Then Cayce picked up her paintbrush and also mentally reached for the threads of anger and darkness, using her energy to pull them from Naomi, so she could be a part of this installation without leaving that stain. It was work at the soul level. No darkness allowed.
Closing her eyes again, she checked in on the energy of her colors and of nature. Then went to work.
*
Wow, he whispered to himself as the show opened.
He stared at the installation in shock and amazement. He’d made it just in time. The crowd was hundreds deep here, but he’d found a ladder left behind one of the curtains against the back wall and climbed up just a step so he could see what was going on. The installation was on a platform, but it wasn’t high enough for anybody else to have seen quite what he was seeing. Not only was the installation incredible but, just as he managed to get a decent view, Naomi had stepped forward, and nobody had seen her until then. Cries of delight came from the audience as they watched her do her pirouette, before stepping back and blending in once again. This was typical for the Cayce installation reveals. But the audience was due for another surprise.
Suddenly a child came bouncing out of the middle, doing cartwheels. Painted as a great big beach ball, she turned like a pinwheel across the stage. Immediately the crowd broke out in cheers, clapping, and laughter. The little girl immediately spun backward, and, with a little bit more difficulty, set herself back into the painting.
If that wasn’t enough, three more children, all at the same time, came bouncing out and did exactly the same thing. When they were almost done, the fourth little girl joined them, and they did one complete revolution, running around, dancing, and laughing. They came up to the front of the audience and did a bow, before they walked back to the painting and reset themselves into the actual art installation.
He stared in amazement, whispering, “Dear God! Cayce had outdone herself this time.”
And, just like that, Cayce, in a long flowing white gown, something smooth and sleek, yet simple, stepped forward and raised a hand of thanks to the entire crowd. Everybody jumped up, cheered, and laughed, crying and screaming in joy.
She smiled and said, “As you can see, I added something a little special this time.”
And they clapped and cheered. When it finally died down, only the waiters moved among them, with large flutes of champagne and trays of hors d’oeuvres. Cayce herself walked over to the kids, popped them out of the painting, and took them up to the front of the stage again, introducing each one to the audience. Then she gave the four little girls a little glass of something bright pink and bubbly and headed them off to the two sets of parents who had brought their kids.
Then she walked to Naomi, reaching out a hand. Naomi took her turn in the spotlight, as she felt she always should, the stupid bitch. Then they parted, and Cayce moved back into the crowd.
He watched Cayce join the guests with that same elegance she put into her paintings, that same life, that same verve, and yet she herself was so controlled, as if she had a way to blanket it, a way to keep it under control, and she only allowed that life when she did an installation—and in the party afterward. As if she had been turned on, and the rest of the time, she was turned off.
He wondered about that. He’d known it for a long time, but she was simply stunning. His heart made a happy sigh as he slipped off the ladder and walked through the crowd, grabbing a flute of champagne as a waiter walked past, until he could see Cayce. She never really spent any time with him, never really saw him, not like she used to, but he was determined to make her see, one day, that he was worthy of her attention. It couldn’t be yet, but one day she would see that he was worthy of being beside her.
But just being here was special. Just seeing an artist at the top of her game was beyond special. Even being in her aura, well, that was something else yet again.
He reached out to touch her, then pulled back just in time. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself but wanted to feel who she was as she walked by.
He wasn’t sure if she noticed or not, but she stiffened. He loved that too. She was so responsive; she probably had no clue what she was reacting to, but he did, and that made him feel even more special, more connected. With a happy sigh, he watched as she walked from person to person, talking to them, smiling with them, just being herself. Which was, in essence, perfect.
*
Halo huddled against the brick building, as the rain poured steadily only a few inches from his toes.
Rain, God’s tears.
Someone bad was out there.
God wasn’t happy. A sob broke free, and he burrowed his head against his knees. He wanted a hot coffee so bad. But he’d been too scared to go back to Hildie. He wanted the rain, his brain hurting as it always did. But the rain made the rest of him hurt too. His knees creaked as he pulled them closer to his chest.
His punishment. For being bad.
But he tried to be good. Always had. Only bad things happened when he was around.
His mother had said he was one side of the coin. The other had to be kept secret. Hidden.
Is that why Mom hadn’t loved him? Tears flowed on his cheeks, as they did inside his soul. Some hurts never went away.
Neither did some wrongs.
He tried to warn the pretty woman with the paints. But she hadn’t
