“Okay, Ms. Skeptic. Let’s see if I can make a believer out of you.”
The woman smiled, and it brightened her whole face. “I’m ready.”
“So the first thing to keep in mind about astrology is that it’s an ancient science. People were making predictions about personality based on the position of the planets when someone was born as far back as ancient Greece. Even further, I think.”
The woman’s eyebrows rose. “The ancient Greeks also believed that thunder was a result of angering the gods.”
“Yes, but ... think of it in terms of magnetism, like the way things turn toward the north and south poles and how the pull of the moon’s gravity creates the ocean’s tides. Is it so far-fetched to think there are greater forces in the universe that affect us, forces that shift and change based on the movement of the planets and other celestial bodies?”
There was something else in her eyes now, a spark of what might be interest. “Go on.”
“There have been a lot of studies on the personality traits of people born to the different signs, and while it might not be based in the kindof science you’re looking for, it does have some merit. And perhaps most importantly, it’s just plain fun.”
The woman’s lips quirked. “NowthatI can believe.”
“I don’t treat it as an exact science, but I look forward to my daily horoscope because often it helps me see meaning in what’s happening in my life,” Charlotte told her. “I use it as a motivational push, you know? Like today, my horoscope said it’s a good day to make a new connection, and maybe that’s why I struck up a conversation with you. If you use it as an excuse to push yourself out of your comfort zone, I can’t see any downside.”
“I suppose I could agree with that,” her seatmate said, glancing out the window.
“So did I convince you?”
The woman turned her head, and their eyes locked. “I don’t know yet, but I’m at least thinking about it, which is more than I ever thought I’d say about astrology.”
Charlotte fist pumped the air. “Yes! And you’re following your horoscope by keeping an open mind.”
“That I am.” She looked out the window again. They had entered the financial district, tall buildings on either side of the street, people in business attire hurrying down the sidewalks. “It feels almost ...”
Charlotte waited a few seconds, curious what her seatmate had been about to say. “Almost what?”
“Well, I’ve been wanting to let my true personality shine—for lack of better words—so when you read that to me, it felt rather prophetic.”
“Wow. Really?”
“Yeah.” The woman looked down at her hands. “I don’t believe in signs, but ...”
“This certainly feels like one.”
They smiled at each other, and that felt like a sign too. Of what, Charlotte wasn’t sure. But ... something. She was making the connection her horoscope called for, and this woman was taking a leap offaith. It was all so much deeper than Charlotte had expected when she boarded the bus thirty minutes ago.
In fact—
“Oh, this is me.” Her seatmate stood, and Charlotte realized the bus had stopped. The doors slid open as a handful of people lined up to get off.
Charlotte stood automatically, moving into the aisle so the woman could exit.
“It was really nice to meet you,” the woman said, and then she was stepping past Charlotte into the aisle. She joined the other people exiting the bus, gone almost before Charlotte registered that their conversation had ended.
She wished ... well, she wished she had at least gotten the woman’s name. Maybe they could have followed each other on Instagram or something. This was the problem she sometimes had when she started conversations with random people. She’d meet someone she’d like to keep in touch with, and while she did occasionally exchange names or social media handles with them, most times the connection ended just like this one.
Somehow, this moment, this connection had felt like ... more.
Charlotte often felt adrift in her life, always making these fleeting connections. She sought new experiences, new dating apps, new coffee shops, sometimes even new cities in search of ... well, she’d know when she found it, hopefully.
She slid into the seat the woman had just vacated and glanced out the window, watching her former seatmate cross the street. She was taller than Charlotte had realized, and there was an elegance to the way she moved. As Charlotte watched, the woman turned her head, looking back in Charlotte’s direction.
The bus’s horn sounded suddenly, long and loud. Charlotte jumped, glancing at the driver. What the hell? Someone screamed, and Charlotte looked back out the window just in time to see a blackSUV speed past the bus and slam into several pedestrians who had been crossing the street.Oh god.
The woman Charlotte had just shared a conversation with lay crumpled on the slushy pavement. Another woman was on her hands and knees beside her. It happened so fast that it hardly felt real. Charlotte’s chest began to burn, and she realized she’d stopped breathing. A prickly feeling crawled over her skin, and for a moment, she thought she was going to be sick.
