Kate takes one last glance at her palm and then looks up at Lisa. “I don’t think so,” she says. As she brings a hand up to her face she realizes her cheeks are wet, even though she can’t remember any tears falling. She wipes them away, hoping Lisa hasn’t noticed. “But maybe you can help me with something. If you were a sixteen-year-old girl staying in this hotel, where would you go?”

“The roof,” Lisa says without hesitation. She studies Kate’s face. “Hey, aren’t you the lady from that video? The Conqueror of Kakabeka?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kate says, but as she walks out of the bar, a smile spreads across her face. The Conqueror of Kakabeka. Nothing on her palm could ever have predicted that one.

—

If Kate had read the hotel literature in her room, she would have known that the Radisson had a beautiful rooftop patio with breathtaking views of the city and the harbour. She finds London sitting in a chair facing eastward, towards the aerial lift bridge. When London was little, she used to love walking across that bridge – always giggly with fear that the bridge would begin to lift while she was on it, even though Kate assured her that it wouldn’t.

“Hi, Nana. I’m sorry I was out so late last night.”

“It’s okay, dear,” Kate says, relieved to hear that she had, in fact, come back to the room last night. “You should have woken me up this morning, though.”

“I tried,” London says, avoiding her eyes. “You were passed out cold. I was worried you were back in a coma and it was all my fault.”

A coma. The word sounds familiar to Kate, but she can’t remember what it means. It doesn’t matter, she thinks. London is here and everything is okay. “I’m just glad I found you,” she says. “What are you doing up here?”

“Just thinking.” London finally turns to face her, and Kate sees that her eyes are red and puffy. “I messed up, Nana. We shouldn’t have come here.”