No Tomorrow

“Do you need my name and birthdate?” Ditra asks.

Loretta smiles. “No, that’s not necessary for a reading.”

We both watch quietly as Loretta rubs her thumbs against Ditra’s palms. The psychic closes her eyes, exposing bright blue and purple-covered eyelids.

“You work with your hands,” Loretta says.

Don’t we all, really? We can’t do much of anything without using our hands.

“I do,” Dee confirms.

“You’ve recently settled down. I see love for the first time.”

“True.”

“I see many changes coming for you. A wedding.”

“Mine?” Ditra practically yells.

Loretta smiles. “Yes. Yours. You will not wear white.”

“There’s a shocker,” I tease, which gets me a quick glare from Loretta.

“Sorry,” I whisper.

“A child will be coming into your life. Soon.”

“Nope, not me, sistah,” Ditra says. “We have no plans to have children.”

“I didn’t say it was yours,” Loretta clarifies, and Ditra’s mouth falls open.

“Well then, whose is it?” Ditra asks.

“I cannot say, love. But it will change your life.”

“That’s an understatement. What else do you see? I’m marrying Billy, right?”

“I cannot see names or faces. But if he is your true love, then yes.”

“Good. He is.”

“Someone is watching over you. An older man with dark glasses. He loves you very much.”

“My grandfather!”

Loretta nods. “He says to be patient. Be open with your heart.”

“Oh my God, that is so him!”

“Your sister will need your support soon. You will have to put your feelings aside to be there for her.”

Aha! Fail! Ditra is an only child.

“I don’t have a sister,” Dee says.

Loretta opens her eyes. “She is sitting right next to you. Sisters come in many forms.”

Shit. What the hell will I need support with?

“Wait,” I say. “What’s going to happen to me?”

Dee touches my arm. “We’re sisters. I’ll be there for you no matter what.”

“We will get to you,” Loretta says.

“Let’s do her now! I’m happy with my reading. Thank you so much,” Ditra says, pulling her hands from Loretta’s.

“Give me your hands, love.” Loretta reaches for me, but I’m not sure I want to do this now. My heart is pounding, my palms are clammy, and I still feel stuck in sneeze limbo.

“I don’t know….” I stammer.

Ditra rubs my arm. “Piper, don’t be scared. You’ll be fine.”

Reluctantly, I put my hands in Loretta’s. Warm energy flows up my arms and into my chest.

“You have been waiting a long time,” the psychic says. “For love and happiness.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Ditra exclaims.

“Shhh…” I hush her.

“You have a very warm heart.”

“Thank you.”

“You have been on a journey. Finding yourself. Finding that person you love.”

I nod.

“You have found him, but he has not found himself.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

“He is shrouded, his thoughts are not always his own. You must be patient with him.”

“I am. I always have been.”

“I see a family. With you and him. But he will not be a father.”

My heart sinks. “What does that mean?”

“There are many turns coming. Many decisions will have to be made. I see traveling, fun, and fortune. I see keys, and rings. There is a house of books and feathers.”

My mind spins. “Keys? Like house keys?”

“Perhaps,” she replies. “There will be illness. I see a dark cloud of death looming. It is not good.”

I yank my hands from hers. “I don’t want to hear anymore,” I say, near tears. “This is ridiculous.”

“She’s not dying, right?” Ditra demands. “Tell her she’s okay.”

Loretta shakes her head somberly. “We all die in different ways. We are all okay in different ways.”

I stand up, almost knocking my chair backwards into a bookcase full of more candles and statues of angels and devils. “This is bullshit. Let’s go, Dee.”

“I’m sorry,” Dee apologizes. “Piper gets emotional.”

Loretta nods, nonplussed. “Some things are hard to hear. I am not here to lie. I do have one more thing to tell you.”

“Oh, great,” I say sarcastically.

“There is a brown dog here with you. He is showing me a black and white toy, bringing it to your bed.”

That sends me over the edge. Bursting into tears, I grab Ditra’s hand and drag her out of the old house. The cold air hits like a wall and I breathe it in deeply, hoping it will cleanse me of all the bad things going through my mind.

“Oh my God, Dee. What the fuck was that?” I ask when we get to the sidewalk. “Do you think I’m dying? Do you think I’m sick?”

“Honey, no. She’s just a crazy old lady. This is for entertainment. That’s all. It’s not real.”

“Really? She mentioned Acorn! And his penguin!”

“She could have been guessing. Most people have had dogs at one point in their lives, or a relative or friend has one. It’s not specific enough.”

“I don’t know…” I say swiping my fingers at the mascara burning my eyes and running down my cheeks. “That was creepy as hell. I’m shaking!”

“Piper, she said I was having a kid. How far-fetched is that? You know me. I will never have a baby.”