But at this point, can I really discount anything? I’m the one stuck in this damn time taco. “How do I get out of the loop?”

“You’ve been stuck for a long time. And now? You’re only stuck because you think you are. You’ve been living behind a veil and the veil has been lifted. This isn’t a trap you need to escape, it’s an opportunity you need to embrace.”

Frustration makes my jaw clench, my hands twist in my lap. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” she spreads her hands out in front of her, “you’re not stuck, you’re finally free. Isn’t it a beautiful day?” She leans her head back, as if feeling the sun on her face, but when I squint up at the sky, it’s still foggy. Then she smiles again. “Sometimes life is as ridiculous as comparing time to a taco. Time is a construct. Past, present, future . . . these are things we’ve decided exist in some kind of order to try and force logic onto a more complex world. Minutes, seconds, days, years—humans created those concepts because we like to put things in their place. But reality, the here and now, is timeless.”

I nod. I mean, I get it. And it sounds poetic and Buddhist and everything, but at the same time, philosophy can’t help me get out of this damn Monday.

“Live in the now? Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying, focus on the things you can control and let go of the rest. You have today to have your tacos and eat them too. Does anything else really matter?”

Yes! Like living the rest of my life! She wants me to let go? Let go of what? I can’t hold on to anything. I take a deep breath. “But what can I do then? To make things change?”

Her eyes meet mine, full of knowledge and something else. Peace. “Change is inevitable. But it doesn’t matter. We all have to come to terms with the fact that we have no control over the world around us, regardless of the passage of time. Change isn’t anything to fear. Change that happens around you doesn’t matter. It’s out of your control. There is only one thing we truly have power over.”

“What is it?”

Her brows lift. “Ourselves, of course. If you truly want change, it starts with you. When you’re on the right path, you’ll know.”

“How will I know?”

“Look for the signs. Trust yourself. You’ll know.”

Easy for her to say. I bet most of my signs will say “dead end.”

“Okay.” I blow out a breath. “That’s great. I can change myself. Look for the signs. But that doesn’t really answer my question. How do I get out?”

“The only way out is through, and the only way through is to love, Jane.”