Page 38
“It sounds dull.”
“It is. Sometimes, I let my mind wander. We’re not supposed to do that. I got caught.”
“That’s a harsh punishment for something most of us do.”
He shrugged. “It might not have been the first time I’ve done it. My boss is always on my butt and singling me out. And he hates my art.”
“Does he have a problem with you?”
“He has a problem with my whole family. My father used to do the same work. He also got distracted.”
“By what?”
“The same thing as me. He loved to create beautiful pieces of art. In fact, he left everything he knew to pursue his career.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an Olickie artist.”
Rane grimaced. “That’s because there aren’t any.”
“What happened to your father?”
Rane looked down at the table. “He left behind his career as a support advisor. He left his family, his home, his job and set up a studio on his own. He said that was the only thing that made him happy.”
“That sucks. Shouldn’t his family have made him happy?”
“We might have if we’d supported him, but my mom was dead against it. She didn’t want him around the house and didn’t understand his artistic ambitions. She threw him out.”
“He never came back?”
“He disappeared. He spent five years trying to get people to take his sculptures seriously and only received ridicule. Then one day, I dropped by his studio to see how he was doing, and he’d gone. Everything was cleared out.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Nell said. “That doesn’t mean you’ll do the same thing because you like to paint.”
Rane looked up at Nell and saw her serious expression. “Sometimes, I want to. Maybe I’m being pushed into that decision, anyway. If I don’t get my job back, I won’t have any other option.”
“Then you need to go back. You’re needed. Aren’t the peace talks fragile?”
“They’re always fragile.”
“You could help solidify it. I’ve not been around many Olickie, but I see you’ve got a strong ability. You only had to hum at me for a couple of seconds, and I was chilled out.”
“I’m not sure,” Rane said. “Maybe this is the push I need. I need to get away from the diplomatic nonsense and stand up for myself. Make a go of it and succeed.”
Nell shook her head. “You shouldn’t give up. I agree you need to follow your passion, but you also need to use your natural talents. You could make a difference with these negotiations.”
He scrubbed at his chin again. “I don’t always hate my work. If I can find a balance, I’d do it.”
“That’s what you should do.”
He smiled at her. “You could make a good therapist yourself.”
Nell shook her head. “That’s never going to happen. I’m too messed up to help others.”
“You’re helping me.”
“I’m spit balling. There’s a big difference. I don’t know anything about your situation, not really.”
“I have no idea what spit balling is, but it’s giving me something to think about. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go back and try again but on one condition.”
