Chapter 187:
Hidden Talents
Max’s POV
The soft hum of activity in the art studio was a comforting background noise as I set up my easel in the corner. Sunlight filtered through large windows, casting a warm hue across scattered canvases and paint supplies. Today, we had a special visitor, someone I was looking forward to meeting properly-Sarah, Megan’s younger sister.
Megan had told me a lot about her. She was the quiet one, ever in Megan’s shadow, but with that spark of creativity which Megan believed was underappreciated. I started to wonder what hidden talents Sarah possessed and how we could bring them to light.
The door creaked open, and Megan strode through it, with a somewhat diffident Sarah behind her. Megan’s smile broadened at the sight of me. “Hey, Max, we are here.”
“Hey, Megan. Hi, Sarah,” I said and flashed them a warm smile. “Do come on in. Make yourself at home, please.”
I could see Sarah’s eyes go wide as she gazed around the studio, taking in the vibrant chaos of creation. “Wow, this place is amazing.
“It is,” Megan agreed, nudging Sarah forward. “Max wanted to see some of your work.”
Sarah blushed, clutching a sketchpad to her chest. “I-I don’t know if it’s any good…”
“Nonsense,” I said, waving her over. “Everyone starts somewhere. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
With a little prodding from Megan, Sarah handed over her sketchpad. I thumbed through the pages. My eyes grew wide at every drawing. These were rough, but full of potential-detailed landscapes, expressive portraits, and imaginative creatures that seemed to leap off the page.
“Sarah, these are great,” I said, actually impressed for once. “You really have talent.”
Sarah blushed deeper. “Really? You think so?”
“I know so,” I said, handing the pad back to her. “You have a really cool sense of style, and with a little guiding principle, you could do some great things.”
Megan grinned at her sister. “See, Sarah? I told you.”
Sarah smiled shyly. “Thanks, Max. I’d love to learn more.”
“Great,” I said, and clapped my hands together. “Why don’t we start with some basics? I could show you a few techniques that might help.”
As we got a workspace set up for Sarah, Megan hovered around, her eyes full of encouragement. “You’re really going to like it here, Sarah. Max is such a great teacher.”
I snorted. “Flattery gets you everywhere, Megan.”
She pushed me lightly on the arm with a laugh. “Just telling it like it is.”
She laughed, and some of her nervousness started to seep into the relaxed atmosphere. We breezed through various techniques in the next hour: shading, perspective, color blending, and textures. Like a sponge, Sarah soaked up every bit of information and turned out to be a natural artist.
“Try this,” I said, doing some shading on a piece of scrap paper. “It’ll give your drawings more depth.”
Sarah imitated what I had done. Her pencil moved with great accuracy over the paper. “Like this?”
“Exactly,” I nodded approvingly. “You are a fast learner.”
Megan watched, smiled, her eyes shining with pride. “You’re doing great, Sarah.”
With every minute, she seemed to gain confidence from somewhere; her shyness began to wash away. She would exercise different styles and ask me questions, testing techniques I showed her. I could tell she just plain loved the art, and how far she’d go remained to be seen.
“Max,” Sarah said, suddenly looking up from her sketch, “do you think I could ever be as good as you?
I smiled and tipped back in my stool. “You could be even better, Sarah. The key is to keep practicing, push yourself, and never stop learning.”
Sarah’s eyes took on a determined glint. “I will. Thank you, Max.”
Megan’s phone buzzed; she glanced at it with a frown. “I’ve got to take this. I’ll be right back.
As Megan stepped out to take the call, I turned to Sarah. “So, tell me, Sarah. What do you like drawing most of all?”
Sarah thought for a while, her eyes slipping down to her sketch pad. “I love drawing people, capturing their emotions, their stories. It is like bringing them into life.”
“That’s such a beautiful way to put it,” I said, nodding at her. “And it shows in your work. Your portraits are very expressive.”
She smiled, her fingers tracing the edges of her sketchpad. “Thanks. I guess I just … I see people differently. I notice the little details.”
“Those little details are what make your art special,” I said. “Never lose sight of that.”
We plugged away, the studio filling with symphony upon symphony of quiet sounds: pencils scratching on the paper, ratchets rolling backward, bouts of laughter. It was a peaceful morning, where I could see that with every stroke of her pencil, Sarah was becoming more confident.
Megan came back, a smile on her face. “Everything all right?” I asked.
“Yeah, just work stuff,” Megan replied, waving it off. “How’s it here?
“Great,” said Sarah, holding up her latest sketch. “Max is an amazing teacher.”
Megan moved in closer. Her eyes became wide as she looked at the drawing. “Wow, Sarah. That’s amazing.”
Sarah blushed but her smile was radiant. “Thanks, Megan.”
I looked at the clock and realized just how fast it had flown by. “Well, that’s enough for today. You’ve made fantastic progress, Sarah.”
She nodded and began to gather her stuff. “Thanks, Max. This was great.”
“Anytime,” I told her, hitting her on the shoulder. “You’re more than welcome to stop by the studio anytime.”
After we had cleaned up a bit, Megan pulled me to one side with her shining eyes in gratitude. “Thanks, Max. This really does mean a lot for her… and for me.”
I smiled and squeezed her hand. “It’s my pleasure, Megan. She has so much potential, and I am happy to help her find it.”
Megan relaxed a little. “You’re a good friend, Max.”
I shrugged, and a warmth went through me. “I try.”
We exited the studio together into the high sun, bright overhead. Sarah chattered excitedly about her plans for her next drawing, every last trace of her shyness gone. Her animation, so full of life, warmed the heart.
At last reaching the cafe we were going to lunch at, Sarah turned toward me and smiled sheepishly. “Max, would you like to join us?”
“I’d love to,” I said, looking over at Megan, who nodded to encourage me.
We slid into a booth-the cafe was busy with activity from the lunchtime crowd-and then ordered food, but that didn’t stop her from talking about her art. Her eyes sparkled, shining bright with excitement. It was clear this had been a real epiphany for her today, a step toward self-acceptance for those hidden talents.
“So, Sarah,” I said as our food arrived, “what’s next for you?”
Sarah paused, her fork hovering over her plate. “I want to keep practicing, to keep learning, and maybe take some art classes, too.”
Megan beamed. “That sounds like a great plan.”
I nodded, a sense of pride washing over me. “And I’ll be here to help you every step of the way.”
Sarah beamed. “Thanks, Max. Can’t wait to see where this journey takes.”
We dug into dinner, and I couldn’t help but think about this day. Moments like these made me remember why I loved this job: helping people realize hidden talents-their potential-is a gift.