Chapter 19 - The Local Exhibition
Six months later, the Cannon Beach Community Center hosted its annual art gala. It wasn't a black-tie affair; people wore flannel, denim, and comfortable boots. The wine was poured from boxes, and the hors d'oeuvres were brought in tupperware by the locals.
It was the best gala Julian Vance had ever attended.
He stood in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall, watching Clara. She was standing in front of her centerpiece photograph—a stunning, raw portrait of a man on a roof, covered in tar, looking down at the camera with a vulnerable, exhausted smile. The plaque beneath it read: The Boy in the Garage.
Elias walked up to Julian, handing him a plastic cup of cheap red wine.
"She's talented," Elias said, looking at Clara.
"She sees the world in a way the rest of us are too blind to notice," Julian said softly, repeating the exact words he had told her in their twenties.
Clara caught his eye from across the room. She excused herself from a conversation with Mark the carpenter—who had politely accepted his defeat—and walked over to her husband.
"You're hiding in the corner," she teased, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"I'm admiring the artist," he replied, kissing her forehead. "You sold four prints tonight. You're becoming a titan of the local art industry."
May you like
"Just wait until my new manager optimizes my supply chain," she laughed.
Julian smiled, resting his hand gently on her stomach, which was just beginning to show the very faint curve of a new pregnancy. "Your manager is currently prioritizing family leave."
