AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shrugs. “More for me.” She brings one of the glasses to her full lips, my gaze fixated on them as she takes a sip.
I’ve never wished I were an inanimate object as much as I do right now.
“And where is the guest of honor?” she asks, forcing my attention away from her mouth.
Clearing my throat, I nod toward the small alcove where Anderson’s spent quite a bit of time tonight.
“That’s her in the photos,” Esme says, a cross between a question and a statement.
I nod.
They may not show her face, but there’s no mistaking that the subject of the black-and-white photos surrounding Anderson is Nora. Even if I didn’t follow him along Route 66 and watch him fall in love with her a little more every day, I would know it’s her by the way he admires each photo with a combination of regret and hope.
“Has she—”
“No,” I interject before she can finish her question. “He still hasn’t heard from her.”
She pulls her lips between her teeth as she studies her brother. “If it’s meant to be, I’m sure they’ll find their way back to each other.” She shifts her gaze toward mine. “Regardless of any complications.”
Her words linger in the air for several protected moments, something in her tone making me think she’s not just talking about her brother, but us, too. That maybe we’ll find our way back to each other, regardless of any complications.
“Excuse me,” she says when I remain silent.
Giving me a small smile, she makes her way toward Anderson. They talk for several minutes, and Esme even manages to get a laugh out of him. But I can tell it’s laced with a hint of sorrow, especially when he turns his eyes back to the photos of Nora.
Esme eventually leaves Anderson to peruse the rest of his work, stopping occasionally to talk to a few people who recognize her.
My focus should be on Anderson, keeping him in my sights. But I can’t stop myself from glancing Esme’s direction every few seconds, drawn to her in a way I’ve never been able to explain.
As I watch her pose for a photo with a few twenty-something women, a hush spreads through the gallery.
I shift my eyes from Esme and toward the front door, dozens of people looking between the photos Anderson’s still staring at and a woman in a black dress with strawberry blonde hair who just entered. She weaves her way through the gallery, the crowds parting to make way for her, all of them knowing exactly who she is. She doesn’t even have to stop to ask where Anderson is. She just knows.
Just like I never have to ask where Esme is. I can always feel her. Like she’s another part of me.
The room seems to hold its breath as Anderson slowly turns around, his eyes locking on Nora’s for the first time in months. I may be several feet away, but I can feel the anticipation buzzing between them.
I want to know what they’re saying, but at the same time don’t want to do anything to interrupt this moment that’s been two months in the making.
As I watch Anderson wrap his arms around her and lean down to kiss her, a strange sensation stirs inside of me. Something I haven’t felt for a long time.
Hope.
Despite all the obstacles facing them, Anderson and Nora found their way back to each other. All because he never gave up hope.
I steal a glimpse across the gallery, finding Esme looking at me with a hint of longing, a sad smile tugging on her lips. But she quickly fixes her expression, gliding through the throngs of people and toward her brother.
I stay at my post, giving her space to meet the infamous Nora. She doesn’t linger too long, politely excusing herself after only a few minutes and slipping out of the gallery before anyone can notice. I doubt anyone would with the excitement of seeing the woman in dozens of Anderson’s photos make a surprise appearance, a fairy tale taking place in front of their very eyes.
But I notice.
I also notice she left without her coat.
In December.
In New York.
I dart toward the front desk and yank her coat off the hanger, hurrying out of the gallery.
