Page 32 of The Embrace of Evergreen

“The Lovers Upright,” she exclaims as she clasps her hands together gleefully. “This card represents long-lasting, meaningful relationships. Often this can come in the form of a soulmate or romantic life partner, but it can apply to other relationships as well. The lovers’ nudity symbolizes the willingness of both partners to open their hearts and share their truest feelings even when it is most difficult. This type of trust can create a powerful bond between two people. The Lovers can also indicate the pending shift in the way you view your relationships. Soon, a choice will need to be made. This might be the choice between one lover over another, but it may also be the choice to trust and commit, even when it feels like a risk. Believing in yourself and following your heart when you make this choice will lead you to a relationship filled with love, respect, and compassion.”

“Pretty sure that’s not the right card for me. None of my relationships are lasting or meaningful.” Though Gabriel’s tone is snarky, his voice is soft and shaky, and it feels as if he wishes that wasn’t true. He’s always been bouncy and playful and welcoming when I’m around. I’ve never seen him depressed or frustrated or upset, but maybe he’s hiding the way I always have. Maybe he’s not happy being alone either.

“Our relationship is meaningful.” Blue places his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder and smiles down at him.

“Ya. That’s true.” Gabriel sniffs.

“The card doesn’t say whether this is a romantic relationship or whether you already know the person it speaks of. It seems to indicate, however, that surprising new opportunities will appear soon. I wish I could be more specific, but that’s not how the cards work.” Marigold seems to honestly wish she could offer him more. It doesn’t feel like she’s simply playing a game; it feels like she believes what she’s saying.

“Well.” Gabriel snickers as he straightens his back from his momentary slump and wraps a knuckle against the card as he stands, clearly finished with this little side-trek adventure. “I guess I’ll just have to keep my eyes out for a sexy merman.”

Blue

I can’t help but wonder about our tarot readings as we pack up our hotel room after enjoying the evening’s fireworks. About the way Gabriel’s spoke of a long-lasting love, something I know he secretly wants more than anything despite the fact that all of his relationships seem to fizzle out quickly. The way Ethan’s spoke of true love, and mine spoke of peace after pain and the stupid, terrifying, hopeful idea that what I want might just be right in front of me. Mostly, I can’t seem to suppress the deep soul-aching spark of belief that maybe, just maybe, there is magic in the universe and that somehow, if I’m worthy of its attention, mine and Ethan’s readings - and futures - might align. Somehow, he might miraculously wake up one morning and realize that he wants me, the same way I fell head over heels for him, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t happening.

“Okay. Which one of you muffin fluffers thinks you’re funny?” Gabriel asks as he squirms around on the bed Ethan and I shared last night while trying to pull something from the back pocket of his overly tight jeans.He packed before the show, so he’s decided that annoying Ethan and me while we pack is the best use of his time.

“Muffin fluffers? This is where you’re at. Please let me teach you some grown-up swear words.” I chuckle as I try - for at least the fifth time - to shove an obstinate and dangling pant leg into my overstuffed suitcase so that I can zip it up.

“Never. And come on, which one of you did this? I’m pretty sure it makes you a stealer.”

“A stealer? Do you mean a thief?” Ethan’s disembodied and slightly echoey voice asks from the open bathroom door.

“I mean what I mean, and for real, which one of you was it?” Gabriel bounces off the bed and shoves something in my face.

I have to lean back to see that it’s the mermen tarot card. “Wasn’t me. Although it is a pretty card.”

Ethan wanders out of the bathroom, his packed suitcase wheeling along behind him. Being the thoughtful man he is, he makes his way straight to me and sits down on the case I’m struggling to close. It zips right up. If I take an extra three seconds pretending to struggle with the zipper so that I can simply be close to him for one more moment, well, no one has to know. “It wasn’t me either. Do I really seem like the kind of person who would steal something and shove it into someone else’s pants?”

“No.” Gabriel sounds both annoyed and devastated as he stares at the offending card. “Well, it had to be one of you.”

“I swear it wasn’t. Maybe it was magic.” I wiggle an eyebrow.

“Haha, very funny,” Gabriel snarks.

“Maybe you picked it up by accident,” Ethan offers as he stands up with a small grunt, a noise that definitely doesn’t shoot through my veins like fire.

“If I were to accidentally steal something, it would be like…cheese or a puppy or diamonds, not a stupid can’t-really-tell-the-future card.” Gabriel glares at it like it might conjure teeth and bite his fingers off at any moment.

“Well…” I pull on my jacket and join Ethan by the door with my suitcase, ready to lock up and head home. “We can drop by her shop on the way out of town and see if she’s still there.”

Gabriel just sighs and drops the card in the wastebasket beside the door as he joins us. “No. At least this way, no one else will be subject to its nonsense in the future.”

Gabriel growls as he slams the freezer door. The double mermen card is taped at eye level just above the ice dispenser. I don’t know how it ended up in our apartment after he threw it out when we left the hotel last month, but he says that he found it while cleaning out his pockets doing laundry. In truth, if he didn’t get unreasonably upset and try to glare it into flames with his nonexistent eyeball lasers every time he’s in the kitchen, I’d assume he’d found a copy online and bought it just to fuck with me. I don’t have a logical explanation, but its reappearance doesn’t bother me in the same way it bothers Gabriel. It’s not like I go around believing in actual magic, but I’m a pretty easygoing guy, and I just don’t care enough to worry about coming up with an explanation that makes sense.

“What the frack is wrong with me, babe?” Gabriel plops down on the couch next to me and lays his head on my shoulder. “Yet another man added to the ever-growing list of men who seem to think I'm good enough for a few romps in bed but nothing more.”

“Fuck. Gabriel, I’m so sor…”

“Nope. I don't want to talk about it.” He cuts me off. “If you want to make me feel better, then let's talk about how your plan to never develop real feelings for any humans other than me while solving all your needs for intimacy with wild and jealousy-inducing, no-risk-of-being-dumped-for-the-thousandth-time one-night stands is going.”

He somehow manages to keep talking while shoving a frankly pornographic-sized bite of ice cream into his mouth.

“Because last time I checked, you haven't hooked up with anyone in months. Something that seems to serendipitously coincide with precisely the moment a certain redheaded non-stockbroker came into our lives.”

“It’s auburn.”

“Nice try, doll. We’re not discussing the minutia of red hair versus auburn.”

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