do about your quarterly reports or spreadsheets.”
“She has you there. You don’t talk about work outside of work.” Uncle Michael sipped his champagne. “It’s not a reflection of how much you care about your job, only that it is a job versus a career to you. Have you thought about what you want to do? Most Yus are in tea or accounting, but we do have family that do other things.”
There were chefs, artists, and entrepreneurs like Auntie Faye. “When did this conversation turn into career counseling?”
“It’s not,” both of them answered at the same time.
Ma told them. She knew that if it came from her, I would deny, derail, and dismiss. My loyalty to the family was unquestionable, and to have a career crisis at the Yu accounting firm was tantamount to treason.
“I don’t dislike working in accounting. I mean, I’m good at it.”
My uncle laughed. “Yes, that’s what HR wants to hear when they’re interviewing prospective candidates.”
“It’s something to think about,” my aunt said. “Maybe by the time you leave, you’ll know.”
I reached for the fig jam. “All I know for now is that I want Marc to be a part of my future.”
My uncle grinned. “This I need to hear.”
Thirty-Six
Will I get a chance to meet him?” Uncle Michael asked while placing the leftovers in the fridge.
I stacked the clean plates on the counter. “There’s a meal tomorrow night, a late-night dinner. He’s planning on cooking.”
“By the way, I had your phone checked. Only the screen was broken.” Aunt Evelyn retrieved my phone from her purse and handed it to me.
A radial spiderweb of fine white lines marred the screen. My finger caught on the edges of the damaged glass. It wasn’t pretty, but at least I didn’t lose it. There were messages from the cousins, but nothing from Marc. I brushed away my disappointment. He might have had a long night and hadn’t checked his phone yet.
Aunt Evelyn prepared a fresh pot of oolong tea while I finished putting away the dishes and cutlery. My uncle packed up all the food while peppering me with questions about my favorite pastry chef. I chose not to mention Girard, for Aunt Evelyn’s sake. She and I received the gift of a new beginning, and I didn’t want to ruin it by disclosing her secret. It was one thing to question her in private but another to do so in public.
“How are lessons going?” my uncle asked.
I cleared my throat and waited for my aunt to answer.
The ghost of the explosive argument between us hung in the air—complete with invisible scorch marks. Words were spoken that could never be unsaid. The truce we shared, while needed, didn’t change the lack of resolution to my prediction predicament.
“Her headaches are gone, but it’s our only victory. In the end, I’m unable to help her. I’ve enlisted aid, yet we have no answers,” Aunt Evelyn replied. “The fault is mine. I promised to help you, and I failed. I don’t know how to proceed.”
I placed my hand on her arm. “Together, we’ll figure it out somehow.”
She smiled, though not as confident as that evening in my apartment, and covered my hand with hers. “Yes, we will.”
Squeezing her arm for comfort, I turned to my uncle. “How is Jack doing?”
“He and I are meeting up in Monaco in a week. He has a job there shooting very beautiful and important people.” His phone buzzed and he picked it up. Judging by the smile on his face, it could only be the man he loved calling. A glowing red thread snaked out of the phone, traveled down his arm, and connected to the left side of his chest.
Uncle Michael excused himself to take the call.
“Did you see that?” I asked.
She tilted her head. “See what?”
“The red thread on Uncle Michael. When Jack called, it popped out and connected to him.”
Aunt Evelyn pursed her lips. “Clairvoyants cannot see red threads.”
“I know, but I did see one. It connected to his heart. How is it that I could see it?”
Her fingers gripped the top rail of the chair. “I don’t know. Everything about your situation is unprecedented. I’m questioning what I thought I believed to be immutable.”
My aunt, one of the steadiest people I knew, held on to the chair as if it were a lifeline. While I craved change and rebelled against anything contrary to my desires, Aunt Evelyn revered tradition and devoted herself to her clairvoyance. Seeing her doubt was unsettling. What was she