Carl slumped onto his worn-out couch, the glow of his phone screen casting shadows across his furrowed brow. Another swipe, another rejection. The dating apps were a wasteland of ghosted conversations and profiles that led nowhere. His shoulders ached with tension, his jaw tight from grinding his teeth. He tossed the phone aside, muttering, "This is hopeless."

Melody, his best friend since college, poked her head into his apartment, her corn-yellow sports bra and leggings vibrant against the dull gray of his living room. "Carl, you look like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders. You need to chill. Come do yoga with me---it’ll melt that stress away."

"Yoga?" Carl scoffed, glancing down at his graphic T-shirt emblazoned with a faded band logo and his navy jogging shorts. "I’ve never done that stuff. I’ll probably fall on my face."

Melody grinned, undeterred. "Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through every step. Trust me, it’s transformative." Her eyes sparkled with something Carl couldn’t quite place, but he was too tired to question it.