Page 55 of Old Flames

“Correct.”

Vicky laughed. “She’ll probably never show up there!”

“You two haven’t experienced anything?” Ayesha asked, alarmed. “Nothing strange or suspicious? Please don’t say I’m the only one.”

“I’m having recurring dreams about my grandmother,” Vicky admitted. “I’ve been reluctant to call them anything else, but they’re so vivid, it feels more like hallucinations. We’re back at her apartment, sitting at her table with coffee, and she’s agitated. At first, I thought she was warning me against Matty, but now I’m not sure. It’s more like she’s reminding me of everything she ever taught me. Like she’s running out of time. I’m going to see her the second we get back.”

Ayesha reached out and squeezed her arm. “I’m so sorry you’re going through that. How about you, Jules?”

Jules’s fingers tightened on the smoky quartz in her hand. “Same as Vicky,” she said. “Except it’s my mother.”

“My God,” Ayesha said. “At least Aurora has the good sense to stay out of my family trauma. I would have rebuked her in the name of the Lord!”

“The thing is, if she came knocking at three in the morning, I’d have no idea,” Vicky said. “Matty and I stay up talking. By that time, we’re deep in some philosophical debates.”

“Is that it?” Ayesha asked. “Heated debates?”

“That’s it,” Vicky replied. “And it’s good, I can’t even tell you. He’s so sharp! We’re getting to know each other well. But of course, we’re making out like teenagers.”

“I would hope so,” Ayesha said. “How about you, Jules? Any progress with Leo at all?”

“Looks like you’re regressing, to be honest,” Vicky said. “What’s going on?”

Jules withered under the spotlight. “Leo is great. No denying it. But I don’t think he likes me as much as he wants to rescue me. He has a savior complex and can’t help treating me like a damsel in distress.”

“Or maybe he’s protective of you because he cares.”

That was the sort of statement Jules might expect from Ayesha, not Vicky. But there she was, a rose crystal in hand, advocating on behalf of the lonesome knight.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Vicky is right,” Ayesha said. “What is a damsel in distress if not a perfectly capable woman in need of some assistance who’s smart enough to accept it when offered?”

“Want to know what I think?” Vicky asked.

In Jules’s experience, nothing ever worth knowing followed that statement. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, too bad!” Vicky retorted. “I think you hate how much you like him.”

“Let’s not pressure her,” Ayesha said. Her tone was fair and balanced, though she was clearly on Vicky’s side. “She’s exercising discernment and that is admirable, too. Both of you show exceptional growth. I’m proud.”

“You can’t have it both ways,” Jules said, grateful they’d eased up on her. “Either we’re childish and immature or we’re learning and growing. Which is it?”

“As a mother of two,” Ayesha said, “I assure you both things can be true.”

They each grabbed a chunk of smoky quartz, a gorgeous amethyst as a gift for Daphne, and other pretty stones to take home as souvenirs. The teenage girl at the register offered a deal on in-depth palm reading. “Twenty dollars. Today only.”

“Discounted from what?” Ayesha asked.

“Twenty-five,” the girl snapped. “I’m worth it.”

“Can you do quick?” Vicky asked. “We don’t have time for anything in depth.”

“I can do quick,” the girl said. “I’m Mallory, by the way.”

“Like the square?” Vicky asked.

“Don’t,” Mallory pleaded. “Who goes first?”

“You two go ahead,” Ayesha said, stepping away from the register with her shopping bag hanging from her wrist. “I’ve gone as far as I can go.”