“Don’t tell anyone,” she whispers, caressing me with the sound. “But I’m pretty sure I was a painter in my previous life. It’s kind of scary how good I am at this stuff.”
I let out a snort and decided to play along.
“Really?” I widen my eyes, looking around to make sure the secret is kept between the two of us. “If that’s the case, who am I talking with right now?”
She presses her lips together and hesitates. Another laugh wants to leave my mouth, but I shove it down. This is a very serious moment.
“My name was Michelangelo.” She gestures toward herself. “One day, I was sculpting this beautiful woman, and the next, I woke up in this body.”
“Wait. Are you telling me that you were once Michelangelo?”
She nods three times, keeping in character.
“Michelangelo who painted The Creation of Adam?”
A single brow raises, and she nods again.
“Michelangelo. The man who took a block of marble and carved the statue of Herculesandwrote over three hundred poems?”
She drops her arm and stops painting. Her mouth is open like a fish, and confusion takes over her eyes.
“How the hell do you know all of this?”
I break character and continue to paint. “Dad and I watched a documentary about him a few months ago. He was a fascinating man.”
Riley breaks and lets out a laugh. That sound alone makes me feel like I’ve accomplished the hardest task life could throw my way.
Silence settles in around us again. The only sound wehave is music and people walking outside, keeping us company.
After a beat, Riley breaks it.
“How’s your dad doing?” She keeps her focus on the wall. “I’ve been meaning to stop by and visit him.”
A lump builds in my throat when I think about Dad. He’s only in the shop three days a week, leading me to handle the weekly meetings we have with vendors. I’ve come to learn that these meetings can easily be sent in an email.
‘Hey, we’re gonna send you some stuff you need on this day. Cool? Alright.’
I clear my throat and dip the rolling brush in more paint. “He’s doing okay. He started chemo.”
“Oh yeah? Ellie mentioned something about it starting up this week.”
“Yeah.”
Another beat.
“How have you been with the store? Is your dad still working?”
“Nah, he’s only in a couple of days now.”
She purses her lips, a sign that she’s thinking about something. “Have you worked with the infamous ledger, yet?”
I scrunch my nose and shake my head. “I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”
Riley turns to me, stopping what she’s doing. “You can’t avoid it.”
Here we go.
“I’m not avoiding it.”
