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Petra spent her day trying to calm the emotional turmoil inside her. Her body was all out of sorts with her head. She’d get a whiff of Riley’s scent on the sheets and her whole body tingled, remembering the way she had touched her last night. Then, in almost the same moment, she would see the photos of her and Mike on the wall.
She looked happy, him with his photo face on—the stern jaw clenching look he thought made him look handsome but mostly made him look constipated.
I need to cleanse my space. She went through the apartment and found all the pictures of her and Mike, the gifts he’d given her that she’d kept, not because she liked them, but because she thought she had to. She brought them together on the dining table and looked at them.
What a meager pile to represent a relationship that lasted years. Though it was indicative of the way he thought of her—the gifts generic, and unsuited to her style, and the photos were always at events for his friends, or work colleagues.
She took the photos out of the frames and found an empty box that fit them all and put it by the door. The photos she put into the bottom drawer in her kitchen, telling herself she would deal with them later.
Petra had a bundle of sage she had used to cleanse the space when she moved in, along with some Tibetan singing bowls. She burned the sage, wafting the strong-smelling smoke over the apartment, especially around the doorways, and the bedroom, where Mike spent most of his time.
Sage cleared residual, unwanted energy. She would cleanse when she moved into a place, or started working in a new yoga studio, so she could start fresh, but this time she wanted to get Mike out of her head as much as out of her mind. Hopefully, it would help her powers work more reliably too, after masking them for so long.
When that was done, she used the singing bowls to create a sound bath in the living room. Then she was ready to meditate.
She sat on her yoga mat in the space in her living room she used specifically for mediation. It smelled nice, she had a soothing soundtrack of steel drum and pan pipes over running water, and she was comfortable in her lotus position, but her concentration wandered.
Inhale, hold, exhale, hold, she told herself over and over, but her mind’s eye kept wandering back to Riley.
I don’t want to rush into anything. I could really hurt someone I care for deeply by going into this half-baked. It’s better to wait and let the emotional toll of Mike’s bullshit settle a bit.
It sounded reasonable when Petra told herself to wait. That she was risking a great friendship, was being reckless, but her body still thrummed with Riley’s energy.
Petra had never been touched like that, had never experienced that kind of attentiveness, that depth of pleasure before. Maybe it was a one off, but what if it wasn’t?
What if the sex partners she’d had up until this point had all been garbage, and what she yearned for, without knowing, were Riley’s skilled and patient hands and mouth. So many thoughts were whirling around in her head. So much had changed in the last few days, but it felt right. Despite the chaos it created, dumping Mike had been a relief.
Instead of calming her, the so-called meditation session excited her. She felt like a teenager, unable to think about anything but how long it would be till she could kiss Riley again.
Ridiculous. After twenty minutes of trying to achieve calm, Petra gave up. She dressed in her exercise gear and went out for a long walk. Perhaps she could achieve walking mindfulness instead.
Petra made her way through the streets taking in the houses, enjoying a glorious day. She walked through the billionaire’s district, past the Sentinel building, the houseboats on Kismet Cove, before she found herself among the gorgeous terraced houses where the Holmes lived.
I didn’t mean to go this way. She almost turned around. Instead, she closed her eyes briefly and used her gift to search for a reason she had been drawn here.
As though in the distance, she felt Georgina’s presence, worried, but also excited.
Riley would be with her, Petra knew. But there was something urgent in the way Georgina’s mind called out to her.
Petra made her way to the Holmes’ house and knocked on the door. Riley answered and her face flowed through a range of emotions—delight, concern, before settling into a mostly neutral expression.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Petra replied. “I’ve come to see your mom.”
Riley frowned. “Okay.” She stepped back and allowed Petra into the house. “I’m just cleaning up the kitchen. I’ll leave you to it.”
Petra couldn’t miss the hurt in her eyes, but now wasn’t the time to address it. “Thanks.”
Georgina sat in her chair in the living room, listening to music, her face calm and a tiny smile on her lips.
“Hey Georgina. You wanted me to visit?” Petra said, sitting on the couch next to the older woman, and taking her hand so they could better communicate.
Yes. I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t expect you to be here so soon. Riley told me about last night. Georgina’s mind voice spoke clearly in Petra’s head.
“I went for a walk. I’ve been trying to settle myself, but it’s not working.”
What do you want to settle?
“I just...” I worry it’s too fast.
Do you know what I think?
Petra shook her head.
I think you’re scared. Your man, Mike, who I never thought was worthy of you, by the way, has left your self-esteem shaken.
“No, that’s not it.”
Are you sure? I can feel all your nonsense about not wanting to hurt Riley, but she’s tough. She knows what she’s doing. She’s been pining after you for years.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. She doesn’t even know the real me.”
And what real you would this be?
“The one who didn’t see that her fiancé was a liar, who ignored all the signs, who hasn’t made anything of herself.”
Do you think you deserve to be punished because you fell for a man’s promises? You’re not the first extraordinary woman to be snared by one such as Mike, and you certainly won’t be the last. But if you let that dictate your future, your happiness, then you really are a fool.
“Hey.” Petra dropped Georgina’s hand and sat back, stung by her words. One drawback of communication using her gift was that everything that was said came with all the emotions attached to it. Georgina was angry. Angry at her, but not for Mike.
You have to be ready for the lessons the universe needs to teach you. You weren’t ready to learn the truth about Mike until now. But you have to lean into the discomfort of growth, of change.
“You’ve gotten very philosophical in your old age.” Petra supposed being aware, stuck in a body that wouldn’t do what you needed it to, would create a lot of time for thinking. She took Georgina’s hand again and reconnected.
You are a beautiful soul. You deserve to be loved, adored, challenged. Riley is the one to do it, and all you have to do is turn to her.
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but if it falls apart, you’ll pick yourself up, and so will she, and in time you’ll be healed. You don’t get big love like this without risk.
She looked out the bay windows over the hilly street. Maybe Georgina was right—Mike had never been high risk. She knew he wouldn’t challenge her. Maybe that’s why she didn’t look at his behavior too closely. But Riley had depth, she had courage, and ambition, and a kindness that scared her.
You can do this.
Petra pressed her lips together and nodded. “I can’t get her out of my head. It’s like I’ve never really seen her until now. And I can’t turn these feelings off. I don’t want to.”
Georgina’s lips trembled and jerked up at the left side into a smile. Her eyes were watery, and she looked like she was about to burst with emotion.
“Don’t cry,” Petra said, gently brushing a tear from her cheek.
Now, go and kiss my daughter.
Petra patted Georgina’s hand, grateful to the woman who had been a better mother to her than her own blood.
***
“You off then?” Riley said, without turning around. She’d heard Petra’s footsteps enter the kitchen.
“Not yet—what happened in here?”
Riley faced Petra.
“Did you use every dish in the house to make breakfast?”
“No, there are a few still clean.” Riley couldn’t help a small smile. Dammit, I’m supposed to be giving her space, but she’s not making it easy.
“I’m sorry for... this morning.”
Riley waited.
“I freaked out. It was too real. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”
“And now?”
“Your mom and I had a chat. She thinks I’m a big idiot and sent me in here to make it up to you.”
“Did she.” Riley’s half smile deepened. That meddling old stick.
Petra took two steps forward, hovering on the balls of her feet as though about to run away again. Maybe steeling herself.
Riley closed the gap between them and kissed her. Petra melted into her arms, and it was as though they would never be apart again. She felt so right.
“I’m so sorry,” Petra said again, mumbling the words against her lips.
“Shh.” Riley deepened the kiss. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn she heard her mother cheering from the other room, but that couldn’t be right. Riley stepped back and looked at the beauty before her. “I’m so glad you came back.”
“Me too.” Petra grinned and rested her head on Riley’s shoulder.
THE END.