“This is kind of nice.” Henri stepped a little closer, his hands still caged in his jeans.
“It’s beautiful,” Maven confessed, she stepped closer, “My mind takes off when I look at artwork. I always want to know the reason behind all of it.”
“He probably loved her.” Henri turned his head. “Why else would someone paint such a picture?”
Maven searched the tag for a name. “How do you know it was a man?”
“Just a guess.”
Maven squinted at the blob like signature and gasped. “That’s Sandra’s last name.”
Henri nodded. “Yeah it is. Her grandfather painted many of the paintings in this exhibit.”
Maven was impressed. “Wow, Henri.”
“Artistic talent runs in the family. I don’t mean to boast, but I’m a great painter myself.” He smiled, moving on to the next painting.
“Do you have any in here?” Maven couldn’t believe how interesting Henri became the more she got to know him.
“Nope. But I have a closet full of old stuff I did a long time ago.” He studied an abstract piece growing quiet.
“Why don’t you paint anymore?”
“Have to have a reason to paint. I really don’t have one anymore.”
“I can draw a little. We should get together sometime and you can paint something.” She smiled at her idea.
“You.” Henri made a picture frame with his fingers, framing her smiling face with them. “I could paint you.”
“Okay, you can paint me. And I’ll even bring one of my own sketch books and draw you.”
Henri agreed. “Only if you promise you’ll keep it forever.”
Maven pushed into his arm. “Don’t be silly.”
“What should I be then?” His eyes held a certain intensity that made her heart skip a beat. She timidly pushed her hair from her eyes.
“Nothing, I wouldn’t want you to be anything but you.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. Henri turned away, paying more attention to the next picture to lighten the mood. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
At the end of the exhibit she couldn’t help but want it to go on forever.
She sat down on the bench outside of the museum. Henri leaned against the old pillar. Maven studied the cracked paint trying to come up with something to say.
“How come you didn’t go to the same school as Sandra?” He wasn’t more than a year older than her. If they were related it only made sense.
“I lived in Tennessee with my parents.” Henri pushed off the pillar, taking a seat next to her. “I’ve only been here a couple years.”
Maven did the math in her head. Henri knew what was coming next. “Then where did you go to school?”
“Home schooled senior year.” He scratched at his forearm. “I finished halfway through my senior year.”
Maven nodded impressed. “What was the reason you chose homeschooling?”
Henri could feel his heart beating out of his chest. There was no getting out of this one. He started to panic. He had to do something fast. He leaned in, gently kissing her on the cheek.
When he pulled away he was surprised to see the huge smile pinned to her face. Maven’s eyes softened, she touched his face in response, her fingers playing with his hair. Henri closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her hands against his skin. His heartbeat slowed down and returned to a regular speed.
He touched her hair, pushing it behind her ear like she did when she was nervous. He warily touched her lips enjoying the feel of them against his fingertips. The corners of her mouth igniting in a smile.
He loved how blue her eyes were. And the way all her emotions exuded from them all the time. “I think you’re beautiful.”
“You do?”
Henri nodded, giving her a smile.
The door to the museum opened, thudding against the bench. Henri pulled away, ending the moment. The older woman gave them both a nod as she hurried down the museum steps.
MYSTERIOUS
HENRI LAUNCHED A ROCK across the water of the creek near his aunt and uncle’s home. He watched the stone skip three times before it disappeared. Tiny ripples ringing outward, a few lazy dragonflies skidding to the surface and then away.
“Nice one,” Flynn, his older cousin said, chucking a rock of his own at the water.
“Yeah some things never change,” Henri said with a shrug. He took a seat in the grass drawing his knees up and resting his arms. He gazed at the water.
Flynn sat down. “Dinner soon.” He made a point to keep Henri in the moment when he seemed to be drifting off. When Henri forgot about eating he was always there to point him to the nearest kitchen, Flynn was just three years older than he was, but he made it a point to hound him.
“Yeah yeah I hear you. The last appointment I had she said I was keeping up.” He lied. It was the appointment before that she had told him he gained five pounds.
Flynn ignored his tone, choosing to change the subject rather than get into another argument. He knew it would just end with him angry and Henri finding another reason to stay far away from home.
“Ma says you’ve been hanging around some girl with blonde hair. One of them Wilder girls, she said.” Flynn looked over at Henri. “Does she know about you?”
Henri plucked a large strand of grass from the ground. He twisted it between his fingers.
“Does she know what? There are so many things to tell.” He smirked. “My mother always said I was an extraordinary boy.”
Flynn shook his head at Henri’s goofy approach. He was the only person he knew that could make light of such a situation as his. “You know what I mean. Does she know that you’re not well?”
“I figure she suspects it. Or maybe she doesn’t and that’s why she’s still hanging around.” Henri broke the blade of grass, letting the two pieces sail to the ground.
“She could be hanging around because she likes you. And if that’s the case you need to let her in on your little secret.” Flynn sighed.
“What do I say?”
“I don’t know the answer to that. Whatever you want to say. We all promised to keep our lips zipped, so that’s all on you.” Flynn stood, dusting off the back of his jeans. He offered Henri a hand, but like usual he waved him away, choosing to help himself.
Henri followed him back up to the old house
“Good to see you at dinner, Henri.” Henri’s uncle said around a mouthful of mashed potatoes and gravy. Henri nodded, shoveling his own into his mouth, the smell of the food made him even queasier. He hung his head, doing his best to clean his plate so he could take off to his room or someplace in town.
“So Henri, how are things going with Maven Wilder?” His aunt asked. She spooned another helping of carrots on his plate.
“She wants to hang out again.” He poked at the steamed carrots.
“That’s nice. She is a very nice girl.”
Sandra and April both agreed. Henri knew that would be the case for April until she was dumped by her brother. And Sandra was only being polite around her parents. He had heard the things she said about Maven with her friends.
“I think I am going to paint her.” Everyone’s eyes filled with delight at the mention of painting.
“Oh that’s wonderful, Henri. You were always so good at painting.” His aunt smiled, she hurried to fill his glass with another round of iced tea. He shooed her away.
“You’re going to make me sick.” They all laughed and the doorbell rang. His uncle went to the door, his heavy boots thumping across the wood.