Profession

Oops

I finished my studying and ate at home quickly before taking the pups out to the estate with me. I never missed an opportunity to have them socialize with their family. But all five dogs were irritated, because Deri insisted that the photographs be by the fire, cutting off room for the dogs. They were all grumbly and Thyra kind of wished she'd stayed home, but Mom and Dad had come up to watch and they soothed the dogs with head skritches and treats. I'd brought my best cameras and listened to Deri describe what she wanted. I went with her to fix her makeup--she was a little offended by my request, but it meant less touching up later. Then I arranged them on the hearth and took film exposures as well as digital images.

"Ok, so that's what Deri wants. Where would you like to pose, Grant?"

"Oh, these are fine, Lys," he said genially. I shook my head.

"These don't have to be for publication, but it's your engagement too. Where would like to have some commemorative photographs?"

"Oh, by the tree, then. It's a little stark this year, but maybe where we can also see the stockings on the mantle?" He sounded hopeful. Deri bristled a little at what she perceived as criticism of her decorating choices, but I positioned her firmly where I wanted her, with the stockings over her shoulder, making it clear that this was a holiday engagement, using the firelight to advantage and putting in the tree enough so that Grant would be happy but that its sparseness wouldn't be so notable. It would have been more festive with more lights and ornaments, but that wasn't my choice. Thankfully, I no longer had to wrangle Deri's ideas about decorating.

As soon as I had the images I wanted, I sat back and started editing. "I can't believe you don't like the tree," Deri said.

"I like things sparkly and warm and shiny for Christmas," Grant said easily. "We can work out something that will please both of us next year." Deri looked grouchy, but she'd spent a lot of her life getting her own way.

"You can always elope, Grant," I said absently as I worked. "Deri's not good with compromise, and this is just the opening skirmish in the wedding decisions." Dad choked down a laugh.

"I can't believe you said that," Deri said to me, affronted.

"It's true. You usually steamroller over everybody to get your way. You don't like compromising. Ok, now take a look." I flicked the images onto the house computer. They were good; the firelight made them romantic, and her ring looked big and sparkly as it reflected the light. I'd have been worried for Grant, but they'd been seeing each other for a few years and presumably he knew what he was getting into.

"Those are lovely, Lys," Mom praised me.

"I agree," Grant said. "How long do you think it will take you to develop the prints? I'd love to have one for my desk at work."

"Not long," I assured him. "I can finish the roll with the shoots that I have scheduled the next couple days. I'll send you a contact sheet and you can let me know what size prints you want for what images.  And no, Deri, I'm not going to waste half a roll of exposures so you can have them a day or two earlier." She shut her mouth and I sent the digital images to her and Grant's email accounts, so they could send them out as they chose. And I shot a couple frames of my parents, sitting on the couch together, leaning into one another as they watched Deri and Grant. "I do love photography," I mused as I quickly edited those images too. "It's nice to be able to see my mother." I flicked those up so people could see them and sent them to my parents' emails. Mom had her head on Dad's shoulder and they both looked happy.

"What do you mean?" Grand sounded confused.

"Oh, it's my gift from Athena, I see the god-touched, and Mom's gifts totally obscure her. Deri just looks a little hazy," I explained.