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“So, you are going through a major life change,” the reader said to Kyle as she turned over the cards.

“Yeah,” Kyle replied and then looked up at Melinda in surprise.

Melinda just smiled at how cute her girlfriend was being and pushed the thoughts of her impending departure out of her mind.

“And you’re going to be making some difficult decisions soon.”

“Yes,” Kyle said, sounding shocked.

Melinda chuckled and rubbed the back of Kyle’s neck.

“You’re worried you might make the wrong one.”

“I am,” Kyle said.

The reader asked Kyle to cut the deck again, which Kyledid. She drew a card from the top and stared at it for a long while. Then, she looked up at Melinda questioningly. Melinda wasn’t sure what that glance meant, but she remained quiet.

“This is good,” the reader said.

“What is?” Kyle asked.

“This.” The woman pointed at Melinda while staring at the card. “This is good.”

Melinda looked down when Kyle looked back at her. Both of them seemed confused.

“You will be very happy. You’re not married?”

“Huh?” Kyle said, turning back to the reader. “We just started dating.”

The reader nodded, turned another card, and said, “Yes. And it’s good. This is good for both of you.” She turned another card over. “Ah, and children.”

“Sorry. What?” Melinda asked, leaning down now.

“There will be children. Not now, obviously, but later.”

“Children?” Melinda said.

“You mean kids?” Kyle asked. “For us?” She pointed her finger up at Melinda.

“Yes.” The reader looked back up at Melinda. “And you need to trust that it will all be all right, okay? Patience.”

“Hey, this isn’tmyreading. And Iampatient,” Melinda argued, wondering how she’d gotten pulled into this whole thing.

“You are tied together,” the reader replied simply, looking down at the cards that she seemed to find some meaning in as if they were a code that only she could break before she looked back up at Kyle. “You must trust yourself. What you are thinking is the right decision to make.”

“Trust myself? With her?”

“You already trust yourself with Melinda.” The reader looked up to meet Melinda’s eyes. “I mean, trust yourself with your mother.”

Melinda’s eyes had to widen at that. She hadn’t ever put much stock in this tourist palm-and-tarot reading stuff that happened nightly in the Square, but there was no way thiswoman could know her name. She hadn’t introduced herself, and as much as Melinda joked about knowing everyone in the city, she’d never seen this woman before in her life. There was also no way she’d know about Kyle’s mother and what was going on there.

“Trust yourself,” the reader repeated. “And when you’re ready about the other decision, you’ll know. Trust yourself there, too.”

“The other decision?” Melinda asked. “Are you talking about kids again?”

“No.” The woman shook her head and glared at Kyle.

“Okay,” Kyle said. “Um…” She pulled cash out of her wallet and tossed it on the table. “With my mother? Really? Just trust myself?”