Sunshine is streaming in through large windows carved out of the sloping roofline.
‘Who, you mean. I’m most interested in people.’ I stand and stare at the stylised Burmese-wood sculpture of an infant. ‘I’ll have to rope someone in to sit for me.’
‘I’ll sit for you if you like,’ he says, following me as I move on.
‘You’re leaving on Friday.’ But it’s sweet of him to offer.
‘Can’t you just do a little one of me before I go?’
‘A titchy person?’ I say over my shoulder with a grin.
‘Or a body part,’ he suggests, his lips curving into a significant smile.
‘What sort of body part do you have in mind?’ I ask in a low voice.
‘I’m open to suggestions,’ he replies in a tone that sends a frisson shimmering down my spine.
I come to a stop in front of a life-size bronze sculpture of Barbara Hepworth’s hand. It’s so detailed, down to every last vein and wrinkle.
‘Hand it is, then,’ I say, and he smirks at me. ‘No, I’d probably do your nose.’
‘Mynose?’
I giggle at his reaction. ‘I like how it’s not completely symmetrical.’
‘Er, yeah, that would be because—’
He cuts off mid-explanation.
‘Because what?’ I ask with a frown, my laughter dying on my lips.
‘Never mind,’ he mutters, moving on. ‘I like this.’
He pauses in front ofPierced Form, which is one of the pieces I used to love most as a child, with textured chisel marks that my fingers itched to touch. It’s a large abstract shape made of smooth, polished light-brown wood with a white-painted interior. It looks like a giant nut that has been cracked open, only to find a worm has chewed a hole through the middle.
I step closer to Finn’s side and take his hand, the lines of our arms pressing firmly together. I’m giving him space in my silence, but not in my actions.
‘Tyler’s dad broke my nose when I was twelve,’ he reveals after a long moment of us quietly standing there.
My breath hitches and I lean into him a little harder. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘’S okay. He’s in prison now. Not for punching me in the face,’ he clarifies, sounding more like his old self. ‘He’s been in and out of prison on various assault charges for half his fucking life, waste of space that he is.’
‘Does Tyler ever see him?’
‘No, thank God. He’s not interested in being a father.’
‘What about Liam’s dad?’
He shrugs. ‘Who knows? Mum never said who he was. I’m not sure she knew.’
He squeezes my hand and leads me outside to the garden. I take the hint and follow him in silence.
Ahead isFour-Square (Walk Through), a giant bronze sculpture that you can literally walk through. It has square edges and smooth round holes and I like it because I used to play hide-and-seek around it with my grandmother.
I also like it because it showcases two of my favourite patinas: verdigris and penny bronze. The emerald green of the verdigris and the golden tones of the penny bronze are offset beautifully by the darker glossy-chestnut patina used on the remaining surfaces.
‘Is this bronze?’ Finn asks with a perplexed look on his face, running his finger around the shiny interior of one of the round window holes.
