Tethered Souls | Books 1, 2, and 3

2 | Devoted

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• Luna •

New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

Five months later . . .

"Say cheddar!" Luna exclaimed as she smiled at the baby boy in his pale blue outfit.

Getting a young client to smile while taking their picture had never been a problem for her. Even if his life depended on it, the boy wouldn't smile.

"Look at mommy," she said quietly, nodding her head at him. He pouted and puffed out his bottom lip, an evil sneer illuminating his bright blue eyes. "She's right there."

How can she convince him to smile at her?

"Caiden, look at daddy and me standing by the window. It's lovely outside." Kneeling to his eye level, the boy's mother, Michelle, spoke. Her brown skirt and long red hair dangled on the floor. She adjusted her back and looked at her husband, who was typing on his iPad.

She turned her neck and ran her hand along her son's cheek, causing him to laugh. "If we finish our photography session, we'll go into town and get some ice cream. How does that sound?"

Caiden smiled and nodded with his mother. Michelle stayed still while Luna took out her Nikon 500 and photographed the boy. He laughed and smiled as she played peek-a-boo with her camera.

"Mimi, I need to make a call. I'll step outside," his father said, gazing down at his wife.

"We'll stay here and finish up," Michelle said, smiling up at him. "Don't forget. I want to visit the antique shop across the street."

"It won't take long," he told her, and then turned toward Luna. "Thank you for your time."

She gave him a small smile and returned to photographing Caiden.

"You have a way with children and clients, Luna. How do you do it?"

She chuckled. "Do what?"

"You know . . . getting my son to feel comfortable. We always have a difficult time getting his picture taken. It's his second birthday next week, and I'd figured he'd grow out of that by now."

Luna laughed. "Sarah, my daughter, was like that until she was four years old. Now that she is six, she enjoys fantasy photography. When we go out to the bayou to take pictures, she would dress up as Alice in Wonderland," she told her, reminiscing about the times she and Sarah had fun in the woods.

"Fantasy photography?"

"Fantasy photography is a style of photography with fictional scenes. A photographer would follow a concept from a book, such as Little Red Riding Hood, or, Alice in Wonderland. They're a big seller of mine. Sometimes I'd get creative and capture something new, something I haven't done before."

"What do you do?" she asked, glancing at her son.

"When I can get Sarah to stay still and lie down, I'd capture her picture, then photoshop it for a double exposure effect."

Michelle gaped. "That is fantastic. You have some amazing ideas. It's no surprise you have a large clientele."

Luna's face brightened. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"I'm serious. I'm curious about your other tricks and methods. Mike and I have been coming to you for years, but I have never shown any interest in your photography."

"It's fine," Luna reassured her. "I'm glad I'm here for you."

When sunlight filtered through the window, casting a beautiful glow around the top of Michelle's head, Luna quickly raised her camera and snapped a picture before the light faded.