Cassie is in the sitting room when Joy materializes in the doorway. She gently pats the cushion next to her in the window seat. Joy sinks into the seat next to her. Silence surrounds them as Cassie hugs Joy to her side.
"It's late," Cassie ventures to point out.
"I couldn't sleep."
"You're in good company."
"I don't want what Abigail is saying to be true. There are a lot of things I have come to accept about being a Merriwick, but this seems an odd twist of fate, or a curse, or blessing, or prophecy, or whatever the hell this is."
"I know that you don't."
"I'm begging you to tell me that she's wrong, and that none of this is happening."
"You know I can't do that. I'm certainly here to listen, though."
"Even the idea of what Abigail said feels like a curse. It feels heavy, and ominous."
Cassie shifts in her seat. "Sometimes the difference between something feeling like a burden, or a blessing really comes down to how welcome it is."
"I feel like you're trying to cheer me up, but there was a hint of cynicism in your voice," Joy calls her out.
"I'm sorry."
"For being human? Don't be. Are we really sure about the meaning of this dream? Abigail could be way off."
Cassie reaches into the pocket of her cardigan, and waves the plastic stick with a digital readout in the air.
"This seems to indicate otherwise."
"Who does that belong to?" Joy's eyes widen.
"Yours truly."
"You're joking, right?!"
"No."
"Were you…"
Cassie cuts her off with a shake of the head, "I was completely unprepared for this outcome. It was not planned, or expected."
"You don't seem particularly happy about it," Joy points out.
"I am not unhappy about it. I still processing my feelings."
"You're not particularly fond of surprises, are you?"
"Nope."
"Then this must have come as quite a shock."
"To say the least. I'm not exactly a spring chicken anymore. I'm more of a fall turkey," she jokes.
Joy furrows her brow, "One false move way from being eaten for dinner?"
Cassie cracks a smile, "Accepting that things in my life are slowing down."
"Except now they're not."
"I guess part of me is just grappling with how to revisit a chapter that I didn't feel needed revisited in such a way. I don't think you really came in here to talk about me, though."
Joy shrugs, "It is a nice detour from talking about me."
"You're chi is very off. What is going on with you?"
"Obviously I had a huge blow out with Zoey."
"Then what?"
"I do what Joy is absolutely famous for doing."
"What is that?"
"Making a bad situation worse."
"By not giving Zoey space, or what? What exactly do you mean?"
"The physical distance really impacted our connection, you know."
Cassie nods, "I felt it too."
"Abigail was otherwise unavailable. I wanted to have an in person conversation with you, but I wasn't about to fly to whatever remote location you were at. I just spiraled into this very negative thought pattern."
"So you beat yourself up? It happens to the best of us."
Joy nods, "And I thought the natural progression was to add alcohol to the equation."
"I certainly wouldn't have recommended it."
"And I knew that. I pulled up to the bar, and I thought to myself, 'Cassie would not have suggested this.' I wasn't very interested in re-aligning my chi, or meditating about things. I didn't light a candle, or make a wish, or do any of the things that might have helped."
"So you drank about it?"
"And I hustled a bunch of guys at pool, and then darts."
"I hope that you didn't bet your truck this time."
"No. I got into a bar fight."
"Please tell me that you're exaggerating."
"No. For whatever reason Carter was in town, and he intervened."
"You should have called. I would have come home."
"Which is exactly why I didn't. I didn't want to interrupt your vacation."
"Have you seen, or talked to Zoey?"
"No. I am afraid to face her. I acted like a total ass."
"There have been plenty of times that I did something regrettable when I was afraid that I would lose someone I cared about, especially when I was younger. I think that if you're honest with Zoey she will be open to hearing what you have to say."
"I don't want to be open with her. I want to pretend that none of it happened. Now I'm totally panicking about what Abigail's dream means for me."
"What do you mean?"
"The context," Joy responds, simply.