The Embrace of Evergreen (Unexpected Love #2)

Chapter 13 - EthanBlueEthan

Chapter 13

Ethan

“Well, what did you think? Did you like tonight’s silks routine better than last night’s? Of course you did, right? I don’t know why I agreed to do the routine that Charlize picked yesterday and mine today. Okay, that’s not true. I’m a nice guy, so of course I wanted it to be fair, even though clearly the crowd loved all of the drops I worked in tonight. I mean, there’s nothing like watching the hot guy fake falling to his death to psych people up, right?”

Gabriel’s adrenaline-fueled rambling doesn’t leave a lot of space for response other than the occasional “Yep” or “Mmhmm,” and the smile Blue keeps shooting me as the three of us wander through the pop-up market stalls says that he’s getting as big a kick out if it as I am, even though it’s been going on for no less than a half hour at this point. Gabriel’s performance partner, Charlize, has to work at seven a.m. tomorrow - which is such an ungodly hour I’d likely choose to have my power disconnected for nonpayment rather than stay in a job that requires that - so as soon as the show was over, she’d hugged us and said her goodbyes to head back downtown. While the three of us have work tomorrow as well, we all managed to arrange afternoon start times, so we decided to wander through the crowded arts tents and enjoy the second night of fireworks before packing up and heading out to catch the last ferry of the night.

“How about this one?” Blue interrupts Gabriel’s monologue about his awesomeness to point out a small handmade wooden ship in a bottle.

“Guyyyyss, you aren’t even listening to me.” I honestly didn’t know it was possible for a grown man to sulk the way Gabriel does.

Blue turns and takes both of Gabriel’s cheeks in his hands. “You absolutely know that I find your talent completely astonishing, that I am in awe of you daily, and that, of course, your routine was the more vibrant of the two. That’s just who you are. You’ve also known Ethan for as long as I have, and I think you know that if you and I don’t find an absolutely perfect souvenir for him to remember his first weekend at one of your festivals, then he isn’t going to buy anything, and that would be a tragedy, wouldn’t it?”

“The only thing I really want is the ca…”

Blue cuts me off with a glare. “We can share custody of the cape, but you need something of your own, and we need Gabriel’s input to help us find the best thing here, right?”

“Oh, ya, definitely.” I play along with the attempt to get Gabriel to change the subject. I’ve known him long enough now to realize that his rambling isn’t a form of bragging, nor is he insecure about his truly amazing talent for performance. He’s simply happy and burning off extra energy like an apartment-dwelling Great Dane who’s been taken to the park to run around chasing sticks.

“I know what you guys are doing.” Gabriel readjusts his bright-pink scarf with a dramatic swoosh over his shoulder. “But I don’t care because I know you love me and think I’m the best, and we all know that of the three of us, I’m definitely the best shopper.”

Gabriel steps out of Blue’s hold and slips his arm around mine, linking our elbows, and I’m surprised to find that even though I don’t automatically welcome his touch like I’ve come to do with Blue, I don’t mind it.

“Ooo, what about this?” He instantly drags me over to a stall with small oceanic watercolor paintings.

“They’re very nice, but I’m not really a watercolor guy, I don’t think.”

“No?” Even though it’s just one word, Blue’s tone is obviously curious .

“I tend to like…umm…darker art. I’m not sure that makes sense. It’s not that the colors need to be darker or anything, it’s just that I guess I like harsher lines or something; they just feel more like me somehow. That sounds stupid, I guess.”

“Not at all, sweetness.” Gabriel draws me further down the street as Blue trails close behind us. “Art just sort of chooses us, I think, so what speaks to you is what speaks to you. You shouldn’t worry about what other people think so much. We’re never going to judge you, and anyone who does can just fudge right off.”

My snicker at his swearing is cut short by a woman’s voice coming from the stall we’ve just passed.

“Wait. Please.”

The voice is an unusual combination of gentle and commanding, and almost without thought, the three of us pause and backtrack a few steps to find ourselves standing in front of a single woman seated behind a table that holds nothing more than a golden tablecloth and several stacks of tarot cards. There is nothing remarkably striking or extraordinary about her. She’s probably in her late fifties or early sixties with long brown hair that’s peppered with bright-white strands, and yet, she seems out of place amidst the loud bustle of artists and food carts and tourists. Her clothing is loose and flowing, and I can’t tell whether she’s wearing a robe or a dress or a shawl or even some random compilation of brightly colored scarves, but she feels almost otherworldly, like she belongs out of time and space or in some other universe completely.

“Let me read your cards.”

“No, thanks. I’m sure you’re a lovely person just trying to make a living, but none of us have money to waste on nonsense like that.” Gabriel’s tone is sharper than it usually is. “No offense,” he adds hastily, though he doesn’t really sound like he cares whether or not he’s offended her.

She laughs. A lilting, musical sound that seems to lift into the breeze and carry for longer than expected. “No charge. Consider it a gift of appreciation for the most creative use of one of my tapestries I’ve ever seen. I may just have to get a mannequin for the shop so I can showcase their versatility.”

Blue chuckles, turning from side to side to model his creative fashion sense. “Right? I mean, it’s clearly the best use for them.”

I snort out a laugh, and before I can decide how to respond to her offer, Blue decides for us.

“Okay, why not? You can tell me my future in exchange for my awesome tapestry sales strategies.”

She gestures to the single chair on our side of the table, and Blue gracefully slides into place as she chooses a deck, shuffles the cards, and fans them out .

“Choose one card.”

Blue points to one near the end, and she flips it over and lays it in front of him almost reverently.

“The Star.” While her voice is calm and quiet, there is something about it that demands attention, and I find myself leaning further over Blue’s shoulder to listen.

“The Star is an omen of faith and hope. Your path has been a difficult one, and The Star marks the end of a period of hurt and confusion. Your past challenges have caused you to question yourself, but The Star asks you to believe in yourself and your gifts and in the future fate has laid out for you. It is the beginning of a peaceful, loving phase of life in which you’ll find stability, understanding, and deep personal connections with those you love. Though you struggle to accept it, your heart is filled with hope. It’s a small tentative thing right now, but if you nurture it, you’ll find that what you secretly dream of is actually right in front of you.”

Blue is silent for a long, weighted moment. We all are. I’m waiting for Gabriel to make a joke since he apparently has some weird issue with tarot reading, but he’s as quiet as the rest of us. When Blue finally speaks, his voice trembles, and his words are so quiet I can barely make them out.

“Hope is dangerous.”

My heart nearly cracks in half. I don’t know what lurks in Blue’s past, but I know it’s nothing good. In this moment, it’s clear just how strongly whatever happened to him has shaped the man I know. Despite all of my losses, all of my pain and grief and longing, I’ve never given up hope. For me, to lose hope would be to lose everything.

She nods softly, her expression tender and serious. “It can be, and it can be hard to open yourself back up to hope after you’ve been deeply hurt. But,” her gaze flicks away from Blue, and her bright, almost golden eyes find mine, “it can also be the single point of light in the dark. The one thing a person clings to when they have nothing else. It can be the most important thing in the world.”

Time seems to freeze for a few moments before she breaks into a smile and turns her gaze to Blue once more. “This is a good card, and I have faith that even though there will always be challenges in your life, you’ll find love and joy as well.”

Blue’s brilliant hair falls forward to cover the side of his face as he shakes his head, seeming to break out of the trance he’d momentarily fallen into. “Well,” he laughs awkwardly, “that’s good. At least I didn’t pull a card that says I’m destined to get trampled by a moose on the walk to the car.”

He rises quickly from the seat and gestures in my direction with a tilt of his head. “Come on, let’s check your cards for moose too. ”

I appreciate the way he always tries to lighten the mood with jokes, but as she moves the deck she used for Blue to the side and fans out a new one, anxiety bubbles in the pit of my stomach. Even though I don’t believe in the existence of magic or the ability of a card to tell me about my future, I have to admit that something about this woman makes me curious. She’s obviously out here making things up to make people happy. She’s giving them what she thinks they want to hear in order to make a living, so it’s not like she’d do much business if she went around predicting train wrecks and moose tramplings. I know this is just a skill she’s perfected over the years, but she doesn’t seem disingenuous. Something about her words to Blue felt so deep and heartfelt that I desperately want to believe she’ll see happiness for me as well.

I point to a card in the very center of the deck, and she flips it the way she did for Blue.

“The Ten of Cups. You’re a lucky man, I think. This is arguably the best card in the deck.”

“What does it mean?”

Her elegant fingers deftly shift the rest of the deck back into a pile, leaving only the single card sitting in the center of the table.

“The Ten of Cups is a card of joy and fulfillment. It shows me that the path you’re on is the one path in this life that will make you the happiest. ”

Gabriel snorts behind me. “It’s not like he can look at all of his potential life paths on a chart and see that this one is the best. Of course you’re going to say that the path he’s on is going to make him happy.”

She smiles at Gabriel kindly. Despite his rude interruption, there’s no trace of irritation or frustration in her expression. If anything, she seems even more compassionate.

“That’s true, of course, and there’s no reason for you to believe me. There’s no logical reason you should, nor are there any consequences for disbelief. The universe is a big place, full of wonders that we can’t even imagine, and maybe not everything needs a concrete explanation. All I offer is what I see.”

Gabriel snorts again, but he doesn’t say anything in response, which in and of itself is strange; he has something to say about everything.

She taps the card lightly with one bright-purple nail. “This card also signifies the presence of true love. Maybe it’s a romantic love, maybe it’s another kind, but it’s there, and it’s so vast and inclusive and brilliant that it will change your life forever. It will bring you contentment and a sense of belonging unlike any you’ve ever known. You may not quickly recognize it when it steps into your path, and it may be hard to remember how important love is at times, but hold onto it no matter how intensely the storm of life swirls around you, and it will never let you down. Love will be there to bring light in the dark, to catch you when you stumble, and to dance joyously at your side.”

Dance joyously at my side ? I don’t think she was standing near us during Gabriel’s performance this evening. If she was, I didn’t see her, and surely she’s spent her whole day working during such a busy festival instead of watching the crowds in order to offer free tarot readings that make people feel like she’s a mind reader. There is absolutely no way she knows what I was thinking earlier when I was watching Blue dance. Nope, no way at all. I’m just reading into her phrasing because I’m still so surprised at the way I found myself watching him.

“Umm…ya…that’s…that’s a pretty good reading, I guess.” I laugh awkwardly. “Thank you so much.”

“It’s my pleasure, sweetheart. Something about you just feels like you needed something good and light in your life today. I’m glad the cards seem to think so too.”

“You know,” I reply, thinking about Blue dancing in the sun and sitting next to me on an old moss-covered bench and telling me about his blue foods while we shared a bed last night. “I think I got exactly what I needed today, thank you…umm…”

She offers me a wink. “Marigold.”

“Marigold,” I repeat as I stand. “Thank you again. ”

“My pleasure, deary,” she says as she turns her attention to Gabriel.

“You’re up.”

“Ummm, no thanks. I pass,” he mumbles as he starts to back away from the booth, but there’s no way I’m letting that happen. At this point, I’m fully invested, and I want to know what she has to say to him. Apparently, Blue feels the same because before I can take matters into my own hands, he’s grabbed Gabriel by the shoulders and all but shoved him down into the chair, ignoring his protests the entire time.

“Oh, come on, Gabriel.” I rest my hand lightly on his shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re not all over this. You’re the most adventurous of us by leaps and bounds. Who knows, maybe she’ll tell you the name of your true love.”

He snorts in response and aggressively pokes at a card in the deck she fanned out while we wrestled him into the chair. When she flips it over, I’m stunned to see a card that features two muscular mermen with their tails intertwined. Both of the decks Blue and I pulled cards from were a bit old-fashioned, with gilded images of items, not people. Gabriel’s card is brightly colored, with swirling purples and aquas and sleek modern lines. The fact that it’s two men instead of a man and a woman is also a surprise .

“The Lovers Upright,” she exclaims as she clasps her hands together gleefully. “This card represents long-lasting, meaningful relationships. Often this can come in the form of a soulmate or romantic life partner, but it can apply to other relationships as well. The lovers’ nudity symbolizes the willingness of both partners to open their hearts and share their truest feelings even when it is most difficult. This type of trust can create a powerful bond between two people. The Lovers can also indicate the pending shift in the way you view your relationships. Soon, a choice will need to be made. This might be the choice between one lover over another, but it may also be the choice to trust and commit, even when it feels like a risk. Believing in yourself and following your heart when you make this choice will lead you to a relationship filled with love, respect, and compassion.”

“Pretty sure that’s not the right card for me. None of my relationships are lasting or meaningful.” Though Gabriel’s tone is snarky, his voice is soft and shaky, and it feels as if he wishes that wasn’t true. He’s always been bouncy and playful and welcoming when I’m around. I’ve never seen him depressed or frustrated or upset, but maybe he’s hiding the way I always have. Maybe he’s not happy being alone either.

“Our relationship is meaningful.” Blue places his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder and smiles down at him.

“Ya. That’s true.” Gabriel sniffs .

“The card doesn’t say whether this is a romantic relationship or whether you already know the person it speaks of. It seems to indicate, however, that surprising new opportunities will appear soon. I wish I could be more specific, but that’s not how the cards work.” Marigold seems to honestly wish she could offer him more. It doesn’t feel like she’s simply playing a game; it feels like she believes what she’s saying.

“Well.” Gabriel snickers as he straightens his back from his momentary slump and wraps a knuckle against the card as he stands, clearly finished with this little side-trek adventure. “I guess I’ll just have to keep my eyes out for a sexy merman.”