Chapter 255
“It’s lovely to meet you,” I say, standing and extending my hand to her. “Properly, I mean. I think we had a bit of an awkward
moment last night in the courtyard.”
“Yes,” she says stiffly, briefly shaking my hand. “I apologize for staring. It was quite rude of me. My old eyes aren’t what they
used to be, so I didn’t recognize you.”
“No worries,” I assure her with a smile. “I was the one wandering around in the middle of the night.”
There’s an uncomfortable pause, and I wonder if I’ve said something wrong. Nora doesn’t seem particularly warm toward me, although she smiles slightly at Miles when he looks up at her.
My mother beckons her closer. “Come have some breakfast, Nora. We’re having a family morning.”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Nora says, although she does take a seat at the far end of the table when my father insists. Far away
from me.
“You’re not intruding,” Caleb assures her. “You’re practically family.” He turns to me. “Nora was more of a mother to me than a
nanny when we were growing up.”
Our mother gasps. “Caleb!”
My brother’s face reddens. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you and Dad were often busy with your duties, but Nora was
always there. I felt like I had two mothers at times.” He gives Nora a warm smile, which she returns. Sort of.
I nod, trying to imagine this stern woman caring for a young Caleb. It’s not hard to picture her ensuring he did his homework and
ate his vegetables, but I wonder if she was affectionate too. Did she hug him when he fell and hurt himself? Did she tuck him in at
night and read him stories?
Did she do those things for Selina, thinking she was me?
The thought brings up a strange mixture of emotions–jealousy, sadness, curiosity. I push them aside, though, and focus on
being polite.
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you, then,” I say to Nora. “I’m grateful for everything you did for my family.”
Nora gives me a small nod but says nothing more. Throughout the rest of breakfast, she speaks when spoken to, but otherwise remains quiet, occasionally stealing glances at me when she thinks I’m not looking.
I try not to let it bother me. She’s probably just shy, or perhaps feels a little guilty that I was swapped at birth. Or maybe she’s just
not a very warm person in general. Not everyone has to be a ball of sunshine all the time, after all.
After breakfast, we say our goodbyes to my parents and Caleb. My mother hugs me tightly, whispering, “Think about what we
discussed last night,” in my ear. I offer her a subtle nod and a smile as I pull back.
I’ve already got a lot of ideas in regards to last night’s discussion. I hardly slept, too busy thinking about all of the possibilities.
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Chapter 255
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I’m hoping to unveil some of my ideas at the end of my residency as part of my final presentation.
By the time we arrive, I’m buzzing to get to work. I hardly even wait for Arthur to park the car before I’m getting out and
gathering my things.
Arthur sticks around briefly, helping me and Miles settle in. I’m not thrilled to see him go, but we both have duties to attend to— him more than me, what with a week’s worth of presidential responsibilities to catch up on.
We say goodbye at the door with a promise to see each other soon. I watch him go, trying not to think too hard about moving back in with him once this is all over- no more goodbyes, no more sleepovers.
Once Miles is settled with a snack and a movie, I hurry to my studio and pull out the largest canvas I have–a monster of a canvas spanning five and a half feet across and six feet tall. I lay out my paints and other supplies, roll up my sleeves, and throw open the windows so I don’t breathe in too many fumes.
And then I get to work.
