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The Autumn Gala had started as a follow-up annual fundraiser for the publishing world. It was to New York what the Oscars were to Hollywood. After the Metropolitan Museum of Arts opened one of the largest literary collections, it was now one of the biggest social events in New York for authors, agents, screenwriters, publishers, and even directors. I’d gone twice before with my grandfather when I was around the age of twelve. Other than that, this wasn’t my world. My grandfather…me…I was just…I was just Esther Noëlle.
“I can’t do this! Why am I here? I’m not a celebrity. I don’t want to be here. Excuse me! I’m sorry, can we turn—?”
It was too late for that.
Tears formed in my eyes as the door opened and I could see the long red carpet that had been rolled out. The lights of the cameras flashed never-endingly.
“Ma’am?” The doorman asked waiting for me.
Swallowing the lump of fear in my throat I reached out to take his hand. My ankle-strapped heels first touched the step of the car before touching down on the carpet. Adith, held on to the train of my dress, spreading it behind me on the carpet.
“Pose,” he whispered up to me.
I glanced around at the cameras but I wasn’t sure what else to do so I merely put my hand on my waist and gave them a small smile.
“Let’s go,” I whispered as I swept my hair back over my shoulder and walked forward. I didn’t want to take pictures and I was sure they didn’t want one of me either.
Adith stood just off to my right and I smiled without really caring while I walked slowly forward. Each step I took reminded me of my grandfather, and each step forward without him felt as if I was leaving him behind.
It hurt.
All of it hurt.
I wanted to go home.
I wanted to cry.
My eyes were already burning and my vision blurred but I held back. I prayed and fought for the strength to hold t
hem back and it worked. I couldn’t just run past the other actors and actresses, and so when they stopped I stopped so that my picture could be taken, but at some point it felt like I was walking in darkness and I could only see three feet ahead of me.
“Watch your—”
I didn’t realize it until it was too late. I’d stepped on my own dress as I tried to climb the stairs and before I could stop myself I was falling towards the red carpet. My hands instinctively stuck out however they touched nothing.
“Must you fall each time we meet, Ms. Noëlle?”
I hadn’t closed my eyes for more than a second so I wasn’t sure how I’d found myself in this situation…no, not in this situation but in his arms. How was it that I was in Malachi’s arms? How was it that Malachi just happened to be here? But he didn’t look like Malachi. If it weren’t for his piercing blue eyes and his scar that ran across one of them I’d never would have believed that it was actually him. His hair was cut shorter and styled and he was rocking the most perfect five o’clock shadow. But the biggest change of all was the velvet suit and bow tie he wore.
“My arm is getting tired. Do you mind standing now?” He smirked at me.
Rolling my eyes, I held on to him as I stood straight. Adith rushed over to fix my dress but Malachi shook his head and did it himself. Staring at him, I was unsure if I was dreaming or losing my mind. I watched as he flared out the train before he rose and offered me his arm. When I didn’t take it, he took my hand and put it on his arm. Holding his arm up above mine and we continued walking.
“You might have forgotten but I’m not the best conversationalist. It’s even worse if the other person doesn’t speak,” he said as he paused and turned to take a picture with me. I turned towards the camera and stared blankly into the lens before I remembered to smile.
“Esther, say something please,” he whispered as we began to walk again.
“You’re really here?” It was more of a question to myself than him.
“I am.”
“How?” It wasn’t like anyone would just get an invitation—
“I was invited. Alfred always made sure I got one.” When he said my grandfather’s name he smiled but not out of happiness. He smiled like I smiled when I thought of him…which made me wonder if he hurt like I hurt whenever I thought of my grandfather.
Without another word, we walked into the museum without stopping to pose for any more pictures. The security guard watched us for a moment as we entered and moved in the opposite direction of the Gala but he didn’t bother us. My heels clicked on the granite ground and the classical archways around us mirrored those of Rome or Ancient Greece making it feel as though were walking back in time with each step we took. We walked until we stood under the glass ceiling. In the center of the room was a sculpture, most of it fractured, that was missing both its arms and its right leg. The white stone was now aged and browning.
“Do you know why these are here?” he asked as he paused to look up at the beheaded, armless, marble statue of Aphrodite.
