Swink (Landry Family 5)

“That yoga position we saw in the magazine. Where it was like an adult version of airplane?”

My spirits lift, the fog thinning just a bit as the excitement of our plan kicks in. “Yeah. Did you see that, Mallory?”

“I have no idea what you guys are talking about,” she says.

“Come here.” Sienna takes my hand and clears Ford from the middle of the floor. She lays on her back and holds her legs up in the air. I put my hands in hers and her feet go to my belly. She winks. “Ready?”

“Yup.”

She extends her legs and I hop a little, but instead of balancing at the top, I fall over her head and somersault away. “You’re not strong enough, Sienna.”

“I am too. Try it again.”

“You two are ridiculous,” Ford laughs. “Want to try it, Lincoln?”

“Fuck you,” Lincoln says. “You’d drop me on purpose.”

“Language, Lincoln,” Mom warns, leaning her head on Dad’s shoulder.

Sienna gets back in position and I jump, but fall intentionally again. “You’re too weak. Come here, Mal.”

Mallory gets up and joins us on the floor.

“You need to figure this out,” I insist. “They said in the magazine it’s one of the best moves for mental clarity.”

“And soul happiness or something,” Sienna adds, ad-libbing her way through this and earning a glare from me.

“Anyway,” I say, trying to stay on target, “can you envision what we mean?”

“Kind of.”

“Ugh,” I say, trying to hide my smile. “G, get down here. I don’t think I’m strong enough either.”

“I’m not playing yoga games.”

“Oh, but you are,” I tell him, knowing he’ll come. “Mal’s been bragging about you.”

“You are getting so good,” Mallory tells him. She looks surprised when he stands up and takes off his jacket, hanging it on the back of the chair.

“Is G turning into a yogi?” Lincoln teases. “I’ll buy you a mat for Christmas.”

“Stop it,” Dani shushes him. As a response, he takes Ryan from her.

“Lie down,” Sienna tells Graham, pointing to the floor.

Graham lies on his back. “Now what?”

“Put your feet on Mal’s stomach,” I say, moving Mallory so she’s in the right spot. “Now hold hands.”

Graham pushes up and Mallory is horizontal in the air above Graham.

“I haven’t done this since I was a kid,” she exclaims. “I didn’t think about this as yoga.”

The rest of us exchange grins and wait. Graham works one hand free from Mallory’s and slips it in his pocket. Mallory is telling a story about yoga class and isn’t prepared to look down and see a diamond ring nestled in a pretty blue box.

“Oh my God,” she says, forgetting about her story. Her free hand flies to her mouth. She twists on Graham’s feet, but he holds her still. “Graham. What the hell?”

“You’ve come into my life and messed it all up. I mean that,” he says softly, making us laugh. “I can’t find a thing in my kitchen and my calendar is a mess of pink and yellow highlighters. You make me go out of my mind.”