She was growing weary of extinguishing that light.She wanted to brighten his world, to be a part of it.
But did she know how?
Mia cleared her throat with the showy finesse of a Broadway actor commanding a theater.“Nick, you guys were awesome tonight.”
“Yeah,” agreed Adele.“I loved the tribute to the Shame Flowers.”
Nick laughed.“Thanks.It’s Bernie’s favorite band.Eli put that in there for her.”He craned his neck.“I assume my brothers have wandered off to find their wives.”
Claire wrapped her arm around his.“You were incredible.I’m so glad I got to hear you play.”
“Thanks, beautiful.I did it for you.”
Claire’s eyes stung, but she blinked back the emotion welling up inside her.
“You kept me on the straight and narrow, Claire.Without your support, I don’t think I could have done it.”
“You give me too much credit.”
“No, I mean it.You’re my inspiration.”
Upon hearing Nick’s serious tone, Mia and Adele extricated themselves from the conversation and went off to find the others.
Nick moved Claire further away from the people huddled nearby.“Seeing your face in the audience made all the difference.You helped me conquer my fears.Again.What would I do without you?”
For just a few seconds, Claire imagined her days without Nick.
She didn’t like what she saw.
“You inspire me too, Nick.I’m happy your evening went well.”
He grinned.“I love my job.It’s my passion, but I missed playing with the band.”
His job’s his passion.Imagine that.
She used to have a passion.
Every time Claire had attended a class on photography, she’d gone to it with utter eagerness.When she’d graduated college, she’d planned out her life and career with enthusiasm.When she’d taken all those photos of Arthur, she’d viewed him through a passionate lens.
The past few years, she’d forgotten all about it.Somehow, it had gotten lost in a haze of kibble and kitty litter.
She didn’t regret a single moment with Arthur and the sanctuary, but she’d lost track of her own goals and ambitions.
Was it really too late to start over?
“Claire.”Nick touched her chin, lifting her gaze to his.“Is everything okay?”
“Hearing you play tonight, hearing you talk about the music you love…you’ve lit a fire under me, Nick.I think I might want to start exploring my options in photography.”
“Awesome!”He hugged her tight.“You can do it, Claire.You can.”
“We’ll see.I doubt anyone in the business would hire me.There are some serious gaps on my resume.”
“You could run your own photography studio,” he suggested.“You have plenty of experience with running a business.You could start selling your photos of abandoned buildings.I can think of at least a couple of art shows in the city that bring out photography fans.Your stuff would fit right in.”
“Maybe…”
“Listen, it can be done.We’ll find a way.Let me help you.”
