Everyone seemed determined to ask.
“A little.”
“What?”
“Wrestling.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“In school?”
“Yes.”
“High school?”
“And college.”
“Division?”
Naomi answered:
“Two.”
Ryan smiled.
“Nice.”
Then:
“You still train?”
“Not much.”
He looked toward Elena.
“Need another body for the demonstration?”
Naomi shook her head.
“No.”
Ryan looked back.
“Come on.”
“I’m watching my sister.”
Mia immediately betrayed her.
“I’m good.”
Naomi glared.
Mia smiled.
Elena said:
“She said no.”
Good.
Ryan held up both hands.
“All right.”
The class ended.
Mia came off the mat sweaty and thrilled.
“I love it.”
Naomi smiled.
“I noticed.”
“Can I stay for the next one?”
“You’re not in advanced no-gi.”
“I want to watch.”
Naomi checked the time.
Their mother was working late.
“Fine.”
They stayed.
That was mistake number one.
Mistake number two belonged to Ryan.
The advanced class began with wrestling entries.
Naomi watched from the chairs.
Ryan taught.
Again, technically excellent.
But he had a habit.
When demonstrations went smoothly, he was patient.
When a student did something he did not expect, Ryan became sharper.
A purple belt named Jonah failed to react correctly.
Ryan said:
“Come on, man.”
“You’ve done this a thousand times.”
Jonah tried again.
Failed.
Students laughed.
Ryan smiled.
“Apparently a thousand and one.”
Jonah smiled too.
But Naomi noticed the shoulders.
Embarrassment.
Later Ryan paired a large blue belt with a woman named Kara.
Kara was maybe five-foot-six.
Experienced.
Ryan told the larger man:
“Don’t baby her.”
Kara looked at him.
“I didn’t ask him to.”
Ryan laughed.
“Exactly.”
The round started.
Nothing unsafe.
Still, Naomi noticed the wording.
Don’t baby her.
As though the only alternatives were disrespectfully gentle or aggressively hard.
Good training required something more precise.
Match the person.
Match the purpose.
Mia whispered:
“You’re doing the face.”
“What face?”
“The coaching face.”
“I’m sitting.”
“You can coach while sitting.”
Naomi rolled her eyes.
“Watch class.”
Near the end, Elena returned from the office.
Ryan announced a demonstration.
“Let’s show what happens when somebody thinks wrestling alone solves everything.”
A few students laughed.
Naomi knew immediately.
No.
Ryan looked toward her.
“College wrestler.”
“Come here.”
Naomi shook her head.
“No.”
“Technical.”
“No.”
Mia looked at her.
Not pushing.
Good.
Elena said:
“Ryan.”
He smiled.
“I’m kidding.”
Then looked toward Naomi again.
“You’re safe.”
Naomi’s expression changed.
“I didn’t say I was afraid.”
Ryan paused.
The room heard.
He smiled again.
“Then come on.”
Elena stepped closer.