Down Came the Rain (NOW FREE!)

3

Chapter Three

The muggy air moving through the open window left a thin layer of moisture over most of Hudson's body. It took her half an hour underneath the shower-head to finally feel clean. As much as she hated to use the air conditioning, she'd be forced to turn it on to keep the humidity at bay. Painting in a cooler environment meant the colors would set better. And with the art show approaching, she still had much to get done.

With a dark green bath towel fastened around her chest, she made her way across the living room, her damp feet leaving an outline of footprints in her wake. She paused in front of the window and gazed at the busy street below. The panoramic view brought a smile to her face. Polish-style churches with ornamental exteriors. Mouth-watering bakeries. Colorful murals decorating nearly every square inch of her neighborhood. And if that wasn't enough, the waves of Lake Michigan glistened in the background, the golden rays of sunlight reflecting off the water.

Over the past five years, Hudson had grown to love the strong artistic culture and ethnic heritage considered the backbone of the art district. She felt proud to call herself a resident of the Lower West Side.

Most days, anyway.

She'd intentionally downplayed her anxiety with Annie the day before. She didn't want to worry her friend any more than she already had. It wasn't easy being a single woman in the big city. After Annie reentered her life, they'd made a pact to always watch out for one another. No matter what. But Annie was a stronger person than Hudson; she always had been. Even when they were kids.

Growing up, Hudson never had many friends. Except for Annie. Confident, outgoing and loyal, she became the confidant Hudson had always craved. But she couldn't help feeling a slight twinge of envy. It must be nice to feel so in charge, to have that kind of hold over life. Tough as nails. Not afraid to stand up for herself, or anyone else for that matter. That was Annie. Her rock. Her escape from the cruel world. One of those rare people determined to divide and conquer. And she had. Annie was amazing that way. But after the accident, Hudson had to move away, leaving the safety of Annie, and her entire world, behind.

Painting had come to fill the void; the colors, the brushes, the canvases. An endless sea of opportunity. Life could be anything she wanted in her paintings. Her creations were there for her whenever she felt trapped in the depths of loneliness and despair. Art became the one constant in her life. That and Gran. But eventually, Gran had left, too. If it hadn't been for her scholarship to the Art Institute, Hudson wasn't sure she'd have been able to deal with yet another blow.

A gust of soggy air rushed in and clung to her exposed skin. With a pitiful sigh, she closed the window and turned on the air.

Back in her room, she pulled on khaki shorts and a soft, gray T-shirt, topping it off with her favorite paint-smudged smock. Twisting her long hair into a damp messy-bun, Hudson let out a yawn. Time had gotten away from her the night before. Once Annie left for the club, she'd gotten to work too, finally collapsing into bed around four o'clock in the morning. She'd been too exhausted to even shower. Which, most likely, contributed to the grossness she'd felt when she'd finally crawled out from under the covers.

Now, in the sunlight of late morning, her green eyes roamed across the blend of colors she'd brushed over the canvas the day before. Three Casablanca Lilies stared back at her. Pearly-white petals with shocks of red stamen. Set against a backdrop of bright green foliage. The softly-lit blossoms reminded her of the flowers her mother had grown in their garden back home.

Home. She closed her eyes and let her mother's smiling face flash before her. An ache moved into her chest and she blinked away the sudden tears that hovered behind her lids.