“Maybe they’re worried that who they think they are isn’t who they are.”

“We’ll show them our results when we get them. Maybe they’ll feel better then, find it interesting and not invasive. They’ll try to figure out which part of our makeup is from Mom, which is from Dad, then maybe they’ll do it.”

“Maybe.”

* * *

Maybe not.

Probably not. I didn’t understand their vehemence, how adamantly they were against the test. I didn’t understand my mother’s inexplicable sadness.

That bugged me. I like to understand as much about life as possible, especially with my premonitions curse, and this one I did not understand.

* * *

Two days later, Chief Reginald Ass Burn lumbered into my bookstore, my haven, my slice of literary heaven, in his uniform, chest puffed up, face flushed around the edges. His scraping negativity was already invading my space. It’s hard to have mean people around your books, infecting them.

“Evie, may I have a word with you?”

As soon as I saw him I had tried to sneak like a snake up the stairs to my office. Surely it was time for the chocolate chip cookies I brought for a snack?

“Yes?”

“Privately, please,” he commanded. He dropped those slitty eyes to my chest. I was wearing a black classic T-shirt with my favorite women’s rock band and jeans that stopped mid-shin embroidered with white roses at the bottom.

“I’m very busy right now,” I said. “What can I help you with?”

“I want to talk to you about your ticket. Alone.”

“I don’t want to talk to you alone. What about my ticket? I paid it. In full.”

“I told you, hon, that you didn’t need to do that. You only had to get your taillight fixed and come to me with your ticket when it was done and I would reduce it. I told you that you might have a lucky day.” He smirked at me.

Oh, gross. So gross. First, calling me “hon” and then saying I might have a “lucky day.” He was trying to insert a sick slice of sexuality. In my bookstore! A place of literary excellence. A place for books, for authors, for creativity and pie and cake and tea and coffee. A place for kids to learn to love books. A place for reading, the holy grail of life.