— Of course we did, sweetheart.
Edward took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.
— Things are going to be good now. The worst is behind us.
When Eleanor learned that Natalie planned to go back to work, she immediately offered help.
— Work is easy. I’m pretty sure there’s an opening in general administration at City Hall. Good salary, room to grow.
But Natalie didn’t want to build a career on her mother-in-law’s influence. She thanked her and declined.
— Eleanor, I appreciate it. But I want to know what I can do on my own.
— I promise not to pull strings, — Eleanor said with a smile. — You can call and schedule the interview yourself.
Natalie smiled back.
— You know as well as I do that in your office, my last name alone would count as a recommendation.
— Fair enough. But if you change your mind, let me know.
Natalie sent out résumés and got several invitations. After so much time away from work, she approached interviews like final exams. She worried she had forgotten everything — how to think strategically, how to assess risk, how to stay sharp. But to her surprise, the hiring managers were impressed. A few days later she chose a company whose office was just a ten-minute walk from home, through a quiet little neighborhood park.
— Can you believe it? — she told Edward after making her decision. — This job has nothing but upsides. First, no traffic. Second, I get a walk morning and evening, which I need because I’m still not fully back in shape. Third, it’s a clean slate. Nobody there knows me.
On that last point, she was wrong. The moment she handed over her paperwork, the HR manager asked:
— Any chance you’re related to Eleanor Whitaker at City Hall?
Natalie flushed, then quickly shook her head.
— No, just same last name.
On her first day, Natalie met the team and tried to absorb her new responsibilities. By evening her head was spinning from information overload. Just as she was about to leave, Edward called.
— Natalie, would you mind if Mom came by tonight? We can celebrate your first day. I’ll order sushi or something.
Why not? she thought. It was a real occasion, and she hadn’t seen Eleanor in over a week.
— Sure, — Natalie said. — I’ve missed her too.
She walked home in a good mood, looking forward to a nice dinner and an easy family conversation. As she passed the half-melted but still recognizable ice sculptures in the park, she noticed a group of women in layered bright skirts and expensive coats. They didn’t look like the usual street fortune-tellers. They weren’t bothering anyone or asking for money. Natalie walked past them without a second thought and had gone several yards when she heard quick footsteps behind her.
— Hold up, pretty lady. I need to tell you something important, — said a beautiful voice with a faint rasp to it.
Natalie turned. In front of her stood a striking young woman with jet-black hair and enormous dark eyes. Her skin, though, was unusually pale, as if she never saw the sun.
— I don’t need my fortune told. I know enough about my own life, — Natalie said, preparing to keep walking.
— Do you? All of it? — the woman asked. — I’m not here to read your palm. That’s bad business these days. I’m warning you. You’re living inside a lie. You look and don’t see. You listen and don’t hear. Now go on home and think hard about that.
As quickly as she had appeared, the young woman turned and walked away. Natalie stood there for a few seconds, unsettled, then shook her head as if to clear it and hurried home. The moment she stepped into the entryway, she heard the low voices of her husband and mother-in-law.
— I’m home! — she called cheerfully, heading into the living room. She barely noticed Edward quickly straightening the rug.
— Corner got folded over when Mom and I moved the table, — he said, oddly defensive.
The table was already set, and a bouquet of her favorite flowers stood in the center. Eleanor rose to hug her.
— Congratulations, — she said warmly. — I’m proud of you. You remind me of myself when I was young, working my way up without anyone’s help — though I’d still prefer your road to be easier.
A minute later the food arrived. Edward finished setting everything out, and they sat down to dinner. Natalie turned off the overhead light and switched on the electric fireplace. The flickering glow danced across the room, and for a second it almost felt like a real fire.
— It’s so good to be home, — Natalie said. — Especially when we do this kind of thing on the spur of the moment, no big occasion, just because.
The wine made her pleasantly warm and relaxed.
— Maybe we really can be happy again, — she said, feeling surrounded by care and support.
The next day, walking through the park, Natalie found herself looking for the women again, though she told herself she hadn’t taken the stranger’s words seriously. But the only people she saw were office workers hurrying along just like her. No bright skirts that morning, and none that evening either.
Great. Now I’ve got nonsense stuck in my head, Natalie scolded herself. I ran into some women in the park and now I’m inventing things. Big deal. Maybe she thought I’d ask for a reading and then she’d hit me up for money.
But the self-talk didn’t help. The words kept replaying: You’re living inside a lie. You look and don’t see. You listen and don’t hear. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She started mentally retracing the last few years of her life. Who could have lied to her? About what? No answer came.
Time passed. Winter gave way to early spring. The once-bright park, decorated for the holidays, had gone dull and gray, as if someone had washed all the color out of it. Bare trees swayed in the wind. Wet black crows pecked along the dirty sidewalks. People ignored them, and the crows ignored the people. It was that bleak stretch of days just before spring finally takes over, melts the last of the snow, clears the sky, and fills the air with freshness.
One evening, leaving the office, Natalie suddenly felt restless, though she couldn’t say why. It was an ordinary weekday. No holiday, no anniversary, nothing special. And yet her heart beat a little faster than usual. She felt strangely expectant.
She passed the entrance to the park, passed a pair of groundskeepers loading winter debris into a cart, and came to the spot where the Christmas tree and ice figures had once stood. Off to one side she saw several women talking animatedly, punctuating every sentence with their hands. Without meaning to, she searched the group for the young woman from before. A moment later she saw her step away and head straight toward her. Natalie slowed, then stopped and waited.
— So, still walking around with your eyes shut? — the young woman asked. — I told you you were being lied to. Not about some little thing, either. About the center of your life. All right, I’ll help you. You got under my skin somehow.
The woman took Natalie’s hand. Her palm was very warm…
