True Art

Chapter Thirty-two

MATTHEW'S POV

"I have an idea. Wait here." Remi smiled and disappeared inside the small corner shop in the village. He had driven us down to the other side of the village near the river bank and parked. It meant a much shorter walk for me. My leg was healing quickly, but I still needed to be careful and not overdo it.

Minutes later, Remi reappeared with two ice cream cones, large chocolate flakes sticking up and calling to be bitten.

"Yum. I feel like a kid." I took a long lick of my ice cream and felt Remi staring at me.

"You are a kid. I'm the one that should be saying I feel young again."

"Do you?" I asked as I followed him over the old stone bridge as he turned to walk along the river bank.

"I do. I think you're making me feel younger. Eat your ice cream, then we’ll walk by the river. I want to show you something."

We ate our cones in silence and slowly walked along the narrowing river bank. The pace was slow, and Remi helped me along until we arrived at a weathered wooden bench which faced out onto the part where the river flowed into the sea.

"Wow, this is beautiful. I bet you come here a lot."

Remi stared off into the distance, his eyes heavy with memories, and I knew this place held some significance. "Let's sit here for a while. See that?"

He was looking over his shoulder, but I couldn't make out what he meant.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" I said, squinting in the bright sun.

He smiled at me, and I loved how the light made his amber eyes look golden. He looked so perfectly at home here.

"This." He pointed to the small, bronze plaque on the back of the bench.

I leaned closer, reading the inscription out loud. "‘The light that falls between day and night, that magical place where all love resides. I'll find you there my love, when I'm once again by your side. In loving memory of Geoffrey Collins.’"

My heart thundered as I read the name. Geoffrey.

"We used to come here a lot. Just to look at the view. On a really clear day, you can see right up to Howth Island."

I stared out and had to wonder if maybe I shouldn't be here, encroaching on his special place with whoever this Geoffrey was.

"It would make a beautiful painting," I said, and Remi nodded, still fixed on the distant waves.

The sunlight was sharp, and it highlighted the silver-grey strands of his hair. He was so handsome, and right now, he looked so sad.

"This place is special, isn’t it?" I whispered, trying not to disturb his thoughts.

He nodded. "Someone showed it to me one time, and it became a special place. Now, I'm showing it to you."

I saw it then. That flicker of something dark that crossed Remi's features every now and then. And I finally recognized it for what it was.

Pain.

"He was someone important?" I said.

"Yes. Very. Geoffrey was my partner. We lived together in London, but whenever we visited home, we'd come here. It always reminds me of him."

I took a deep breath and stared out at the sea. "Can I ask what happened?"

"He passed away. We'd been together for five years, and then he got sick. Cancer."