Holden

I call to tell my mom about the email, just before I leave to go pick up Landon from school. It's Friday night and I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my brother, after a weird, long week, but I just have to tell someone about the exhibit opportunity.

   "That is so amazing, Holden! Did you call them back?" Mom asks me, and she sounds so different than she did that afternoon. She doesn't seem upset or unsure.

   "Not yet. I will. I'm trying to decide what to say. What kind of questions should I ask? I mean, an exhibit of my work? In New York?"

    It's obviously still hitting me that it's a possibility that this could actually happen.

   "You deserve it, honey. It sounds amazing!" my mom goes on.

   "Thanks. Did you still want to talk about anything?" I decide that asking now is a good time, after telling her my good news.

   "Oh, no. I'm glad to hear from you about this, though! When are you going to get Landon?"

   "Just going out the door," I finish, and whistle for Honey to follow me.

   "Okay, sweetie. Drive safe. Talk to you soon and let me know when you find out more about that!" She sounds so excited and back to her normal self, so I breathe a sigh of relief.

   "Of course," I say, then push open my back door to go outside.

"Dude! Your own exhibit? Holy shit, that's amazing!" Landon says, after I tell him about it, as well.

   We are already almost back to the the house and it's almost 8P.M.

   "Yeah. It feels a bit scary, actually. Or maybe just unreal, right now," I admit.

   "Well, it'll be wicked. Oh my god, I can go to New York this summer, to see it!" My brother's so excited and I almost feel bad, because it's not a for sure thing yet.

   "Slow down. I have to get all the details," I tell him, then laugh.

   "I haven't been to New York, Holden. Let me be excited," he says seriously.

   Back in the house, I go into my studio while Landon plops down the couch and calls Julia. It's a big, open room on the main floor, just off the kitchen, and there a few big windows that look out over the water. I love this room, which was a dining room when we were growing up. I always feel good when I step into my studio. Now, though, I feel overwhelmed. What kind of pieces would they want for the exhibit?  Will I have to work non stop to do enough in time? Will anyone even want to go to see them?

   I finally take a deep breath in and decide to send back an email, first. I can get my thoughts together and send my questions and concerns, and then go from there.

   Mandy,

   Thank you so much for the email! I'm so glad you like my pieces in the museum. I had a partnership with them for a year and it was an amazing time in my life. I'm back in my hometown in Maine, now, and mostly doing commission work.

   I feel really honored that you would like to do an exhibit of my art. Maybe we can plan a call to go over the details? I'm available any time and my number is 555-0997.

   Holden Prescott

I wake up feeling refreshed and I smell bacon cooking as soon as I open my bedroom door. It's only 8A.M. but coffee is brewing, too. God, I love my brother. We have breakfast together and drink back my coffee fast, moving on to a second cup before going into the studio again. 

   Landon offers to take Honey out for a walk by the water, and I appreciate the quiet as I look around my studio. I probably have five pieces I could use, if they were interested. I could paint five more, depending on sizes, by June. I have so many questions but I'm more and more excited about this as the minutes pass. I really needed something to be excited about.

   As I walk back out to the living room, I spot the two paintings of Maya. Would I include those? Is that even what they are looking for? I'm still thinking about this when my phone buzzes. I turned on my notifications for emails, which I had never done in the past.

   Hello Holden,

   I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly. I will give you a call with my business partner on Monday morning, say 9A.M.? I'm really excited about about this and I hope you are too.

   Mandy

   My heart is pounding as I bee line right back to the studio. This is actually going to happen? I need to get to work. I blast my working playlist and toss on my black apron, then rip open a large canvas. I'm feeling joy and excitement and it comes out in the painting that I begin, right away.

   I don't know how much time has passed, but I am working away, right in my zone. This feeling is why I paint. It settles my nerves and makes me feel like there's a reason I'm alive.

   "Holden!"

   I barely hear Landon's voice over my music, but I look over at the doorway of the studio. He looks panicked. I drop my paint brush onto the easel tray and turn to stop the music playing from my speaker.

   "What's wrong?" I ask right away. Honey is at his feet, so I know she's okay.

   "Uh, Mom just called. She tried you like five times, I guess. Eddie got taken to the hospital via ambulance, and-"

   "What?" I yell, already ripping off my apron. My hands are covered in paint.

   "She was sort of frantic on the phone, but I think he fell off a ladder?" Landon goes on.

   I feel bad, instantly, that I was working and didn't hear my phone ring. I would have gotten more details out of her than Landon got. I would have been able to calm her down.

   "Get your shoes on, I'll call her back on the way," I tell Landon, already pushing past him.

   It rings four times in my ear before she answers. I tell Honey to stay, even though she's confused, because I rarely leave the house without her. Then I slam the door closed and walk towards my truck, where Landon is waiting.

   "Holden!" my mom answers, still sounding scared.

   "Mom, I'm sorry I didn't answer. I was..." I realize quickly that it doesn't matter. "What's going on?"

   I hear her try to take in a deep breath. "Eddie was out in the front yard, trying to trim those big trees. The first one was fine, and then he moved the ladder to do the second one and... well, I guess the ladder slipped when he was up there and he fell and hit the ground." I can tell she's been crying, but she's okay, for now. "He couldn't move, he said he couldn't feel his foot. I called the ambulance as soon as I could and they came and brought him to St. Andrews."

   "Where are you?" I ask, a bit confused.

   "I'm home. I was just out of the shower, and wasn't even dressed. Oh, God, Holden."

   "Are you dressed now?" I ask, sliding into the truck beside my brother.

   "Yes."

   "I'm on my way. I'll take you to the hospital, Mom," I tell her, hoping she can feel a bit better now. "I'm sure he's okay."

   "Okay. Thank you, Hold."

   I drive too fast, and it feels weird that Honey isn't in the truck with us. I tell Landon what Mom said, and that she needs a ride to the hospital.  As soon as I pull into her driveway, Landon gets out and goes towards the house. Two minutes later, they both come out and walk over to my truck.

   "Landon, sweetie, will you stay here? I was going to clean the whole house today, and now that won't get done...." Mom tells Landon, but is looking at me.

   "Landon will stay and get started," I say quickly. "I'll come back here after I take you. Don't worry about the house, Mom."

   Landon shoots me a look that I ignore, and then I'm off again, with my mom beside me. She seems so nervous, and I can't imagine how she's feeling. Her fiance is hurt and she doesn't know if he's okay.

   "So, did you make those appointments to look at the venues?" I ask, hoping to take her mind off of this, even for a few minutes.

   She looks at me and I see it out of the corner of my eye. "Well, Eddie and I went to see one. He says it's too extravagant. He would prefer a wedding on the beach, you know that."

   Eddie is a very simple man, that is the truth. He loves the hell out of my mom but I'm not surprised that he doesn't want a big, fancy wedding.

   "Ah, that makes sense. What do you think?" I ask her, turning onto the main road again.

   She sighs. "I think I'd be okay married him in a back alley."

   "Mom," I say, and then laugh. "We should decide about it, soon."

   "Yes, you're right. Let's go just make sure he's okay," she finishes.

   Thankfully, he is okay. I stay just long enough to hear that he was taken in for surgery, after the scan showed a pretty significant break in his lower leg. I was happy to hear his head was clear and besides some bruises, he's just fine otherwise.

   But Mom makes me keep my promise to clean her house for her, and she says she'll call me once Eddie is out of surgery. I didn't really plan to spend my Saturday cleaning, and I know Landon didn't, but she's our mom. Of course we will do it. Besides, she never lets the house get that messy. It's probably an easy job.

   Landon's watching TV when I go inside, and he jumps up and pretends to be dusting. I burst out laughing and then tell him what I know about Eddie. Then we decide to do what we can from Mom's clean list, which is on the fridge.

   Vacuum the main floor and the bedroom. Wash the kitchen floor. Clean the counters. Dust the living room.

   We work together - both of us sweating - and get it almost all done before we are hungry. I search the house for an easy meal, as it's almost dinner time and we haven't eaten since breakfast.  In the freezer, there's one frozen pizza with pepperoni, so I toss that in the oven.

   Landon is chugging a bottle of water and I'm pulling off my t-shirt, which is sweaty and disgusting from cleaning for two hours, when the doorbell rings.