Julian fixed his eyes on the poster. The Oliver Gallery. How had she wound up in Philadelphia? he wondered. Had she been here the whole time? What had she been doing? There was no question, however, that the face on the poster was Cassandra’s. Finally the nightmare was over. He’d bring her back where she belonged, and everything would be all right again. He pressed his hand against the glass and stood still, as if letting her know that he was there. And that he would finally take her home.
??25??
Addison
After we finish hanging the photographs at the gallery, Gabriel, Hailey, and I sit on the floor, eating cold pizza from Pizzeria Beddia. It’s after midnight, and we’ve been working here four hours. When Gabriel first brought up the idea of the exhibition, I had no idea of all that would be involved. But he and Hailey have worked patiently with me for the last month, choosing the photos, determining the size of each one and whether to frame it.
Gabriel pulls his sweater off and drops it on the floor next to him. “Hot,” he says, and runs a hand through his wavy hair. We’ve kept the door to this exhibit room closed so the light won’t shine into the front of the gallery, which closed at eight.
“Cold pizza and warm ginger ale. That should cool you off,” Hailey says, taking a bite of a limp-looking slice, and we all laugh.
I look at both of them and feel such a rush of gratitude and love that it chokes me. “I can never thank you guys enough for all your help.”
“Of course.” Hailey squeezes my shoulder. “We’re family.”
I look at her—this fresh-faced woman who will soon be my sister-in-law—and think how much like her brother she is. She’s welcomed me without reservation, and I can relax with her in a way that feels so easy and natural. A few months ago we started a new tradition—a girls’ night every Thursday. She introduces me to a different restaurant each week so we can discover what I like. We’ve done Thai, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Mexican, French, Spanish. I’ve discovered that I actually enjoy all different kinds of cuisine, but my current favorite is Thai, with Indian a close second. Hailey makes it fun to try and figure out my predilections, and never makes me feel odd in any way. She’s one of those people with the rare ability to bring out the best in people, and even though I have missing parts, she makes me feel whole.
We’ve almost finished the drooping pizza when Blythe and Ted come in with two large cartons.
“Wine delivery,” Ted calls out, and Gabriel jumps to his feet and takes the box from his mother.
“This is great. Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome. This is the white. Why don’t you take it back to the refrigerator?”
“I’ll put the other one here.” Ted places it on the floor and looks around. “How’s it going? All finished yet?”
“Come on, take a look,” Gabriel says to his dad, and Hailey and I both get up to follow them.
We stand there, the five of us, at the back of the small room and look without speaking. I know Gabriel and Hailey are looking at the exhibit with pride. They’ve both had such a big hand in it from beginning to end that I know it feels like it’s their exhibit too, and I’m glad for that. I’m not quite sure about Ted. He strikes me as a man who doesn’t rush to judgment but takes his time, careful not to jump to conclusions. If he doesn’t know what to make of me yet, I think he is giving me the benefit of the doubt unless I prove him wrong. The outlier is Blythe, of course. She has actually pitched in to help with the exhibit, but without the gusto of the rest of the family. There’s always a little bit she withholds.
“It looks amazing,” Gabriel says, coming to put his arm around me.
Blythe nods. “The photographs are beautiful, Addison. I’ve seen these bridges for years, but your camera has turned them into a thing of wonder. Thank you for trusting us with your work.”
I feel a rush of gratitude. Her approval means more to me than I care to admit. Dare I believe that she’s come a little bit closer to accepting me?
“Thank you, Blythe. It’s really something to see them displayed like this. It’s more than I ever dreamed of.”
“I have a feeling that after tonight your name is going to be spoken of in a lot of art circles,” Gabriel says with a huge smile.
For some reason the thought makes me nervous. I’m comfortable in the small little world I’ve created. I think about the ticket I’ve booked to Florida. Who knows what might happen if that world opens up too wide?