Margin of Error

Prologue

Charlotte boarded the bus with a vague sense of urgency she couldn’t explain.

She’d left her apartment with more than enough time to make it to her first appointment of the day.

Being a Realtor in New York City meant she was often in a rush, but she got to see so many unique and interesting spaces.

Today, she would be showing one of her clients a showstopper of a condo near the financial district.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling she needed to hurry.

Eden Sands sang softly through Charlotte’s earbuds as she made her way down the aisle.

Since it was approaching midday, the bus was fairly crowded, filled mostly with commuters like Charlotte, riding into Manhattan from their homes in Queens.

She spotted an empty seat next to a woman dressed in business attire.

Charlotte slid into the seat, then checked her phone to see that her daily horoscope had arrived.

Most of her friends thought it was silly, but she’d always been a bit superstitious.

She checked her horoscope almost every day, hoping it would give her some much-needed guidance. She tapped her screen, opening the app.

It’s a good day to make a new connection, Taurus.

She smiled as she read the first line. Surely that was a good omen for her day. Charlotte loved striking up random conversations with people she met on her commute and while exploring the city, showing properties to her clients.

Change is the theme of the day, but what at first looks like a new beginning might actually be an ending.

“I love your scarf.”

Charlotte glanced at the woman beside her, involuntarily touching the pink-and-green scarf at her throat.

She had a weakness for colorful scarves, and this was one of her favorites, but the last time she’d worn it, her friend Liz told her it was too flashy, so to have it complimented by a stranger? Charlotte beamed. “Thank you.”

The woman returned her smile before turning to look out the window.

She wore a black pantsuit under a matching wool coat, and her brown hair was pulled back in a neat bun at the base of her neck.

Maybe she was the connection Charlotte was supposed to make today.

She’d always used her horoscope as an excuse to seek out new people and experiences.

Charlotte paused her music and removed her earbuds. “It’s freakishly cold today for November, isn’t it?” she asked, hoping to keep the conversation going. She still felt restless, and a conversation with her seatmate might help distract her from her weird mood.

“It is,” the woman agreed. She tapped her phone to pause her own music, revealing that she’d been listening to “Turbulent,” which coincidentally was the same song that had just been playing in Charlotte’s earbuds.

The Eden Sands / Anna Moss duet about female empowerment was one of her all-time favorites.

Charlotte held up her phone to show her seatmate their matching songs, and they shared a smile. “Hopefully tomorrow will be warmer.”

“Actually, I don’t mind snow, at least not when it’s fresh.” Her demeanor was friendly, but there was something indefinably sad about her expression.

Maybe Charlotte could help brighten her day. “I grew up in Vermont, so I’m certainly used to it, but it’s different there. Snow in the mountains is beautiful, you know? Snow here in the city is just . . . dirty.”

“You have a point.” The woman laughed softly. “Vermont, hmm? I’ve always wanted to visit.”

“Oh, you should,” Charlotte said. “At least if you love scenery and maple syrup. I’m from Middleton, which is a college town, but there are so many nice areas to visit.

If I was going as a tourist, I’d probably rent a cabin near Manchester.

You’ve got the Green Mountains in your backyard for views and hiking, and a short drive to the shops and restaurants in town. ”

“Sounds perfect. I’m overdue for a vacation, actually.” Something wistful passed across her face.

“I bet you’d love it, and it’s only about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from here.”

“Maybe someday.” The woman’s gaze flicked to Charlotte’s phone, where today’s horoscope was still illuminated, and her expression turned curious.

“Want to know yours?” Charlotte asked. “What’s your sign?”

“I’m a Sagittarius, but . . .” She trailed off, and Charlotte realized what she’d initially thought was curiosity was actually skepticism. This woman probably didn’t believe in astrology.

Nonetheless, Charlotte decided to see it through.

She clicked on the appropriate link. “Let your true personality shine today, Sagittarius. There are greater forces at play, but if you’re willing to open your mind, you might find just what you’re looking for.

Be open to new ideas and information, regardless of how unusual they may seem at first glance.

The missing piece in your life may come from a place you least expect, but be confident that it will come. ”

The woman blinked at her, and Charlotte had no idea how to interpret her reaction to the horoscope.

She looked almost gobsmacked, or maybe she couldn’t believe Charlotte had actually read it to her.

The bus had been stopped at a red light, but now it rumbled forward with a jolt.

They were on FDR Drive, with the East River to their left.

“What did you think?” Charlotte asked.

She stared at Charlotte for a long moment, lips pursed. “I think . . . well, horoscopes seem like utter nonsense, but mine says to be open to new ideas and information, so explain it to me, then. You seem like a reasonable person. You put stock in what they say?”

“I do,” Charlotte said, “but I think you need to approach astrology with the right mindset and expectations, or it will seem like nonsense. It’s not a crystal ball. More of a guiding light, if you will.”

“Interesting. I’m a statistician. I trust numbers and science, so I tend to avoid things that involve too much conjecture, but I’ve been looking for an excuse to broaden my horizons. At the risk of sounding like Agent Mulder, I want to believe.”

Charlotte grinned. “You strike me as more of a Scully, and not just because you’re a skeptic.”

Something shifted in the brunette’s expression. She seemed almost bashful. “I do have a soft spot for Dana Scully, and yes, we’re both skeptics.”

“Okay, Ms. Skeptic. Let’s see if I can make a believer out of you.”

The woman smiled, and it brightened her whole face. “I’m ready.”

“So the first thing to keep in mind about astrology is that it’s an ancient science. People were making predictions about personality based on the position of the planets when someone was born as far back as ancient Greece. Even further, I think.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose. “The ancient Greeks also believed that thunder was a result of angering the gods.”

“Yes, but . . . think of it in terms of magnetism, like the way things turn toward the north and south poles and how the pull of the moon’s gravity creates the ocean’s tides.

Is it so far-fetched to think there are greater forces in the universe that affect us, forces that shift and change based on the movement of the planets and other celestial bodies? ”

There was something else in her eyes now, a spark of what might be interest. “Go on.”

“There have been a lot of studies on the personality traits of people born to the different signs, and while it might not be based in the kind of science you’re looking for, it does have some merit. And perhaps most importantly, it’s just plain fun.”

The woman’s lips quirked. “Now that I can believe.”

“I don’t treat it as an exact science, but I look forward to my daily horoscope because often it helps me see meaning in what’s happening in my life,” Charlotte told her.

“I use it as a motivational push, you know? Like today, my horoscope said it’s a good day to make a new connection, and maybe that’s why I struck up a conversation with you.

If you use it as an excuse to push yourself out of your comfort zone, I can’t see any downside. ”

“I suppose I could agree with that,” her seatmate said, glancing out the window.

“So did I convince you?”

The woman turned her head, and their eyes locked. “I don’t know yet, but I’m at least thinking about it, which is more than I ever thought I’d say about astrology.”

Charlotte fist pumped the air. “Yes! And you’re following your horoscope by keeping an open mind.”

“That I am.” She looked out the window again. They had entered the financial district, tall buildings on either side of the street, people in business attire hurrying down the sidewalks. “It feels almost . . .”

Charlotte waited a few seconds, curious what her seatmate had been about to say. “Almost what?”

“Well, I’ve been wanting to let my true personality shine—for lack of better words—so when you read that to me, it felt rather prophetic.”

“Wow. Really?”

“Yeah.” The woman looked down at her hands. “I don’t believe in signs, but . . .”

“This certainly feels like one.”

They smiled at each other, and that felt like a sign too.

Of what, Charlotte wasn’t sure. But . . .

something. She was making the connection her horoscope called for, and this woman was taking a leap of faith.

It was all so much deeper than Charlotte had expected when she boarded the bus thirty minutes ago.

In fact—

“Oh, this is me.” Her seatmate stood, and Charlotte realized the bus had stopped. The doors slid open as a handful of people lined up to get off.

Charlotte stood automatically, moving into the aisle so the woman could exit.

“It was really nice to meet you,” the woman said, and then she was stepping past Charlotte into the aisle. She joined the other people exiting the bus, gone almost before Charlotte registered that their conversation had ended.