Something About Blending

“I take it your date went well,” Piper said at the art show on Saturday night. Emerson raised her eyebrows and sipped her champagne. “I only say that because tall, dark, and single just walked in,” she continued smirking. Emerson choked on her drink but didn’t turn to look right away. After getting home she had gone to Piper’s where they googled Derick Brassard and talked about the date. “He’s not coming this but rather looking around, I wonder if he even knows this is half your stuff,” Piper commentated casually following him with her eyes. Emerson snorted. “Piper, how many photographers named Emerson Greene do you think there are in New York?” she asked in a whisper. Her friend shrugged and smiled to greet a patron who had come in to see their newest work. “He’s coming this way,” Piper hissed but before Emerson could respond he was upon them. “Hello Emerson,” Derick said with a smile and nod of his head. “Hi Derick,” she returned with a smile. “Oh this is my best friend and business partner Piper,” Emerson introduced. The two shook hands and rather than excuse herself Piper asked what Derick thought of the gallery. “It’s quite beautiful. A few of the sketches look familiar, I think a few of my friends may have purchased works from you,” Derick said his admiration of their work sincere.

Piper excused herself then to go speak with someone who had inquired about buying one of her black and white sketches. “I thought you said you were going to call me,” Emerson said sipping her drink and looking around the gallery casually. Derick smiled and looked at her from the corner of his eye. “I did say that. But then I read on the Internet and got some advice from friends that told me girls like to be surprised. Plus I figured I would see how you react if I just showed up before thinking of another date,” he told her. Emerson took in his words in silence, unsure what to say she just nodded. “I meant what I said, I haven’t dated since I became a dad so I’m just doing this blindly. I met a girl, I like a girl and now I’m hanging out with that girl to see if she might still be around in a few weeks,” he continued trying not to sound as awkward or as nervous as he sounded. Still silent Emerson continued to look around. “Do you want to see my favorite photos?” she said suddenly startling Derick. Without waiting for his answer she started walking off towards the back corner of the gallery. “I keep them back here because part of me hopes I’ll never sell them. I love looking at them in here too much,” she said her words trailing off. Derick looked at the photographs in awe. He had never seen shots like them before. After a few minutes he cleared his throat. “Where are these?” he asked. Smiling Emerson looked at them for another second before answering. “This is a sunrise in Maine, the place where the first rays of sun break over America. The one below it, the black and white one oh you wouldn’t believe the real colors. It’s a field of lupines in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This one is my favorite, The Aurora Borealis from Alberta. I think I might have cried when I took this picture. This is from my latest trip, the Isabella Plantation Walk in London,” Emerson explained each picture and Derick could all but feel her in those places.

“Do you travel a lot?” Derick asked tearing his eyes from the photographs to look at the girl who took them. “We try to take a trip every year, Piper and I. Now that Teddy is older he comes. He went to London with us a few weeks ago, and he was with us in New Hampshire. We want him to be a cultured little kid,” Emerson said with a smile. Derick noted that when she talked about her art Emerson lit up, but it was nothing in comparison to when she talked about her son. “I’ll leave you to your gallery, we’ll talk soon,” Derick said once again kissing her hand and taking his leave. Emerson had gone a long time without anyone showing an interest in her. As he left she followed him with her eyes, she knew that the attraction she felt for him wasn’t just an absence of male company but something deeper.

Derick waited until he was two blocks from the studio before he called Carl. “How did you know Erica was the one?” he asked before his friend and ex-teammate had a chance to say anything. There was silence on the other end for a moment while Carl considered the question. “I suppose there was something in her nature that told me that she was the person who was perfectly compatible for my nature. Not that I’m saying either of us is perfect because we aren’t but that’s the best way I can explain it,” he said. It was Derick’s turn to be silent for a minute. “Thanks,” he said finally and hung up before Carl could ask any questions. Scrolling through his contacts Derick hit number after number, name after name and asked the same question of each person he called. When he finished the walk back to his apartment where Amelia was asleep on the couch with Mats he had over a dozen different answers in his head. He had never believed in love at first sight, fate maybe but then how would he know it was fated. Derick knew Emerson was it, he didn’t know why though and he knew he would need to find out before acting on. He also knew though, that pretty soon rather than sleeping on the couch with her godfather Amelia would be sleeping on the couch with her brother when he got home from being with Emerson.

Notes