“How dare you steal my identity?—"
“Accounts were closed. Nobody stole your identity. I’ve taken nothing.”
“Then what in the hell are you doing?”
“You said you hated your life; this is just what the other fork in the road is.”
“First of all, I said I hatedyesterday, not every day! I want you to undo whatever you did with my credit cards and leave me alone. I have a plane to catch, and I want to forget you and the last twenty-four hours of my life!”
“You said you wanted to change yourself, and now you see how the other half lives.”
“Well, I’ve seen it, and I’m sorry, but no, thank you.”
“This is an opportunity to help yourself become the woman you really want to be.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“OrI could help others and go back to my real life. That would be the best way for me to become the woman I really want to be, okay?” I forced a large smile. She had to say yes. OMG, this could NOT be my life.
“What are you saying?”
“My mother has several really important charities. I mean, likesuperimportant. I could take it upon myself to not only donate my own money but to bring community awareness to such special causes. I’m like a social media queen. I could bring so much attention to this.”
“Name one.”
Her head tilt made the back of my neck clammy. I was literally fighting for my life. Well, my lifestyle, but still. “There are many. Umm, there’s the one for the kids. Yes, it’s the charity for kids. You know the one.” I waved my hand about communicating it would be ridiculous not to know which one I was talking about. “And those kids need, uh, lots of help.” Her brow popped up, and I knew I was sinking. “And there’s the special charity that works so hard to ensure the elephants don’t become extinct. No, wait, it’s the cockatoos. Yes, so the cockatoo population doesn’t get killed off.”
“Oh my, I was unaware the cockatoos were close to extinction. How dreadful.”
I was flipping through the file cabinet in my brain searching, and I realized I had made an oops. “No, it’s definitely the elephants. Yes, my bad.” Was it hot in here?
“As much as I’m sure you could help the cockatoos?—”
“Elephants.” I corrected her in an uncertain whisper. Dang it.
“Of course, the elephants.” Her eyes were making fun of me. “The only way you are going to get your life back is to demonstrate altruism.”
I had gone to college, but for the life of me couldn’t think of the definition of the freaking word. Shit. I quickly snatched my phone from my purse and Googled it. Ugh.The belief in or practice of disinterest and selfless concern.I raised my gaze to meet hers just as a grin snaked across her lips.
“Did you find it?”
“I was just double checking, and I was correct, by the way.” Deep breath. “I do think charities would help me grow and be a benefit to all. It’s really a win/win situation” Fingers crossed.
The psychic lifted a dubious brow. “I believe you mending fences with your father would be more of what would lead you to the right path.”
“What the what? How did you know about that?”
“Oh, my dear, unlike wish granting, it’s my job to know these things. This is a relationship that would meet this criterion.”
“I hear ya, but there has to be something else I could do. Things with my father are complicated. I’m not ready.”
She let out a low laugh. “Sometimes we don’t wait until we’rereadyto do the right thing. We do the right thing because it’s correct. For you, if you want your life back, that is what must be done.”
Come on, Madison. There has to be a way out of this debacle. “Okay, so you’re telling me everything goes back to normal if I see my father?”
“You need to go and spend a week with your father and his family.”
Be strong. You can go and see Dad and his new syrupy-sweet-soon-to- be wife and survive. Right?“I can do it. I can go there today. “
“Anduntil you repair this relationship, you may only use the money you have on you to live on. No credit cards, no private planes, and no bank accounts.”
