Chapter 18 - The Art Gallery Opening
Three months later, the damp chill of late winter gave way to the vibrant, blossoming green of a Pacific Northwest spring.
The historic brick building in downtown Portland was packed to the gills with local artists, critics, neighborhood friends, and two very hyperactive toddlers who were currently trying to sample the complimentary cheese cubes near the back catering table.
Tonight was Cassandra’s first major solo art exhibition—“Fragments of Grace”—a stunning collection of oil paintings and mixed-media canvases depicting single mothers, struggling artists, and the quiet, resilient beauty of everyday survival.
At the center of the main gallery wall hung the crown jewel of the exhibition: a massive, breathtaking canvas titled “The Plane Ride Home.” It featured a pale blue sky, a tiny window looking out over snow-draped mountain peaks, and two small figures with bright green eyes pressing their hands against the glass, looking toward a dawn that held infinite promise.
I stood across the room, leaning against a support column with my hands in my pockets, watching Cassandra answer questions from a local art critic with grace, confidence, and a radiant smile that reached all the way to her eyes.
She looked across the crowded room, locking eyes with me through the sea of heads. The unspoken connection between us was as strong as it had been on that crowded airplane six months ago—only now, there were no secrets, no hidden envelopes, and no corporate baggage standing between us.
"Proud of her?"
I turned my head to find Arthur Pendelton standing beside me, holding a sparkling cider flute with a satisfied grin.
"Every single day," I said honestly.
"You know, Calder’s stock plummeted another twenty percent this morning," Arthur noted casually, sipping his drink. "They tried to salvage the neonatal patents, but without your encryption keys and personal blessing, the federal grants fell through. They're liquidating the entire division."
"Let them," I shrugged. "Those patents belong in the public domain now. Anyone who needs them can use them freely. No shell companies, no corporate walls."
May you like
Arthur chuckled, clapping a heavy hand on my shoulder. "You really walked away from a billion-dollar empire, Damon. Most men would spend the rest of their lives regretting it."
"I didn't walk away from an empire, Arthur," I said, watching Luke sneak another cheese cube while Violet giggled behind him. "I walked toward a family."
