“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” He sighed dejectedly.
“I gotta go. We can talk some other time.”
“Alright. Bye, Erin.”
“Bye, Brian.” She held the phone against her ear for a few seconds after the call had been disconnected. It felt as if she was breaking his heart all over again. Guilt washed over her like a waterfall. She placed the phone in her handbag and headed for the lobby.
ChapterTwo
“So, what do you think?”
Erin stared at the canvas prints set up before her. There was a total of seven, all unique in theme but connected. They all showed a young woman at various stages of development. The color palette of her clothing transitioned from bold pink to bright blue and culminated in an amalgamation of all the colors in the last photo. The common denominator in all the photos was that family surrounded her, and although the image didn’t focus on the faces, she could see they were all smiling.
“These are…wow. These are great, Gregg,” she expressed, looking over her shoulder at the man who stared back at her anxiously. At her cheerful words, his face brightened. “I think Archie will love them.”
“I hope so. I spent all week developing them,” Gregg replied, walking over to stand beside her.
“He will,” she answered with a reassuring smile. Erin’s eyes widened in surprise when Gregg’s hand rounded her shoulders and pulled her into his side. Her head snapped to look at him.
“Thanks.” He smiled sincerely at her, oblivious to her discomfort.
However, she relaxed at his lack of awareness, allowing the embrace. Since their first lunch meeting over a week ago, they’d been getting lunch together on a regular basis. He was also pleasantly down to earth, and they had spent their time talking about work, bouncing ideas off each other. They also talked about their families and their interests. Erin even gave him some insight into her breakup with Brian. He had patiently listened to her before advising her to do what was best for her. She had appreciated his insight. She’d like to think they were friends now, and she was happy about that— she needed at least one person she could talk to.
“I’m gonna leave these here until my meeting with Archie later. Is that okay?” Gregg asked, releasing her.
“Yeah, sure. I don’t mind,” she replied.
“Great. Thanks.” Gregg grinned, showing off his pearly whites. “I have another photo shoot in a half hour. I’ll see you then,” he said as he moved toward the door.
“See you in a bit,” Erin responded before the door shut. She turned back to the beautiful pieces before her. There was something about each piece that evoked a wave of nostalgia. The girl in each photo smiled brightly because her family surrounded her at every stage of her development, unlike Erin, who had no one here in Manhattan. It reminded her of how alone she was at this stage of her life. She missed her family back in Oak Harbor.
A few tears slipped down her cheeks as her mind flicked to Becky— to her lifeless body lying in the coffin as they lowered it into the earth. It was painful to think that her grandmother was really gone and that she wouldn’t be privy to those hugs and warm smiles she’d become accustomed to. But she was also happy that Becky was no longer suffering because of her ALS. It had been a rough couple of months with her becoming completely paralyzed and losing the ability to speak, eat, or even breathe on her own. Erin wouldn’t wish such a sickness on her worst enemy.
Erin walked to her desk and picked up her cell phone. Opening it, she scrolled to the photos of her newborn niece. A broad smile replaced her tears— it always did when she thought about baby Rebecca.How could such a tiny thing be so precious?Her smile dimmed a little when she swiped to a photo of her sister Jules holding baby Rebecca. Their relationship had suffered so much last year, but Erin wanted to try to repair the broken trust. She was happy Jules had decided to keep the baby and that she had reconciled with the father, but it also left her feeling hopeless when she considered her own situation. A hollow space was in her chest that nothing would ever be able to fill. The office phone ringing brought her out of her musings.
“Hello?”
“Erin, I need you in my office right now.”
“Okay, Archie. I’m on my way.” Wiping her tear-streaked face, she fished out her compact mirror and stared at her reflection, ensuring she looked alright. Then, satisfied with what she saw, she headed to her boss’s office.
“Hi, Sandra. Archie asked to see me.” Erin smiled politely at her boss’s secretary.
“I know. He’s waiting for you.” The woman smiled back.
Erin gave a sharp nod and walked up to the glass door. She couldn’t see anything because the shutters were down. Nevertheless, she pressed the small button, and the buzzer sounded, signaling she could go in.
She opened the door and entered. Her boss sat behind a wide oak desk with his back to her, and his head rested on the rim of the chair.
"You wanted to see me, Archie?"
The man turned his chair in her direction. His expression was unreadable, and it made her uneasy. Finally, after more than ten seconds of saying or doing nothing, Archie sighed and stood to his feet.
"Tell me, Erin, what do you see when you look out there?" He turned to point at the view through the glass panels.
"Um…" Erin hesitated. Her brows furrowed in confusion. She wasn’t sure if it was a trick question that required some other answer than the obvious. "I see buildings like this one," she finally answered.
“Exactly!” Archie exclaimed, snapping his fingers. Erin’s eyes became saucers. “What makes this building special? What sets us apart from the rest?” His gray gaze bore into Erin’s, waiting.
