Dr. Clarke heavily endorses Viola working out! He has a gym recommendation, The Cyclone Gym. “This place?” Viola disbelieves pulling into the parking lot.

It’s been years since she has seen an actual gym. Most of her father’s gear is still lost in the sea of boxes, even if it was sectioned off to workout equipment. Memories of him with his friends in the garage are a few happy memories for Viola.

The best option would be flashbacks going inside; what's the worse that could happen?

It is. On the first step inside, the air hits her in the face with the smell of her childhood. Most of the family friends gather in places like this. All of them now have a specialty room.

Her shoulders drop, ‘Not everyone looked like this!’ Everyone currently at the gym is ripped, muscle on muscle, every muscle clearly defines even from a distance.

She smacks her head. ‘Of course. Serious comes early, weekend warrior after normal shifts,’ she recalls as she sighs.

‘But why is everyone jacked!?! The staff I get but all of them. All of them must have been at this for years. Doc is jacked. Those guys at the restaurant. Some many people in this town,’ she recalls as she grips her bag strap.

Voila is slim, she does not look like she is out of shape, but sure everyone here blinks with more muscle than she has in her entire body. Even the women, who are about a third the size of the men but double Viola’s thickness despite being close in height. ‘This IS like one of dad’s places,’ she concedes.

“Wow, your intimidation set in right away, didn’t it?” teases the shaggy blonde man in a pale top behind the counter, also large enough to be a top-heavy football player.

“You could say that,” Viola just plays along as she walks over. “I’m just wondering why this place was recommended to someone like me. All of you seem to be serious lifters and builders. Each one of you seems competition level for building, wrestling, and strongman.”

She looks over everyone. Sure, there is a mix of skin tones but the variety in builds is more amazing to her. Seeing someone bulking for wrestling is different than someone on a circuit for bodybuilding. Each one includes such different requirements it is surprising to see them partnering up.

The blonde smirks at her comment, “You got good eyes. New in town?”

“Yeah. Second week.”

“Cool,” he says still watching her. Most of the women who come to the gym did not show up in t-shirts and baggy pants.

He stands up. “You a regular lifter or a bodybuilder? Wanna sign up? Give me your id and I’ll start the paperwork,” runs out of him quickly with a large smile, eager to get to know the new person but secretly happy for another blonde.

She hands him her license and a card with the new address is written on it. “Used to, back when I was a teen,” Viola mutters.

“So yesterday?” he plays with a grin.

She turns with a smirk, “I see why you’re at the door.” They both chuckle.

“I just need to get back into a routine.”

“Couple days a week or something for starting over Vio…Viowla?” he tries not to massacre her name.

“Just call me Vi. Yeah. A fresh start. We’ll see if it sticks in a month or so before something more permanent, funny front desk man?” playfully teasing for his name.

He smiles, “Mark! Sounds good.” He hands her back her cards and takes out a tablet.

They went over the plans and what was available at the gym. Since she works at home, they go over the hours for public workout times instead of private sessions. He gives her a tour.

“Oh. Here comes a new bunny,” one of the two women loudly bait.

“You going to stay little bunny or scurry back home?” The pair of women start mocking. Both women are wearing sports bras and form-fitting pants with different patterns. They enjoy showing off their abs and arms.

Mark starts to comment. “Oh my goodness you even have goddesses in spandex here!” Viola interjects in her mocking tone.

The women blink.

“Between the latex librarian and the sirens of spandex here I must have missed the ‘sluts’r’us’ in town. Is there any woman in this town not vacuum sealed in something before she leaves home?” she mocks turning to Mark while exaggerating her movements.

Mark laughs.

“Hey! Watch your tone!” the second angrily steps forward.

Her eyes narrow as she smiles, “Be careful kitten even a bunny can bite.”

She turns back to Mark, “You were showing me something?” The first woman smirks as the second grumbles off to her routine. Mark happily leads her around.

After the tour, a quick toss of her bag in the locker, and Viola begins her first session. Her doctor gave her a test routine to do, which she has in a notebook.

During her first session, she catches the women glancing every so often. A few of the men do, but they are not Viola’s immediate concern. Oddly neither of the women look upset anymore. They are happy. They catch her making notes in a notepad.

“Fitness journal? You really are a bunny. Most of us use our phones now,” the initial woman says coming next to Viola. This woman has long dark hair that is pulled back into a ponytail.

“Sure. But I’m old school. Plus, this makes me break the right length,” Viola explains as she returns to writing.

The woman sits next to Viola, “Sure are knowledgeable for a bunny.”

“Curious for a tigress,” Viola says with a smirk and glance noticing the second woman is staying on the other side of her friend.

The ponytail woman smirks. “You got a plan in there bunny or just seeing what you can do?”

“Plan. You?” Viola responds quickly. The tone is much more playful now.

“Our regular routines. You got some spirit in you. It’s going to be fun to see you around,” the ponytail woman playful snickers.

Viola smiles as she realizes the pair must do that to every woman who comes in. It probably has been a while since someone teases back. The playful banter continues as the women relax together.

“Since you're new how about a bet?” the ponytail woman suggests with a smile. “If you make a month, I’ll treat you to lunch.”

“If I don’t, I won’t be here. How would you get anything?”

“I have my ways.”

“That a promise or a threat?” Viola questions with a smirk as she leans over.

The woman’s cheek changes tone as she glances over her shoulder, “Anyway! You fail you pay. You finish I pay.”

“You got a funny way of asking a girl out,” Viola continues teasing as the other woman begins to snicker. “But ok. It’s a bet.”

A month flies by.

Viola begins understanding how the town operates. For such a well-known hospital the town manages to keep a small-town knowledge of each other.

Most know that Mr. Marrigold is renting to someone new before Viola gets introductions, the men at the gym are starting to talk to her more often, and even the people at the stores are eager to meet the newest person in town. Everyone is eager to share their stories and gossip with Mr. Marrigold’s little flower of a tenant that might be caught in a cyclone.

The ladies meet up regularly at the gym but only talk to each other for a little bit each visit before getting to their workouts. It is checking in on each other, what Viola thinks of the town, and one other question- Why did you call me a goddess?

“Well, I could tell you your skin is like brown sugar or another wonderful spice, your hair deeper than coal, and your eyes like honey. Also, I love food so much it is heavenly to me. Or I could stop thinking about food for five minutes and just tell someone they are beautiful,” Viola snickers.

The ponytail woman pats her shoulder while they laugh.

After that, they seem to go quickly from playful banter and wisecracks to worrying when the other is running late. Usually, it is Viola that runs late or comes in winded for some reason she never fully explains. At the end of the month, they finish their workout and go to the Pit together.

“I don’t think we ever did a proper induction: my name’s Viola but everyone calls me Vi,” she says offering up her hand.

“I’m Athena,” the ponytail woman replies as they shake hands.

“You really are a goddess in spandex!” Viola chuckles.

Athena chuckles at the description, “I was surprised you stuck it out, initially. Especially after I heard that cough. What’s up with that?”

Viola glances up and around while thinking over her answer. Finally, she explains that she has a condition that makes it hard to breathe sometimes. After that, she is sick on and off with the doctors working on her ‘chest thing’.

“A lot happened recently so I talked to my doctor. He recommended Cyclone. I wasn’t expecting everyone to be more jacked than he is,” she ends teasing.

Athena finishes her bite, “You know what? Check with your doc but you should hire one of the trainers. The guys are great at keeping the important stuff secret.”

Viola’s eyebrow went up.

“Yeah, they’re a bunch of gossips but not about the big stuff. They’re more than fitness junkies. Really. They really know their stuff. They’ll work with whatever your chest thing is,” she encourages.

“We’ll see,” Viola says going back to her meal. The pair have a fun time chatting while finishing their meal.

Viola takes Athena’s suggestion and checks with Doctor Clarke. The doctor is content with her progress. He writes something fast, puts it in an envelope, and holds it up- "Give this to Cap. Also, the next few months are important. As long as you take it slow and enjoy it. You don't need any stressors right now. IF it hurts you stop immediately."