Her gaze shifted to the huge fountain marking the U-shaped courtyard’s center, where a rainbow of sunshine-gilded droplets cascaded from the shooting streams of water. A profusion of colorful flowers and neatly trimmed dark green hedges encircled the area. Numerous inviting wrought-iron benches dotted the courtyard, some situated in the sunshine, others resting in the shade provided by soaring elms. It was the perfect place for shoppers visiting the complex’s stores to rest and enjoy a snack, or for the workers in the offices above the retail spaces to enjoy a casual, outdoor lunch.

Or, based on the number of couples currently seated close together on the benches, it was also the perfect place for a bit of romance. Especially with today being Valentine’s Day.

Isabelle’s gaze settled on one of the couples, a pair she judged to be in their early forties, and her psychic instincts tingled. She clearly sensed the couple’s deep love for one another. Isabelle focused her energies-or as she called them, her “cosmic feelings”-on the couple, and then a smile tugged at her lips as the reason for their obvious happiness became clear to her. A much-wanted, long-awaited-for baby was on the way. She hoped they would visit her table so she could confirm her feeling.

She resumed her perusal of the numerous other party goers, a number of whom possessed bright auras and evoked a strong psychic reaction in her, again filling her with the hope that those individuals would take the time to visit her table. Whether it was because of Valentine’s Day or due to the planets’ current alignment, or a combination of both, she strongly sensed love and romance in the air. In her experience, however, many people fought the forces of fate. Didn’t believe in destiny. Or karma. Walked right by or completely ignored their perfect match because of preconceived notions. Focused their attentions on people who, in the long run, wouldn’t make them happy, when the person who would make their lives complete often stood right beneath their noses.