That night, Janet sat on her meditation mat once again, her apartment quiet except for the faint hum of the city beyond her window. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, waiting for the familiar stillness to take hold. When it did, she spoke softly, her voice steady.
"I'm listening," she said, addressing the presence she could feel but not see. "Show me what to do."
The air around her seemed to shift, growing warmer and heavier, as though she had opened a door to something unseen. And then, the monk's voice returned.
"Tomorrow, a new piece of your journey will begin. Be prepared to meet what is unfamiliar and to trust what you cannot yet see."
Janet's heart quickened, but she didn't speak, letting the words wash over her.
"And remember, Janet," the monk continued, "you are never walking this path alone."
The warmth faded, leaving Janet in the stillness once more. She opened her eyes, her heart steady but her mind racing. Tomorrow. Something was coming. Something she couldn't yet understand but knew would change everything.
The next day, Janet walked through the bustling streets of the city on her way to grab coffee. The morning air was crisp, and the rhythmic clatter of her heels on the pavement seemed to sync with the lively hum of the world waking up around her. She felt strangely alert, as though something significant was about to happen.
As she turned the corner, her gaze landed on a familiar figure. Mike. He was sitting at an outdoor café, his broad shoulders relaxed, his smile easy. Across from him sat a woman—elegant and composed, her laughter tinkling like soft bells as she leaned toward him. Janet's steps faltered for a moment, her heart inexplicably tightening.
She considered walking away, letting them have their moment, but her feet carried her forward. From a distance, she observed them, the ease in their body language and the light-hearted way they seemed to converse. And then it happened. That familiar, unbidden sensation washed over her, tugging her focus sharply toward the woman.
The world around Janet seemed to blur and fade, leaving only the woman and a series of images flashing through Janet's mind. She saw the woman looking at Mike with adoration, her eyes lighting up every time he smiled. She saw her trying to impress him, offering compliments and always being available when he called. But then, the vision shifted—Mike, sitting alone, his face a mask of polite indifference, as the woman looked on with quiet disappointment. Their connection dissolved into an awkward distance, her affection met with his growing disinterest.
When the vision faded, Janet blinked, the city sounds rushing back into her awareness. She stood there, stunned. The woman liked Mike—it was painfully clear. But their paths were not meant to intertwine deeply. Mike didn't return her feelings. He wasn't drawn to the way she seemed to mold herself around him, to her overly accommodating nature, her need to please.Janet's chest tightened as an unexpected wave of sympathy for the woman swept over her. She could see the story unfold before it even happened, the inevitable heartbreak of wanting someone who didn't want you back.
Mike's laugh pulled her out of her thoughts, grounding her in the present. He glanced up at that moment, his eyes meeting Janet's across the street. A flicker of surprise crossed his face before he raised a hand in greeting.
"Janet!" he called, standing up.
She hesitated for a moment but walked over, her steps deliberate. As she approached, the woman turned to look at her, her expression curious but friendly.
"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Mike said, his smile warm. He gestured to the woman. "This is Emily, a colleague of mine. Emily, this is Janet."
Janet extended a polite smile and shook Emily's hand. "Nice to meet you."
Emily's grip was firm but soft, and her expression was open, though Janet couldn't help but notice the slight flicker of guardedness in her eyes. She knew who Janet was—or at least had an idea. Janet could feel it in the subtle tension that passed between them.
"Nice to meet you too," Emily said, her voice kind but measured.Mike, oblivious to the undercurrent between the two women, gestured to the empty chair beside him. "Join us for a coffee?"
Janet hesitated, glancing at Emily. She could sense the woman's unspoken wish for her to decline, the silent plea not to intrude on this moment. But Janet also knew, with the certainty her visions gave her, that there was no future here. Emily and Mike's paths might cross for now, but they were never meant to truly merge.
"I was just passing by," Janet said smoothly. "I'll let you two get back to your conversation."
Emily's shoulders relaxed slightly, and she offered Janet a grateful smile. Mike, however, frowned. "You sure? It's been a while since we talked."
Janet nodded, her expression calm. "We'll catch up soon."
As she walked away, she could feel Mike's gaze lingering on her, while Emily's attention shifted back to him, her smile tentative yet hopeful. Janet didn't need another vision to know how it would play out. Emily would keep trying, hoping that her devotion would win him over. But Mike wasn't looking for someone to cling to him, someone who would always agree and accommodate. He needed something more—something different.
And Janet? She wasn't sure what role she played in all of this yet, but she couldn't shake the feeling that her path and Mike's were far from done crossing. The monk's words echoed faintly in her mind as she turned the corner: "Be prepared to meet what is unfamiliar and to trust what you cannot yet see."
She didn't know what the future held, but she knew one thing for certain—this was only the beginning