Close to Destiny (A Magical Love Story)

Chapter 65

May 28, around 2 a.m. or so

Another dream, or sort of.

"I see you found the missing earring." Zachary Taylor shot me a sly grin as he lifted his champagne glass.

I didn't remember leaving my room or following the labyrinthine path to the party, but there I was: sitting opposite Zachary Taylor at the table we had occupied twice before. He, elegant as ever, wore a dark silk suit. I, as usual, was the only one in the room in a nightgown.

"How did you know I lost it?" I asked. Then I shook my head. "Never mind... silly question."

"Questions are never silly, but I have known a few answers to fall into that category."

He tasted his champagne and slid another glass across the table to me. A rush of fizz seemed to bubble right up to my brain after the first tentative sip.

"How did I get here?" I asked. "What am I doing here?"

I looked from left to right but couldn't recognize any familiar faces among the throng of gyrating bodies on the dance floor. A jazzy tune I'd never heard before filled the air. Sequins sparkled on dresses, reflecting the disco balls overhead. A couple, both dressed in silver, swirled apart, and I caught a glimpse of Gabriel sipping champagne at the bar. I jumped to my feet and stepped forward. Like an elastic band, the dancers bounced back into each other's arms, then flew apart again. The stool Gabriel had occupied a split second ago was empty.

Collapsing into my chair, I turned to Zachary and wrinkled my brow.

"Where's Gabriel?" I whispered. "He was there five seconds ago and then... nothing. He couldn't have disappeared so quickly."

"My dear Katherine," Zachary said, a knowing look playing across his face. "You're certainly aware of how flighty Gabriel can be. One minute he's here, the next he's there. There's no reason for such distress. Did you want to speak with him for any specific reason?"

"Uh, no. I guess I was relieved to see a familiar face." I rubbed my temples and squeezed my eyes shut. Then I looked up again. Zachary, smiling serenely at me, was still sitting in his chair. "I don't understand why I'm here in the first place. How do I keep arriving at these parties anyway? Nothing makes sense any more."

"Of course things make sense, Katherine. It depends on how you look at the situation, that's all."

"Well, how should I be looking at this one?"

"You come to these parties seeking information."

"That's not true," I said, leaning closer to him, then dizzily shifting back into my seat. Too much champagne. That had to be it. My heart was pounding a mile a minute.

"Katherine, a few hours ago, your wish was to find out more about the Taylor and Moss families."

"How did..."

"The mechanics of this aren't important, my dear. What is important is the message I have for you."

"Message?" I asked dumbly.

"Victoria's maiden name was Moss."

I woke with a start and bolted out of bed. Images of disco balls, dancers and Zachary Taylor's smile blinded me as I stumbled over the comforter and flipped on the lights. Trembling in my damp nightgown, I pulled a sweatshirt over my head and burrowed into the armchair. It was a dream, nothing more than a dream. I tried to convince myself of this, but as with all of the other times, I failed.

Zachary Taylor had somehow brought me to him to tell me that Victoria was a member of the Moss family. The Victoria-Jonathan story gained a new dimension with the passing of each day. But what did this mean? What was I supposed to do with this information?

"The whole story is ridiculous, and I don't believe a word of it," Blanche said in a low voice as she leaned across the table. "But I'm guessing you knew that. What I'm wondering is why you're sharing it with me."

**

I came clean. I'd invited Blanche to dinner and told her everything from start to finish about Destiny, Will, Jonathan, Victoria and Zachary Taylor. I hadn't thought she would believe such an outlandish tale. Certainly not. Blanche needed sound, concrete proof of everything—even her own existence. I told her for the exact opposite reason as a matter of fact.

"I told you because I was sure you could come up with a reasonable explanation for everything." I took a small scoop of mac and cheese and pushed the plate to the side. My stomach was in knots.

Blanche furrowed her brow. "Did I hear correctly?"

"Yes." I nodded emphatically. "I'm sure you can convince me there's a reasonable explanation for everything that's happened over these past few months. I know I'm not going crazy, and physically, I feel fine."

My sister smiled and shook her head.

"I don't know what to say..."

"What do you mean? You always have a strong opinion about everything."

Blanche speared a tomato wedge with her fork and twirled it a few inches above her salad as if conjuring up an answer. She carefully chewed and swallowed every last bit of pulp and seed, then looked me straight in the eye.

"Kat, I don't believe these kinds of stories... but this time, I can't come up with a logical explanation. All I can ask is this: Are you sure everything happened as you say it did? Could your interpretation or observation of certain things be skewed? Or could you have confused dreams with reality?"

"I'm not crazy."

"I didn't say that. I'm simply saying that perhaps certain elements are a bit off... That could be a reason."

"No, I'm sure of my story," I said. "So what do you think of me now?"

"I think there are things in life that can't be explained."

"Have you turned over a new leaf?"

Blanche smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Of course not, Kat. Maybe you're simply finding out something about me that you didn't know."

"What should I do now?"

"I think you should finish up your article, return to New York and forget about all that's happened. Let's imagine the whole story is true. You have two choices: accept that it came to be in order to bring you and Will together, or look at it as another experience that helped you overcome the illness that has plagued you for years. In either case, the outcome is pretty good."

My sister had a way of making sense out of even the most bizarre situations, and she had accomplished the feat yet again.

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