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“He definitely would have, but I’m determined to take it slow thistime.”
Robin nodded. “Nothing wrong with that, except the aforementioned frustration ofcourse.”
“I’m my own worst enemy,” Ninasaid.
Robin picked up her cup. Steam rose into the air above it. “I’ve found sexual fasts to be verygrounding.”
Nina grinned. “Is that what we’re calling it now: sexualfasting?”
Robin shrugged. “You could have sex if you wanted to. You’re choosing temporary celibacy. It’s not that different from a food detox, and those always feelgood.”
“Until you break your fast with an entire pizza,” Nina saidwryly.
Robin wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Well,that’ssomething to look forward to, isn’tit?”
Ninalaughed.
“So can I see them?” Robin asked, her eyes straying to Nina’sportfolio.
“That’s why I brought them,” Nina said, taking a sip of hertea.
“I know, but it’s not too late to change your mind,” Robin said. “There’s nopressure.”
Nina reached for the portfolio case and handed it to Robin. “I appreciate you saying that, but I have to show them to someone besides Monieventually.”
“I don’t have a lick of art experience, but I’m excited to take a look,” Robinsaid.
Nina had surprised even herself by agreeing to show her photographs to Robin. She wanted to believe Karen’s usual blitheness would be tempered with care in the case of Nina’s pictures, but she hadn’t been willing to bank on it. Amy was affluent and educated, but Nina wasn’t sure she was ready for Amy’s clinical eye. And Liam was riskiest of all: a professional and her former lover. Letting him see the photographs that meant so much to her felt too close tohome.
When Robin had asked to see them, Nina had suddenly felt like she was the exact right person. Kind, gentle, nonjudgmental Robin. If anyone would see them as the labor of love they were, it would beher.
She unzipped the case and reached for her tea as she took in the first picture. Nina tried to avoid staring to gauge Robin’s reaction as she flipped through the pages, but it was almost impossible. Her face was so emotive, and Nina watched as she smiled at this picture, furrowed her brow at that one, nodded at thenext.
Nina took compulsive sips of her tea just to have something to do, to avoid pacing the room like a lunatic while Robin flipped through the images nestled inside their clear plasticsleeves.
Finally, Robin came to the last image. Nina knew it was one of the shots she’d taken of Lucy that snowy day at Prospect Park. She could see it in her mind’s eye: Lucy’s hat slipped down to reveal a tangle of copper curls against the pink coat, her cheeks rosy, nose beginning to run, gap-toothed smile ondisplay.
Robin closed the case, set it on the coffee table, and turned to Nina. “Neen… these arebeautiful.”
“Really?”
“Really, and I don’t mean in the ‘how nice’ way you might be thinking. I mean they are truly beautiful. I can feel the care you’ve taken with these children. I can feel what they mean toyou.”
Nina was embarrassed to feel her eyes fill with tears. “Thank you for sayingthat.”
“It’s true, and even more important, you make them mean something to me too.” Robin said, reaching out to squeeze her forearm. “That’s no smallthing.”
Nina smiled. “Thanks.”
Robin sat back on the sofa and took a drink. “Are you done with this collection? Or still adding toit?”
“I’m not sure.” Nina hadn’t thought about an end point to the pictures, hadn’t imagined what she’d do next after itcame.
“Well, it’s not like there’s any rush,” Robin said. “You should work with it as long as it’s movingyou.”
“And thenwhat?”
Robin smiled. “Then you wait for the next thing to moveyou.”
