Doug was happy that Mary finished the painting in time for her second showing. The town's reaction to the first showing, at the dress shop, was so favorable that Mary was confident in opening up her studio to the public.
Evelyn merrily agreed to help with set up, as did Gracie and Alma, and most of the others who Mary counted as friends in her community of widows in the town of Bridgetown.
"It's not too, I don't know, 'less-than-sophisticated' ?" Mary worried aloud.
"Mary, love, come here." Doug took her hand and had her step back to look at the group of still-lifes her friends had arranged on one of the walls. The paintings were expertly showcased, the bare wood panels of the studio a perfect home for the images of fruit, a bicycle, a seacoast with a lighthouse in the distance. Mary inhaled, reflexively raising her hand to her chest. She looked up at Doug who was smiling proudly. They shared a brief kiss and went back to choosing paintings to show and spaces in which to show them.
After some time spent arranging and rearranging, Mary went to the painting she'd done at Stede's "gravesite". "I don't know, Doug. It almost seems like an invasion of privacy. Do I have the right to show this?"
They looked at the painting together. "Mary, I feel that you have to answer that yourself. I can tell you you're a good person. With a good heart. You'll make a good decision." He tenderly smiled at her. Evelyn had joined them. She reached for Mary's hand. "Let me know if you want help hanging it. Doug's right, you know. It has to be your decision."
In the end she decided to show it. Not in a position of prominence. Anyone who saw it would have to be truly interested in seeing more of her work than the landscapes, portraits, or whimsical imaginings she'd chosen for the show. Where it sat, it could've been mistaken for a work in progress, unless the viewer stepped close enough to see for themselves that it was complete. And completely mesmerizing.
Agreeing that everything was set up quite nicely, the group of friends left to distribute flyers.
"Paintings by the Widow Bonnett." With the location of the studio and the reveal that new paintings, not seen at the first showing, would
be available for purchase.
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Jeff the Accountant Escapes the Wretched Burning Depths of Hades
FanfictionBecause it's hard to wait, not knowing what happens next with Ed and Stede, I decided to try my hand at fan fiction. Look at that - just like Blackbeard/Edward, I'm laying myself bare in front of others. And that's okay. This story is pretty dialo...
