Addison Irwin, niece of the late, great Gicky Irwin, brings her own kind of whimsy to clay. At first glance, the intense color and playful forms of Irwin’s work will all but guarantee a smile, but there is more to them than meets the eye. A closer look reveals the complexity of the young Irwin’s work and its astonishing detail in texture, pattern, and glaze.
“Oh my God, this is crazy!”
“No, it’s not—you’re amazing! I can’t wait to see what you’re going to make next!”
“Well, you’re gonna have to wait a bit. Less than nine months, though.”
Ben paused and contemplated her words for a moment, before his expression erupted in an incredulous smile.
“Wait, what? Are you…”
Addison pulled the telltale plastic pregnancy test wand from the pocket of her robe and showed him the plus sign. He took it and studied it.
“Are you sure?” he said, tears instantly running down his face.
She reached into the other pocket of her robe and pulled out two more positive tests.
“I’m sure!” she laughed before joining him in his tears.
Ben kneeled on the floor, placed his hands gently on Addison’s belly, and planted a sweet kiss on the place where their baby grew.
“You can’t believe it?” Addison laughed, quoting his usual reaction to extraordinary things.
“Actually, I can believe it,” he uttered. “I believe it with all my heart.”
Sally came charging between them, knocking them onto the couch and licking the remnants of happy tears from their faces.
“We’re having a baby!” Ben told Sally, who took off in circles of zoomies around the apartment.
“She can’t believe it,” Addison said, laughing, ignoring the fact that it was Sally’s usual reaction to a wet coat.
They watched the dizzying spectacle in silence, each thinking about where they were and where they were going. Ben took Addison’s hand in his and brought her into his arms.
“Thank you for saving me.”
“Thank you for saving me right back.”
•••
And the rain stopped.
And the birds chirped.
And somewhere in the sky, there was most definitely arainbow.
