Work of Art

Chapter 37

Nick did in fact not see him around.

If anything, it seemed more as if he was actively avoiding her. Every once and a while she would catch a streak of blond hair passing through the halls, but it never once stopped or turned her way. He never even came and got coffee from the kiosk like she had grown accustomed to him doing. Nick found that she missed the company of the doctor. She knew that in reality, she really hadn't spent much time with the man at all, it was silly to be feeling such a way about a man. Especially when that man was a doctor and her senior by what 10- 15 years? Nick realized then that she had no idea how old the man was. Definitely older than her, that was for certain, but she had no inclination of by how much. He appeared young, early to mid-20s maybe, but age showed in his eyes. Even when he was smiling, there seemed to be a great sadness within it that could only be caused by experiencing too many years. And here she was, still in her senior year of school. She would be delusional to believe that anything could ever occur between them, but the thought plagued her nonetheless.

It actually only took her an additional three days after her return to finish up the mural. Pride overwhelmed her as she stepped back and looked at the final product. There were, of course, things that she would change, things that really only she saw, but that didn't detract from the sense of accomplishment in her work. She had done that.

Grace walked over from where she had been sitting behind the receptionist's desk. She pulled Nick into a tight hug. "It's beautiful sweetie."

Nick couldn't help the tears that pricked her eyes at the words of the kind woman. "Thank you Grace, for everything." She pulled the woman into a tighter hug.

She laughed at the artist, pulling away. "I'm not going anywhere, if you need me, I'm here."

An appreciative smile lit Nick's face as she tried to hold back her tears. "Go before I cry," Nick joked.

Grace shook her head with a smile, but retreated back to her desk anyway as Nick walked over to grab her tote bag and slung it over her shoulder.

It was Mark who found her next as she was getting ready to leave.

He approached her, stopping her before she exited. He extended his hand, and Nick firmly shook it. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, sir," Nick grinned.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied. "You really helped to brighten up the place, it's beautiful."

Nick wasn't expecting all of the kind words, and they warmed her immensely.

"And hey-" Dr. Gordon tacked on. "-don't be a stranger, we still need to have coffee."

"You've got a deal," Nick confirmed as she gave the man a final nod and turned to leave.

From the tugging in her chest and the burning on her skin, she was almost positive a third set of eyes was now watching her go. But she didn't turn around, so she couldn't be certain.

...

Maggie was waiting for her when she got home. It startled Nick way less than it should have to see her lounging on her bed as she walked into her own room.

"How's it feel to be a free woman?" Maggie asked jokingly as Nick set her tote bag down on her desk chair.

"It feels like we need to have some fun," Nick replied back grinning.

"How about we drive down to First Beach tomorrow to have a day in the sun?"

Nick raised an eyebrow at her friend. "You do realize we're in the dead of winter, right?"

"And?" Maggie grinned. "You have a coat, don't you?"

Nick rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bed next to Maggie. "If I freeze my ass off, I'm blaming you."

A wicked grin stretched Maggie's face. "I'll take full responsibility," she nodded solemnly in faux acceptance, "I'll even drive you to the doctor to get it checked out."

Nick's face reddened and her mouth opened, looking for a retort.

"What a shame it would be for you to take your pants off in front of doctor dreamy," Maggie continued to tease.

Unable to respond with her words, Nick instead responded physically. She picked up a pillow off of her bed and swung it at Maggie. A soft thump met her ears as it collided with her friend's torso.

Maggie let the attack shove her over and she was laughing hysterically as she stared up at the ceiling.

Nick raised her arms, the pillow swinging upwards and primed for another attack.

"Spare me!" Maggie joked between laughs.

Nick brought the pillow down again, but Maggie had rolled out of the way just in time. As quickly as she dodged the attack, she stood and ran for the door

"See you tomorrow!" She yelled over her shoulder as she darted around the corner of the door frame. With her head turned back, she could see a pillow flying through the open door frame in her peripheral vision.

"See you later Momma Lexers," Maggie called to Nick's mother as she rushed by the kitchen.

Theresa smiled after Nick's best friend as she dashed out the front door. She had always wondered if the girl's boisterousness would dwindle with age, but if anything, it only seemed to grow. She could still remember when she and Nick moved into the house when Nick was only four. The first day her daughter had gone to preschool, she had walked out the front doors at the end of the day holding the hand of a small girl, who at the time had blonde hair. It was around their 13th birthdays when Nick came home from a sleepover at Maggie's with her hands stained a deep blue. When Maggie came over the next day, Theresa really wasn't that surprised to see the teen was quite blue herself, including the apparent target of her hair. The purple hair that streaked by the kitchen had only come about around two years ago, but Maggie had decidedly kept it the violet shade since.

It was then that Nick walked down into the kitchen. At her appearance, Nick's mom opened up the freezer and reached inside, extracting a pint of coffee ice cream.

"Congrats honey," she said as she handed Nick the pint.

Nick smiled a thank you as she excitedly took the pint from her mother.

She was excited to be done, a long-standing project finally coming to fruition. But, she couldn't help but feel the loss as well. In a sense, it felt like an end- as if she were leaving behind the hospital and everyone inside; her heart panged a little at that thought.

Yet, deep down she knew her dismal thoughts were false... in reality, it was only the beginning.