Prologue
766 Words
Prologue
Her energy emanates through before she fully steps into the room.
She’s the reason I’m here tonight. I don’t do a lot of parties anymore now that I have a regular clientele, but something whispered to me that I needed to be here tonight. So when I received the invitation to do readings at this swanky Christmas party on the Upper East Side, I agreed. One never goes against one’s spirit guides.
My gold bracelets clink together when I extend my arms for her to sit in the chair across the table from me.
I slide the tarot cards over as she takes her seat. “Shuffle these and separate them into three piles.”
Her hands shake, her fingers struggling to keep a grasp on the edges of the cards.
“Relax, darling.”
She shoots me a small smile.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Tessa.” She divides the deck into three, and I stack them together to begin the reading.
I dish out the cards in pyramid formation, each one telling me something. It’s clear why the universe put her in my path.
She’s lost.
“You’ve had a hard road. There’s been a lot of loss in your life.”
“Yes,” she says, not elaborating, as if she’s afraid she’ll give me information to use.
“There’s a recent loss that has caused your physical energy to weaken, your aura to dim.”
She nods. “My great-uncle passed away, and there was a guy I was dating, but—”
I raise a hand, shaking my head. “Not a person. Something else. Career?”
She blinks rapidly, finally, she’s starting to believe me. “Um, yeah… I just closed my bakery. Never got it off the ground.”
I bite down my smile, not because I’m happy she’s been dealing with so much, but because I think she’ll believe what I have to say now. Act on it.
“I see the cloud above you that’s been weighing you down, lifting. But you must be open to it and allow your heart to override your mind when warranted. You have trust issues.”
“Doesn’t everyone have them? This is New York City.” She gives me an empathetic smile.
I nod. “A lot, but if you want to find fulfillment and happiness in life, you will have to open yourself.”
I read her cards further. “This man you said you were dating—”
“We weren’t serious.”
“You give up on men easily.”
I close my eyes, trying to picture him. I look to my right, pushing through the fog. An image emerges. He’s just as lost as she is. “I see him now.”
“Who?”
“Your soulmate. Dark hair, his family welcoming you into their home.”
“Um…”
“He helps people.” I squint, his entire being becoming clear. “West coast. He’s headed west. You need to head west, too.”
“But… we were only casual.”
I put up my hand to stop her, the feelings too strong to be interrupted. She’s definitely the reason I’m here tonight, to guide her to listen to her own intuition.
“When you show him how much you care, he’ll admit his own feelings. You both might have some faults, but if you work through them together, you will have everything you’ve dreamed of.”
“Carter?” she says in disbelief.
“I can’t see a name. But this man is your one.” I open my eyes and stare into hers. “Listen to the universe, Tessa. It’s never quiet. Be receptive to what it’s telling you and you’ll find where you belong.”
“Okay, thanks.” She digs out a twenty and pushes it across the red crushed velvet tablecloth. “That was fun,” she says as if we played a carnival game.
I stand from the chair, my last attempt to get her to listen to me. “Tessa,” I call out to her. She turns back. “Don’t ignore the signs. I see you with his family on Christmas. This is your chance. Your happily ever after is waiting, you just have to take the first step. Have faith.”
She gives me a little wave before pushing her way back through the hanging curtain in the doorway. I’m no Santa Claus, but if she listens to me, she’ll receive the best gift one could wish for—true love.
- Writer
