“Thank you,” Casey told him. “I don't think I have ever felt this much stress.
Between this and moving in with you next month, I think I may need a vacation.”
“Well, I can take you to a Chinese or Mexican restaurant and we can pretend we're
out of the country,” William told her.
“That may work,” she said. “But we'd have to pretend that we're new in town. You
have to have a map with you and pretend you know nothing about this place.”
“That's easy,” William joked. “I don't know half the street names anyway.”
The gallery director called Casey over to chat with the owner.
“We'll pick this up in a little bit,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.
William turned his head, scanning the paintings Casey had chosen for the gallery.
He wondered what they were meant to express. She had always said she never started
with an idea, letting the brush decide what appeared.
The first painting guests saw was titled ‘Reflections’. The self-portrait portrayed
Casey standing in front of a mirror with her back to the viewer. The reflection
showed her face, but the right side was fading, turning transparent. William had
wanted to ask about it. He didn’t know much
about painting, but he was curious how she created the fading effect. It was her
most haunting work. It was more surreal than the one of the scientist.
The next painting showed a two-year-old holding a Care Bear. Casey told him the
bear’s name was Love-A-Lot and that she’d had one as a child. It might have been
another self-portrait, but the child didn’t have Casey’s blue eyes. The girl had
brown eyes, similar to William’s.
The gallery was an hour away from opening to the public. William hoped his sister
would come tonight. He invited her but she couldn't commit due to one of her
children's sports schedule. William felt bad for not knowing which child or which