Chapter 201:
Confrontation with Reality
Lila’s POV
The gentle rays of the rising sun cast through the windows of the studio as I walked in to meet the chaotic mess of art supplies all over the floor and unfinished work. The hum of creativity felt welcome this morning when Jake and I did something we had done the previous night: talk. Share our fears and hopes-the most honest conversation I ever had with any person.
I was cleaning up my workspace as I settled in to work when footsteps behind me echoed, and I turned to face Sarah breaching the doorway. Her gait, normally so resolute, was just a trifle uneager.
“Morning, Sarah,” I replied to her, forcing my tone to stay light.
“Hey, Lila,” came her answer. The smile seemed superimposed on her expression, looking rather forced. “Can we talk?”
“Of course,” I said, nodding toward the stools at my station. “What’s on your mind?”
She sat and began to play with the hem of her shirt. Her fingers were agitated. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About the future, our work, everything.”
I nodded, for obviously there was some haunted intensity in the arc of her words. “It crossed my mind lately, too.”
Her voice barely a breath over a whisper, she went on, “I feel we are at crossroads. We have worked so much on this project, but what next? What if it’s not enough?”
I took a deep breath, trying to find my words. “I think it is totally normal to have doubts. We have literally poured our hearts into this thing, and it’s kind of scary to wonder what is next, you know? But we have grown a lot, too. As artists. As people.”
Sarah looked up at me with very uncertain eyes. “Is that really how you feel, Lila? That we are really ready for whatever comes next?”
“Yes,” I replied rather firmly. “I believe in us. We had so much adversity to pass through and came out all the stronger. We can face whatever tries to come at us in the future.”
She sighed, smiling very slightly. “You’re awfully guileless. I envy that quality of yours.”
“It’s not always easy,” I confessed. “But I do try to focus on the good, on what we’ve done together.”
The door swung open just then, and in walked Jake, carrying a cup of coffee in each hand. One he offered me, while passing the other off to Sarah. “Morning, ladies. Hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”
“Not at all,” I replied, glad for the distraction. “We were just talking about the future.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Heavy topic for this early in the morning.”
Now, a bit of Sarah’s nervousness subsided, and she laughed. “Yeah, well, it’s been on my mind.”
Jake took a sip of his coffee and bobbed his head thoughtfully. “It is much to ponder. But we have each other, and that is such a big advantage. We’ll get it done.”
Sarah looked up into his eyes, her face softening. “Thanks, Jake. You always know how to put things into perspective.”
I smile. “Now, let’s get to work. We’ve got a masterpiece to finish.”
That day, the three of us worked together, and everything seemed perfect-the smooth pace of work periodically interrupted by some awkward silence or a burst of talk and loud laughter. It feels so good to be together, to share the load and the joy of creating.
Later in the afternoon light, between breaks, Alex stepped in under an unusually serious demeanor.
“Hey, guys. Can we have a quick meeting?” We gathered, feeling that there was urgency in the tone. Alex took a breath, looking at all of us.
“I’ve been talking to the owner of the gallery, and there’s some news. They moved the exhibition date up. We don’t have as much time as we figured.”
A murmur of surprise and consternation went through the group of people. Jake was the first to speak.
“How much less time?”
“Two weeks,” Alex replied, his face in a grimace. “We have two weeks to finish out everything and be ready for the show.”
Her eyes widening, Sarah exclaimed, “Two weeks? That’s nuts!”
“It is,” Alex agreed. “But we can do it. I know we can.”
A wave of panic welled up, but I tamped it down fast. “He’s right. We have worked under pressure before. Just need a bit of focus and looking out for each other.”
Jake nodded, his jaw set in determination. “We will have to put in extra hours, but we can do this.”
Sarah still looked doubtful, but she took a breath and nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
It became our second home for two weeks, sometimes working until late evenings. There have been frustrating moments-tiring enough-but we pushed through stronger for the video with a similar aim: to complete it on time.
It was one of those evenings, close to deadline, and I was alone in the studio, licking a work in progress. The door opened, and Alex walked in. “Hey, Lila. How’s it going?”
“Almost done,” I said, not raising my head from what I did.
He came around and stood next to me. The silence watched for some moments. “You really outdid yourself this time.”
“Thanks,” I said finally, looking up at him. “It’s been a team effort.”
“Yeah,” he said, and there was a thread of pride in his voice. “But you’ve been the heart of this project. You’ve kept us all going.”
I blushed, unsure how to respond. “I just. I believe in what we’re doing. And I believe in us.”
Alex nodded somberly, “I do too. And I feel like this exhibition is going to be the breakthrough for all of us.”
As days approached for the final ending, the studio buzzed with excitement and a bundle of nerves. We knuckled down to the final end, putting work into each piece, making sure everything was perfect.
The night before the exhibit, all of us met for the last time in the studio-the result palpably forthcoming.
“We did it,” said Jake, his coffee cup raised in toast. “We really did it.”
“To us,” replied Sarah, raising her cup, “and to the future.”
Cups were raised to each other; it was one of those moments of brotherhood and pride. The road had been hard, but we had faced reality with a vengeance, and were the better for it.
In the light of everything we had achieved together, how could I not feel this deep well of gratitude: for our friendships, hurdles overcome, and this beautiful craft we had created?
“To new beginnings,” I whispered, raising my cup once more.
“To new beginnings,” the others repeated, so full of hope and determination in their voices.