"Did you see a woman?" I ask. "She's maybe in her sixties. And she has these bright green eyes that can see all the way down to your soul."
"Grace, is everything okay?" My eldest sister, Chloe, makes me look at her. Her eyes are wild as they flick over my face.
I don't know how to explain it to them because I barely understand it myself.
What I had was a dream. I know that logically, but I’ve never had a dream like this one. I remember every single detail, from the flecks of orange on the calico cat's fur to the way she held me with her gaze.
It felt soreal.
But I can't tell my family that. They'd worry about my sanity.
"Sorry," I say, smiling sheepishly. "I just had a weird dream. I can't believe I missed the ending."
Dante accepts it, but my sisters don't. They keep glancing over at me as we join the crowd at the exit. We walk to the parking lot. On the way back, I search for the purple tent, but it’s nowhere to be seen. I look up at the trees. The monkeys are watching me, like they're the only ones who know.
"What was the dream about?" Chloe asks, linking her arm through mine. She leans in conspiratorially, making her blonde waves fall on my shoulder.
"It was a silly one," I whisper.
“I still want to hear about it,” she says.
"I was given a tarot reading by someone," I say.
I still remember every word that woman said to me. And even though I never believed in that kind of stuff, I can't shake the feeling that I'm about to be tested.
"She pulled three cards," I tell my sister. "And when she spoke, it felt like she knew everything about me. She knew every weakness I ever had. She knew all of my insecurities. And she made it sound like she knew what my future held, too."
"How did you feel after she gave you the reading?" my sister asks.
"It was a little overwhelming," I confess. "But it was also reassuring."
"Maybe it's your subconscious mind trying to guide you," she says.
"Maybe," I say, but it's a lie.
It was real. It makes no sense, but the conversation I had with the red-haired woman wasreal. She said that we'd meet again soon.
I know in my bones that I'll see her again.
Her words haunt my head like a twisted lullaby.
Old things must die to make space for the new.
37
DANTE
Itake Grace's hand in mine.
She blinks and glances up at me. She’s been lost in thought for most of the evening. And even though she's looking at me now, I can tell she has a lot on her mind.
We just had dinner at a cliffside restaurant that serves authentic Balinese cuisine. Nico is now poring over the dessert menu.
I lean in to whisper in Grace's ear.
"Everything okay, little bird?" I ask.
She nods, but her eyes still look troubled.
