I feel a sense of exhilaration as I head towards the window, until I pull out my phone to take the photo and I think of Aiden once more. Please, God, keep him safe.

12

Finding My Comfort Zone

It was a long night. Nico and I worked in silence, for the most part. I did discover that the village scene of his home town is a commissioned piece and his top priority at the moment.

I spent several hours going around in circles and every now and again Nico would appear at my shoulder, giving me little hints and tips. Sheet after sheet on the flip chart lay crumpled on the floor as I rejected every rough draft and I was becoming disheartened.

Eventually, Nico suggested I send him the photo I took earlier in the evening. When he returned from his workroom, he had with him a colour printout which leapt off the page.

‘Here. Pin that alongside your canvas and pick up a brush. Too much thought is a bad thing. It can stifle the flow. Your first attempt may frustrate you, as much as it fills you with elation as you finally get to express what you see in here,’ he’d tapped his head. ‘Just do it so I can relax and get back to work.’ His glance had been firm and I knew he was right.

And so I began.

When suddenly, at shortly after one a.m., my phone pinged, it shattered the companionable silence in which we were working.

Pit stop. Trouble now a hundred kilometres behind us. All good. Exhausted though. Adelaide here we come. Will ring you when we get there some time tomorrow. Love you, babe, and sorry if I panicked you.

If? He didn’t only panic me, he panicked Hannah. I sigh as I call her, feeling angry with him.

‘Aiden’s safe. He’ll reach Adelaide some time tomorrow but I’ll have to work out the time difference to see roughly when that will be.’

‘This isn’t easy for you, is it? It’s agony not knowing exactly where he is and what’s happening. Aiden’s supposed to be sightseeing, not getting himself into trouble. I feel for you, Fern.’

She sounds relieved on one hand, but cross on the other. As I am.

‘Well, I think we can relax now and get some sleep.’

‘What are you doing? Reading?’

‘No, I’m painting and it’s going to be hard to put the brush down.’

‘Wow, Fern! That’s really good to hear, although it is a little late. Sleep well. Hopefully tomorrow won’t be quite so fraught.’

I’m late down to breakfast, but when I finally dropped into bed in the early hours, I was asleep within moments, so this morning I feel well rested.