“Hello, it’s me, Emma. I lied to you and stole your most prized piece of paintings,” she would possibly say. “And now I’m pregnant together with your youngster.”
“You’ll be able to’t be trusted with a toddler,” Patrick would possibly reply.
That was Emma’s largest concern. If she advised Patrick in regards to the child, he would possibly effectively resolve to struggle her for custody. The considered shedding this youngster, a brand new ray of hope in a life that appeared cloudy and darkish, introduced her close to to tears.
Even when Patrick didn’t need to take the newborn away, he wouldn’t need something to do with Emma. That a lot was clear. It was higher for him to not be concerned than for her to place him on the spot and for him to resent her.
Nonetheless, she had but one more reason to really feel responsible. Though she was positive it was the appropriate choice, not telling Patrick that he was going to be a father felt unsuitable. At some point, she got here so near telling him that she walked proper by LWC’s places of work. However then she simply saved strolling. Her highest loyalty needed to be to her youngster now, and one of the simplest ways to guard her youngster was by protecting her being pregnant secret. As horrible as she felt about hiding the being pregnant from Patrick.
She advised herself that they hadn’t been that shut, that they’d solely been relationship for a short while, and that he most likely wouldn’t need a youngster anyway. However as Emma started to attend obstetric appointments, acquire tiny onesies, and take into consideration names, she couldn’t banish the sorrow she nonetheless felt.
Emma knew she couldn’t do that alone, although. She began reaching out to fellow academics at her neighborhood faculty and to an expectant mother group she had determined to hitch. As weeks of being pregnant become months, Emma realized that she really had pals for one of many first occasions in her life. It was a wierd feeling, however it was good, too. She used her actual identify together with her new pals and allow them to know small components of her actual historical past. Lastly, Emma didn’t must lie anymore. On this method, she hoped to honor the impression Patrick had had on her life, even when she by no means noticed him once more.
It wasn’t sufficient, however it was one thing. When this child was born, it could be born right into a world the place its mom advised the reality. The place its mom painted daily. And the place its mom did every thing she might to repair the errors she’d made.
CHAPTER 18
PATRICK
Patrick had fallen again into his outdated routines — lengthy hours of labor, little time for something private. It was for the perfect. He woke every day early, went for a run, then headed straight for work. There he stayed till the solar had way back slipped beneath the horizon and he was the final individual left. Then, he’d drag himself house for a fast dinner.
Solely right here did his routine differ from what he’d finished earlier than he met Emma. As a substitute of going straight to mattress or spending a bit of time watching a TV present, he would sit in the lounge for a while and have a look at the forgery Emma had made.
It nonetheless damage him to see it, however one thing in regards to the portray gave him a wierd sort of consolation. Every time he checked out it, he noticed the faint coronary heart within the nook. And he noticed the sweetness in Emma’s artistry, although it was totally different from the work of the unique painter. Her brushstrokes have been virtually playful as compared, and it gave the entire portray a lighthearted feeling that Patrick wanted proper now.
On this routine, October turned to November. The Christmas holidays got here and went, with Patrick dutifully attending a reasonably awkward dinner hosted by his dad and mom that gave the impression to be supposed to indicate off his successes as an alternative of spend any high quality time as a household. Then the Christmas lights got here down and the chilly, biting wind of January rolled throughout the lake and thru Chicago. February introduced shops stuffed with pink and purple hearts and teddy bears, which Patrick averted . He’d at all times identified he wasn’t one for love. With Emma, it appeared that issues might have been totally different, however he’d been unsuitable. It was time to return to his outdated bachelor methods.
In March, the climate started to heat. Buds started to sprout on the bushes. Patrick observed that they have been the identical bushes Emma had so admired after they’d been decked out in fall foliage. It was a powerful reminder that nearly half a yr had handed since he had final seen her.
The evening that the primary buds appeared on the bushes exterior the workplace, Patrick went house to have a look at the Aurora forgery once more. He nonetheless hadn’t reported Emma to the police. Owen was looking out for any look of the unique portray in the marketplace, black or in any other case, however there had been no signal thus far. Perhaps Emma had stolen the portray for a personal collector or had already had a sale lined up.
It doesn’t matter what, although, Patrick couldn’t carry himself to go to the police. Partially, he nonetheless cared about Emma and didn’t need her to get in bother, however one other a part of him simply didn’t need affirmation that every thing they’d skilled collectively had been a lie. So long as he didn’t go to the police, he might think about that Emma had had her causes and that every one was effectively.
Immediately, as he gazed on the portray, he observed one thing he’d by no means seen earlier than. Within the foreground of the portray was an exquisite girl in a white costume, her again to the painter. She seemed stunning, however Patrick had at all times thought she was a bit of unhappy. Immediately, he observed that she was holding one thing within the curve of her left hand. Patrick moved nearer. Certain sufficient, there was one thing there. It was a silver chain, on the finish of which was a tiny glass teardrop.
It was attainable that the teardrop had at all times been there, however Patrick wasn’t positive. He shortly seemed up an image of the unique and zoomed the tiny display screen of his cellphone in on the lady’s left hand. It was empty.
Patrick’s coronary heart started to race. Emma had left him a second message — past the faint coronary heart within the sky. The lady was holding a teardrop on a series. Patrick needed to consider that it meant she was unhappy or that she felt chained down. Perhaps Emma hadn’t needed to steal the portray in any respect. Perhaps she’d been compelled into it.
For the primary time, Patrick significantly thought of going to the police. What if somebody had coerced Emma into stealing the portray? Perhaps there was nonetheless an opportunity for them. Perhaps the police would uncover that Emma had been blackmailed.
However as a lot as Patrick hoped that may be the case, he had no actual proof past just a few splashes of paint. Perhaps the teardrop on the chain meant one thing else. Perhaps it didn’t imply something in any respect.
He sighed. He was seizing on the small print of a portray to try to show he hadn’t imagined what he and Emma felt for one another. This was a brand new low. He wanted to cease staring on the forgery and transfer on along with his life. He’d been fantastic earlier than Emma. He can be fantastic once more.
Over the following week, Patrick tried his finest to cease fascinated about Emma and Aurora. He even took the forgery down and stowed it among the many remainder of his work within the storeroom. It was laborious, however he knew it was the appropriate factor to do. Even when Emma hadn’t needed to steal the portray, that didn’t imply that she actually cared about him. Staring and wishing wouldn’t assist anybody. It was actually time to maneuver on.
In April, Patrick attended one other artwork gala. It was the primary he’d gone to since he’d attended the charity occasion with Emma. He spent the night mingling and looking out on the artwork and making an attempt not to consider their time collectively. Simply earlier than the silent public sale was set to finish, he caught sight of the final individual he needed to see. Aleksander Ariti seemed as put collectively, and as stuck-up, as ever. It had been some time since Patrick had seen him, he realized now.
“Patrick!” Aleksander strode throughout the room, immediately in the direction of him. Nice. They have been going to speak now.
“Whats up, Aleksander.” Patrick held out his hand for the same old shake, and located his hand enveloped in a bone-crushing grasp.
“How are you doing?” Aleksander requested. His tone was jovial.
“Not dangerous. And also you?”
“Oh, very effectively. Very effectively. Though I’ve to say, I’m shocked you’re in such good spirits.”
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