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“What’s wrong?” I asked as Brynlee pulled me to the side and hid behind one of the lit-up Christmas trees.
“It’s that woman who helped us the other day,” she whispered, still crouched.
I lifted my head to get a look before she yanked me back.
“She’s going to see you!”
“Why are we hiding from her?” I stood in front of Brynlee so my back was to the people walking past, shielding her from being seen.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders, aggravated. “I don’t know if my dream is making me react this way, but something deep inside is telling me to hide from her.”
“Are you worried she’s also trying to kill you?” There was enough humor in my voice to let her know I was teasing. I wasn’t trying to make light of the situation and disregard how she felt, but I wanted to help her calm down so we could talk it out and find out why she was having such a reaction to a woman she didn’t know.
“Very funny,” she hissed, her lips pulled tight to keep the smile from gracing them as she playfully shoved my chest.
“I mean, there’s a slight possibility she might be. You did buy the tree topper that reminded her of her cousin. Maybe she’s got it out for you now.”
“I didn’t buy it, you did.”
“Yeah, but she knew it was for you.”
“Technicality,” she muttered, looking past me to see the woman.
“Want to know what I think?” I asked, shoving my hands into my pockets.
“That she has more motives to kill me than you did?”
“No.” I shook my head and looked at her until she finally met my gaze.
“Okay, what do you think?”
I took a deep breath and steadied myself before replying. She was already freaked out about seeing the woman, so I didn’t want to make it worse. But I also wanted her to find whatever closure she needed, even if that meant she had to do something she didn’t want to.
“I think that she reminds you of your past, and that’s why you’re afraid to talk to her. The connection you two share with the tree topper might be completely coincidental, but it could also be fate bringing you guys together for a reason.”
She chewed her lip nervously as she looked from me back to the booth where the woman was.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Let’s go over and see what happens. We don’t have to say anything to her until you’re ready.”
“What would I say to her? I wouldn’t even have any idea how to start.”
“Easy. You tell her that something about the tree topper reminded you of your childhood and go from there. You guys talk about timelines and put together the pieces to see if there’s any connection or if it’s just two people with a special memory of the same tree topper. It doesn’t mean it was one of a kind and no one else ever had the same one. But we won’t know anything unless you talk to her.”
She pulled her shoulders back and then let them fall as she sighed heavily.
“Okay. Let’s go talk to her.”