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As normal when it comes to a party of any kind, Dom and Dalton are the last to leave.
Dom kisses Leyna on the cheek, ‘It was a great night, thanks for inviting us.’ Dalton goes to give me a kiss, too. I stop him and laugh. I pat him on the shoulder, ‘Thanks mate, it was great of you two to come along tonight. I’m not sure what we would have done with all the free wine if you hadn’t been here to help us drink it!’
Dalton, smiles, ‘Anytime Jack, anytime.’ He turns and says to Dom, ‘Okay, let’s get out of here. I believe we can still make last orders at the Head of Steam if we run.’
I watch as Dom and Dalton drunkenly jog away into the darkness, their laughter echoing off of the winding, cobbled streets.
I lock up the door of the gallery and head upstairs to find Leyna. She is in the small office off the back of the main upstairs gallery floor. She is sitting on a small sofa with her feet up. She’s kicked off her shoes and is sipping a glass of white wine.
‘You were amazing tonight.’
Leyna looks up at me and smiles sweetly. ‘Just the guy I was looking for.’
I step into the office and sit down next to her. I take one of her tiny feet into my hands and rub the arch, feeling the smooth silk stockings against my fingers.
She closes her eyes for a moment then jumps up, startled. ‘I almost forgot! I have something I’ve wanted to show you for ages,’ she says. ‘I meant to show it to you months ago, but with the move and all the upheaval, it completely slipped my mind. But you need to see this.’
‘Right now?’ I ask.
Leyna is already up and leading the way out of the office. I grab a glass of wine as we head out the door. ‘There was just something about it,’ she says over her shoulder as she leads me down the hall to a storage room. She doesn’t often ramble, but it feels like she’s trying to tell me something. ‘It reminded me so much of your style. Of course, I only realised—’ She pauses for what seems an eternity.
‘Leyna! What is it?’
‘Right. Sorry. I don’t mean to drum up the suspense but look at this and tell me what you think...’ Slowly she turns the canvas around.
The second I see it I know. Know exactly what I’m looking at. The glass of wine slips out of my hand and crashes to the floor.
‘Jack!’
‘How—’ My voice breaks. ‘Where did you find this?’
She looks at me strangely. ‘A sale. Years ago, down south. Around the same time I was at uni. You’re acting very oddly. Jack, do you recognise it?’
I swallow. My throat is tight and I fight back the hot sting of tears. ‘I do. You have a good eye, Leyna. In fact, it’s one of mine.’
‘You painted this?! Did you really?’ she says, amazed. She looks back and forth between me and the painting. ‘Iknewthere was something special about this one.’
‘In fact, I’ve been looking for this very painting for a long time. This is what I’ve had Kenny looking for all this time.’
‘The same Kenny who helped you with the restaurant mess?’
‘Yes. I actually hired him many years ago with the sole purpose of finding that painting.’
‘You didn’t,’ she whispers, astonished.
I nod, still fighting to control my emotions. ‘I painted it when I was a teenager.’
Leyna takes my hand as we both continue to gaze at the painting. ‘Who is it?’ she asks softly, even though she must know.
I take a deep breath and fight with every last bit of strength I have. ‘It’s my stepfather. In much happier times. Before the illness ravaged him.’ A tear slips out and slides down my cheek.
‘Oh Jack. I’m so sorry. You’ve been desperate to find it and I’ve had it all this time in a dusty spare room.’
‘It’s not your fault, Leyna. I’m so grateful you found it and took such good care of it. Otherwise, I may never have seen it again. I neverexpectedto see it again.’
I take the frame lovingly into my hands, examining the brushstrokes and all of the emotion and memories packed into those simple dabs of paint. After all these years, the painting I’d cherished more than anything had finally found its way home to me.
