Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
She wrinkles her brows and lifts her gaze. “Is it crazy that I want to believe you, but I don’t know how?”
“No, it’s not. All I can do is show you. I know one day it will sink in. Consistency. That’s my goal.”
“Letting go. That’s mine. Letting go of the past and letting go to trust. That’s where I’m trying to get to. I am trying, Gregor.”
I take her lips in a deep kiss. The sound of the flame coming to life above our heads is the only thing to break us apart. I place my forehead to hers.
“We can be anything we want. Our marriage marks a new beginning. Walk this journey with me, baby. Trust me with our future and I’ll lead the way.”
“Consistency. I need to see it consistently.”
“I know.”
I’ve got this from here. She’ll see.
Chapter 37
Dreams of Us
Gregor
“Cee,” Chloe squeals in my arms as we walk into the art studio.
Cee looks up with a bright smile on her lips. I love that smile. I see it more often these days and it makes my heart feel lighter.
“Hey, you two,” she sings.
“You haven’t eaten. We thought we’d come to get you for lunch. Have a picnic with us.”
She turns to look out the window and pulls a face. “It’s so hot out there. Are you sure? Chloe will burn, your butt will be next. I’ll be nursing sunburns for the rest of the day.”
I laugh. “I have ice coming in to drop in the pool. We can take a swim when it arrives. For now, we’ll have shade under the pergola.”
“Please, Cee, come play,” Chloe pleads, showing off her little teeth as she smiles.
“See, we want you to spend time with us. We’ll leave you alone after we feed you.”
“All right, all right. I can finish this later.”
“It looks great, by the way.”
I look the painting over. It’s a play on the hot-air balloons. The colors are so vibrant and happy. It evokes joy as I look at it. If that’s what she was going for, she nailed it.
“I wanted to capture the joy of that moment. You know?”
“You hit it right on the head, baby. I love it.”
Her face lights up as she stands and wipes her hands off. She reaches for her rings from the cup she keeps them in while she works.
When she has them on, she moves into my side. I wrap an arm around her as I hold Chloe at my side. This feels so right to me. I’ve wanted to broach the subject of having another child, but it never feels like the right moment.
For now, I settle on being satisfied with having my wife and daughter in my arms. These are the moments I live for. Cee’s happiness fuels my determination each day.
This is what I’ve dreamed of.
* * *
Chloe
I feel like I’m living in a dream. The sun is beaming down on me as I sit by the side of the pool in a bikini. Chloe’s squeals ring out as Gregor swims her around the pool on his back.
I turn to look at them, covering my eyes with my hand and pull my shades down. A smile comes to my lips. They make the cutest sight.
My phone rings beside me, pulling my attention. I pick it up and answer. “Hello.”
“Hello, Mrs. Hennessy, this is Eric. I’m calling with a few questions from the gallery curator.”
I’m thrown for a second as he calls me Mrs. Hennessy. It still hasn’t sunk in that it’s my new last name. Especially since we haven’t told anyone other than Eileen we’re married.
“Hi, Eric. How can I help you?”
“Michelle would like to know if you have an idea of how many pieces you’ll be showing?”
“Oh, I haven’t nailed that down yet. Can I get back to you on that by the end of the week?”
“Sure, she sent over a few display options. I’ll forward those to you and maybe that will help you decide. It’s a much smaller gallery than the Soho show will be in. I love your work, by the way. I’m excited, I hope I can snag a piece for my new loft in New York.”
I can’t help smiling from ear to ear. I still can’t believe this is happening. I’m going to show my work at not one but two real galleries in Manhattan.
“Oh, by the way, I have your resignation letter for Steinway & Schwartz. Would you like me to send you a copy to go over before I send it off?”
“My what?”
“Your resignation letter. Mr. Hennessy had me contact them about your leave. Your time is up. I was informed to draft a resignation letter.”
“By who?”
“Mr. Hennessy.”
“Eric, I’ll call you back.”
I hang up and glare at my husband. He comes over and places Chloe next to me. Eileen comes out right at that moment and takes Chloe to sit with her in the shade.