Once inside, Stuart took her coat and ushered her into the studio spaces, pointing out the work of his fellow artists, all of which was in various stages of completion. Some of the artists were here, but many of the spaces were empty except for the partially finished work. She saw a wide array of different styles, ranging from a few artists who did people, another who did animals, like Maddie, and others, like Stuart, who did more abstract pieces. Altogether, fifteen artists were in residence, with several interns and students.

“This is really something, Stuart,” she said. She was impressed despite early misgivings. She’d been afraid she’d have to fake enthusiasm. Instead, what she saw was like something out of the high Renaissance—a significant collective of talented artists working together in a shared space. She’d never heard of anything like it on this scale outside of a major city.

“Isn’t it cool?” He was beaming, clearly excited. “Just wait until you see my new piece. It’s back here.”

He literally dragged her forward, her shorter legs struggling to keep up, his hand pulling hers with eager haste. They rounded a corner, and she knew his work at once, even though she’d never seen this piece before. It was enormous—larger than anything she’d seen him work on. It stretched nearly to the ceiling of this large warehouse, so twenty or more feet high. It was clearly incomplete, but she had a sense of the piece immediately. It was made of tall, thin pieces of metal, each overlapping another slightly taller piece. It looked, from this angle, like an enormous wildfire, with leaping, tall flames that almost seemed to crackle with heat. But when they circled to the front of the sculpture, the fire transformed into a forest of pine trees.

Stuart’s expression had become deadly serious, troubled even, and he was watching her closely. She walked back to see the fire again, only to move a few feet to the right before the trees appeared once more. Tears welled up in her eyes, a strong pride sweeping through her and tightening her throat.

“I don’t know what to say, Stuart.” She could barely talk, and her words came out almost as a whisper.

“Do you like it?” he asked, his voice also quiet, pinched.

“It’s one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen.”

The smile that cracked his face then was like the sun breaking over the mountains. He leapt at her, pulling her into a fierce hug, and the two of them hopped up and down a couple of times, laughing. Pulling away, they both had to wipe at their eyes.

“Jeez,” she said. “Warn me a little next time before you completely blow my mind, would you?”

He laughed again, throwing an arm over her shoulder and squeezing her. “Okay. The next time I make something half as good, I’ll let you know.”