palm and tarot reader and kept the name. We’d been friends since she’d come to Duck from New Orleans a few years back. I’d gone to her, hoping she could help me contact my dead mother since she was also a medium. There was no luck on that front, but she’d been a good listener.
“I’m going to get back to the museum and see if I can help them finish up.” Kevin got to his feet.
My heart said, No! Please stay! But my mouth said, “Thanks for giving me a ride over here. I’ll see you later.”
He smiled, hesitated as though wanting to say something else, but then said good-bye and left the shop. As usual, there seemed to be more left unsaid between us.
“I’m glad he’s gone.” Shayla let out a deep sigh. “The air was so thick in here. It’s that tension between him and me when we get together. There are too many unresolved issues between us, but until he takes a better look at it, there’s no helping him.”
Shayla was a wonderful medium, but sometimes she could be a little thick.
“I’m glad you’re here. A lot has happened.” I swallowed my disappointment that Kevin was gone. It was probably for the best anyway, like Gramps always said.
“Let me make some tea,” she interrupted before I got started. “Do you want something?”
I told her everything, and she listened while she buffed her nails and drank her tea. When I was finished, she shook her head. “No wonder you’re such a mess! You should’ve come to me right away. You need your energies balanced. It’s a good thing I stopped by.”
She took my hands before I could stop her. There was nothing to it. She closed her eyes and advised me to do the same. I drifted into that special spot where I could see if someone has lost something. I saw Shayla’s gold charm bracelet behind her desk and smiled.
My ability to find missing items through simple human contact was still part of me. My new gift seemed confined to my getting information from inanimate objects when I touched them. How these things could have such exacting specifications was beyond me. Maybe later when I understood the new ability better, it would make more sense.
“There now!” Shayla raised her head, opened her dark eyes and smiled. “How do you feel?”
“Better. Thanks.” I was able to answer honestly. “And I know where your lost bracelet is.”
“I guess you can still find things then. I’ve been looking for that since last Sunday.”
“You should’ve asked me.”
“I should’ve. It would’ve saved me from tearing my place apart. That bracelet belonged to my grandmother. And you knew where it was all the time.”
“We always seem to help each other.”
“I’m glad I could help out.” She stared hard at me. “Your color is a little better, but your chakra still needs some work. Let’s schedule another session at my place tomorrow. I’m gonna have to charge you for this one, Dae. A girl has to pay the rent, you know.”
That was Shayla. I smiled as she put the appointment into her BlackBerry. She glanced up at me. “So, what exactly did Kevin say about me while you all were talking?”
“He didn’t mention you,” I answered, hoping it wouldn’t hurt her feelings.
“See? That’s what I’m talking about. The man can’t stand himself without me. I have to wonder how long he can take the torture.” She sighed, said she’d see me later and click-clacked out of Missing Pieces on her high-heeled sandals.
When the door closed behind her and I was alone, I was scared. I hadn’t been scared like this in a long time. Everyone in Duck pretty much knew and accepted that I could help them find things by touching them. It wasn’t a secret. I’d been doing it since I was a child.
This new talent was something else. I knew Kevin was right. I had to conquer it or at least get it under some kind of control. I couldn’t go around the rest of my life almost fainting every time I touched a high-energy item like the coin. The manufacturing and
“I’m going to get back to the museum and see if I can help them finish up.” Kevin got to his feet.
My heart said, No! Please stay! But my mouth said, “Thanks for giving me a ride over here. I’ll see you later.”
He smiled, hesitated as though wanting to say something else, but then said good-bye and left the shop. As usual, there seemed to be more left unsaid between us.
“I’m glad he’s gone.” Shayla let out a deep sigh. “The air was so thick in here. It’s that tension between him and me when we get together. There are too many unresolved issues between us, but until he takes a better look at it, there’s no helping him.”
Shayla was a wonderful medium, but sometimes she could be a little thick.
“I’m glad you’re here. A lot has happened.” I swallowed my disappointment that Kevin was gone. It was probably for the best anyway, like Gramps always said.
“Let me make some tea,” she interrupted before I got started. “Do you want something?”
I told her everything, and she listened while she buffed her nails and drank her tea. When I was finished, she shook her head. “No wonder you’re such a mess! You should’ve come to me right away. You need your energies balanced. It’s a good thing I stopped by.”
She took my hands before I could stop her. There was nothing to it. She closed her eyes and advised me to do the same. I drifted into that special spot where I could see if someone has lost something. I saw Shayla’s gold charm bracelet behind her desk and smiled.
My ability to find missing items through simple human contact was still part of me. My new gift seemed confined to my getting information from inanimate objects when I touched them. How these things could have such exacting specifications was beyond me. Maybe later when I understood the new ability better, it would make more sense.
“There now!” Shayla raised her head, opened her dark eyes and smiled. “How do you feel?”
“Better. Thanks.” I was able to answer honestly. “And I know where your lost bracelet is.”
“I guess you can still find things then. I’ve been looking for that since last Sunday.”
“You should’ve asked me.”
“I should’ve. It would’ve saved me from tearing my place apart. That bracelet belonged to my grandmother. And you knew where it was all the time.”
“We always seem to help each other.”
“I’m glad I could help out.” She stared hard at me. “Your color is a little better, but your chakra still needs some work. Let’s schedule another session at my place tomorrow. I’m gonna have to charge you for this one, Dae. A girl has to pay the rent, you know.”
That was Shayla. I smiled as she put the appointment into her BlackBerry. She glanced up at me. “So, what exactly did Kevin say about me while you all were talking?”
“He didn’t mention you,” I answered, hoping it wouldn’t hurt her feelings.
“See? That’s what I’m talking about. The man can’t stand himself without me. I have to wonder how long he can take the torture.” She sighed, said she’d see me later and click-clacked out of Missing Pieces on her high-heeled sandals.
When the door closed behind her and I was alone, I was scared. I hadn’t been scared like this in a long time. Everyone in Duck pretty much knew and accepted that I could help them find things by touching them. It wasn’t a secret. I’d been doing it since I was a child.
This new talent was something else. I knew Kevin was right. I had to conquer it or at least get it under some kind of control. I couldn’t go around the rest of my life almost fainting every time I touched a high-energy item like the coin. The manufacturing and
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