rinsed Dotty’s glass clean before pouring her another serving. “Among other things, it helps the digestion, is loaded with antioxidants, and gives you energy.”
Dotty eyed the glass with revulsion. “Can you add sugar to it?”
Chad chuckled, not that he’d touched anything in front of him, not even his oatmeal.
“No more sugar. Take a breath and drain your glass.” Nora crossed her arms over her chest. “You hired me to help you. You either want my help or you don’t.” In an ideal world, Chad would brush her off and her sole client would be Dotty.
“I had a nanny like you once.” Dotty held her nose and drank her kombucha. When she was finished, she grimaced and thrust her glass at Nora. “Water.”
Nora obliged, quickly rinsing, and then filling her glass with tap water.
Dotty drank noisily. “Blech. Good health tastes nasty.”
Meanwhile, Chad had downed his kombucha without complaint. “I’m sure we’ve met before, Nora.” He handed Nora his empty glass. He had yet to touch his oatmeal.
“What’s important is that we know each other now.” In for a penny, in for a pound. Committed to remaining anonymous while executing her health coaching duties, Nora came around the island and took his spoon from the counter. She filled it with oatmeal and a single blueberry, and then handed it to Chad, careful not to touch his fingers. “I’m here to get your health back on track. Can you tell me more about what led you to a coffee-only diet?”
He didn’t want to. She could see it in the guarded set to his deep blue eyes.
“He’s been putting in too many hours at work.” Dotty was a wealth of information and had a good appetite when it came to oatmeal.
For that, Nora wanted to hug her. “And during your long days at the office, when do you find time to exercise?”
Chad held his spoon mid-air, more watchful of Nora than his oatmeal. “Well, I…”
“Whiskers hasn’t been exercising at all,” Dotty said simply.
“I’ll take it from here, Grandma.” Chad frowned, bringing his searching gaze back to Nora. “I’ve been busy. Granted, I skipped some meals. But I’m taking a personal day today to regroup. I’ll be fine tomorrow. Now’s probably the time to tell you to focus on my grandmother, not me.”
Instead of feeling relief, Nora wanted to shake some sense into him.
“You won’t be fine tomorrow if you don’t eat today.” Nora touched Chad’s forearm, encouraging him to take a bite. It was a mistake to touch him because the attraction between them arced up her arm like a jolt of electricity. She retreated to the other side of the island. “Do you own a car?”
He gave a little headshake, as if confused by her sudden change of subject. “Yes?”
“Your car requires care and maintenance,” Nora argued gently. “Gas or electricity. Fluids. New belts, good tires to keep you safe on the road. Would you agree?”
Chad shook his head again. “As much as I appreciate your metaphors – ”
“You either agree or disagree, Chad.” Nora used her most commanding voice, the one she’d used on her obstinate hospital patients. If he and Dotty fired her, she’d bill them for a few hours and avoid The Ercoli forevermore. “You ran out of gas yesterday and collapsed, true or false?”
Bless her heart, Dotty continued to eat, gaze darting from Nora to Chad and back again.
Bolstered by the impression that she had the upper hand and the fact that Chad had yet to recognize her, Nora pressed her point. “Did you run out of gas yesterday?”
Chad didn’t want to admit to the weakness. His gaze hardened. “Yes, but – ”
“Do you run your car into the ground, too?” Nora adjusted the set of her glasses.
“No, but – ”
“If you did, you’d take it to a specialist, wouldn’t you?” Nora kept at him. Now wasn’t the time to let up.
“Yes, but – ”
“Chad…” Nora waved his protests away. “You can argue all you want but the truth is you drove yourself until you dropped and now you’re in need of a specialist if you want to treat yourself with the same care you’d treat your car.” This was good. Nora had him off-balance. He’d be focused on her as a health coach, not trying to place where they’d met before. “Now, fuel up. Eat your oatmeal. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
“She’s a pip.” Dotty scraped the bottom of her bowl. “This is going to be a gas. Get it?” She nudged Chad with her elbow. “I should stay here with you for the duration of our training this week.” She gasped. “Why don’t we get matching track suits? We’ll be the envy of all my friends. We might even start a trend.”
Chad heaved a sigh before finally eating a spoonful of oatmeal.
Nora took the opportunity to outline her plan. “For the next few days, you’ll both be eating a diet targeted to your needs. We’ll be slowly building your strength with snacking interludes.”