Chapter 32
Warren Atwell’s Legal Briefs: When a case is too big to handle solo, it is advised to gather a team of experts.
When in doubt, retrace your steps.
I did the only thing I could think to do.
I ran away to the circus.
Again.
Gerald and Zelda were surprised to see me roll up to the camp around lunchtime.
Irv and Eula extended warm greetings. Taney and Keegan nodded toward me.
And Jack asked where Avery was. I glared at the man and considered kicking him in the shin, but nixed that plan because it was not his fault that I messed up with Avery.
That responsibility fell squarely upon my shoulders.
“Come in, come in!” Zelda motioned me inside.
“What brings you back, my boy?” Gerald asked.
“Avery left me. And it turns out our marriage was not legitimate after all,” I said.
Megan gasped. Jack grabbed her hand. Everyone else stood there with shocked expressions.
Gerald nodded. “Interesting. And you came here. Why?”
I shrugged. “Not sure.”
“Do you want to win her back?” Eula asked.
“What makes you think he has to win her back?” Irv turned to his wife.
She glared at him, and he shrank in on himself. “Good point,” he said.
“Did you try apologizing?” Taney quizzed. “That always works with Keegan.”
Keegan snorted. “No. That does not always work with Keegan. But I get tired of being mad at you and forgive. A lot!”
“I am not good with words,” I admitted. “And words got me into this mess. I need something different to get me out. I want my wife back.”
Gerald’s grin brightened the room.
Zelda wrapped a scarf around her head. “Well, you’re in luck. Madame Zelenka was about to read some fortunes.”
“Warren should go first,” Megan offered with a smile. “Looks like he could use some guidance.”
“I do not believe in all this,” I started.
“One does not need to believe in Spirit for Spirit to believe in you,” Zelda said, ushering me to a folding table near the front door.
It was covered in a midnight blue velvet cloth.
A crystal ball sat to one side. A stack of tarot cards was placed on the center of the table, right where the afternoon sunlight would shine its rays on the gold and black artwork.
Gerald held out a chair for Madame Zelenka as I pulled out the chair opposite her.
“Fine. What does my fortune say?”
Zelda raised an eyebrow. “That is not how this works, Mr. Atwell. There is a process that begins with clearing your mind and thinking about the question you want to ask Spirit.”
I rolled my eyes, but since I did not have a better idea, I closed my eyes and began a little breathing exercise, slowing my heart rate and clearing my mind. One question kept repeating in my mind: What should I do?
Zelda began shuffling the cards. I opened my eyes to watch what she was doing.
She nodded at me when she fanned the cards across the cloth.
“You’re going to pick three cards. I want you to point to the ones that speak to you.
There’s no right or wrong answer here. Again, just point. Don’t touch them. Okay?”
I nodded and pointed to three cards. “Now what?”
“Now, I read for you.” Zelda flipped over the first card and hummed.
“The Lovers reversed. This signifies a deep disconnect. You made choices out of fear, and it has caused an imbalance in your relationship. Perhaps you failed to honor a true soulmate connection. This was a bad choice that led to a separation. This card acknowledges that the bond was real, but you made a mistake.”
I winced.
Zelda raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”
I nodded for her to continue.
She flipped over the second card, which showed ornately painted scales of justice.
“Justice. This card demands accountability and truth. With the Justice card at the center of your reading, this means you must accept responsibility and make amends. What was broken must be acknowledged before it can be repaired. This is the moment to set things right. Justice is not about punishment. It’s about equilibrium.
Finding the person who brings you balance. ”
I rubbed my sternum.
No one spoke as Zelda flipped over the third card. There was an upside-down man with a rope tied around his foot. “The Hanged Man. That’s interesting.”
“Why is that interesting?” I asked.
“Because this is a call for surrender. You need to have patience and see things from a new perspective,” she chuckled.
“You won’t be able to logic yourself out of this, my friend.
You’ll have to shift your mindset. The Hanged Man suggests letting go of old thinking and embracing a new approach.
If you have resisted vulnerability, it is time to lean into it.
Your happy ending won’t come through control but through surrender and transformation. ”
I felt someone hovering over my shoulder. It was Keegan. “Is it just me, or does that look like the ropes course?” He asked.
My stomach dropped. I shook my head. “No.”
“That gives me a splendid idea,” Gerald crowed.