I felt the need to say something. “With all due respect, how is she supposed to believe that any of this holds significance? I mean, everything you just said is very generic.”
Zara narrowed her eyes at me. “I am merely reading what I am seeing. The cards are meant to act as visual cues to help me understand the energy surrounding her. I can’t help that the information seems generic to you. I’m the messenger, and she needs to figure out how it applies to her.”
“So you can’t tell me anything more about this…conflict?” Maddie asked.
Closing her eyes, Zara took Maddie’s hands. “Listen…there’s someone you know...who’s not who you think he is.”
A look of alarm crossed Maddie’s face. “What?”
“His name begins with M.” Zara closed her eyes again and paused. “I’m getting the name Matthew or something similar sounding.”
I gulped.
She said Matthew—not Matteo. Relax.
Then Maddie took things in a whole different direction when she announced, “Well, my father’s name is Matthew. Is something going on with him?”
No, no, it isn’t, Maddie. Because Zara’s probably referring to me.
“I’m not getting a father energy. But if your father is Matthew, then perhaps this complication could pertain to him.”
I wasn’t about to offer up that Zara could have been warning Maddie about me. First off, I had no clue what “not who you think he is” even meant. The Matthew thing could’ve been a coincidence, too. The bottom line was that Maddie and I hadn’t exchanged our real names, and it would’ve been really fucking weird to suddenly announce mine under these circumstances. So I was going to stick with my gut. And it was telling me to shut up and not interfere in this crazy shit.
“The future is not always written,” Zara said. “It’s fluid and can be changed based on the decisions you make. So just be forewarned when it comes to Matthew. I’m sorry. I’m not seeing anything else that can guide you in this area.”
Maddie looked tormented. “Okay. I will.” She turned to me and whispered, “I think I’ll call my dad soon, maybe remind him to go for his physical if he hasn’t already.”
I nodded. “Good idea. Can’t hurt.”
“Watch out for the birds,” Zara added.
Maddie squinted. “The birds?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t be sure. I just received a visual cue that prompted me to warn you. I can’t always know what the messages mean, just that they are there and seem to be meant for you.”
She sighed. “So, Matthew and birds. Great. Okay.”
Zara suddenly placed her hands on her temples. “Okay…this is unusual.”
Maddie looked alarmed. “What?”
I was starting to regret bringing her in here.
“Someone is coming through. This doesn’t always happen, but it’s happening now. Now that she’s here, I likely won’t be able to get rid of her.”
Maddie glanced over at me, then back at Zara. “Someone? Coming through? What does that mean?”
“I’m clairvoyant as well. I don’t sell those services, as I typically don’t enjoy being a mediator for the dead. But occasionally a spirit can be pesky. This girl is definitely pesky—and loud.” She paused for a long time. “She wants the man to know that when he was singing the other night, she was with him.”
I got chills. My eyes, which had been focused on the cards still strewn about the table, flew up to meet Zara’s stare.
I froze.
It can’t be. I wanted it so badly...but it couldn’t be her.
“Is there a Z name that means something to you?” she asked.
Holy shit.
“Yes,” I answered.
She nodded. “Yeah. She’s showing me a Z.” Zara closed her eyes. “And David Bowie.” She laughed. “Why is she showing me David Bowie?”
Z
Bowie.
Zoe.
“Because her name is Zoe,” I said softly.
Maddie’s mouth dropped.
“She’s also showing me lots of snow. Does that have meaning to you?”
Speechless, I nodded. My heart began to pound faster.
Maddie placed her hand on my knee. I couldn’t see her face because my eyes were still on Zara. I waited with bated breath to see what she would come out with next.
Zara cocked her head to the side. “Did she die in a ski accident?”
I let out a long, shaky breath. “Yes.”
“She says you suspect this already, but she wants to confirm that she wasn’t in any pain when it happened—not even for a split second.”
Relief coursed through my veins. That’s what I’d always figured, but I appreciated that confirmation.
Then, to my shock, Zara started to cry.
She wiped tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry. I hate when this happens. But sometimes a spirit makes me cry when they get emotional. Their feelings manifest through me. This is why I don’t like doing this.”
A tear fell down my cheek. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d let that happen, especially in front of people. But I couldn’t help it. If this was Zoe coming through—and it seemed it was—it was the most amazing thing I’d ever experienced. My emotions were all over the place: happy and sad, relieved and scared, all at once.