He looked at me, somewhat taken aback…maybe slightly bewildered, until a large grin broke out across his face. “A magnet. Okay.”
“What about you? What would you buy?” I asked, throwing his odd question back at him.
“Hmm, nothing probably. I’d rather take photos. Much more meaningful than anything I could buy. Cheaper, too,” he said with a wink.
Like the man needed to worry about his pockets.
“You’ve really gotten back into photography, haven’t you?” I commented, setting my now empty cup on the coffee table between us.
“Well, it’s all new—now. But yes, I’m really enjoying it. It started out as just something I could do to fill in the hours of the day and now when I wake up, it’s the first thing I want to do. In fact, can I show you something?”
I looked around with slight hesitation, and finally nodded. Standing, I followed his lead down the first floor hallway. My heart sprung into a gallop as we neared the farthest corner, and his hand settled on the door handle of his old office. I hadn’t been in that space in years, blaming its four walls for the division between us. So many fights had been started here.
So many battles had been lost as I gave in to his power, unwilling to stand up for myself. Unwilling to let go and walk away.
August had always had a power over me, a certain hold, and it had never been more evident than when he stood behind that mighty desk, like a king surveying his kingdom.
My hands clasped together as sweat dotted my forehead. I would not turn away.
Fear had ruled my life for far too long. It was time to face my demons.
Taking the first step in behind him, it was hard not to notice the obvious changes he’d made. The few windows had been boarded up, covered in dark black cloth, and what once had filled a proud businessman’s office had been pushed aside to make room for photography equipment and makeshift tables.
Even a dark cloth and various chemicals covered the priceless desk August had once loved so dearly.
All of it forgotten.
Replaced.
“You’ve turned it into a dark room,” I stated in awe, looking around at everything he’d assembled in such a short time.
“Well, I’ve started to,” he replied. “It’s taking some time, but I’ve managed to print a few test rolls. Would you like to see?”
“Yes,” I gave a small smile, not even bothering to hide my delight. The fear I’d felt for this room was evaporating with every second that passed, like a calming balm, soothing away the haunting memories as August directed me to the other side of the room to show me what he’d captured.
Each photo was better than the last, and I recognized several scenes from our escapade around San Francisco. Several were of strangers, hugging loved ones, caring for their children—moments in time captured forever. Others were more obscure—a random angle of a building or the way a tree’s shadow met the pavement.
There were even a few of me.
He tried to hide them but I saw my own expression staring back at me.
If I only knew what I’d been trying to say.
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Chapter Twenty
August
I hadn’t meant to take her in here.
The words had just flown out of my mouth and here we were, standing in my sacred space, as she fingered through dozen of black and white prints I’d exposed over the last week.
If I’d known she was going to be in here, I would have cleaned.
Organized.
Planned.
Hell, I would have at least removed the photos of her. The ones I found myself staring at when the days got long, and the nights became so lonely I couldn’t stand the silence any longer. I knew darkrooms were a thing of the past—now that digital had taken over the world—but there was something cathartic about standing in almost complete darkness, working on a craft, bridging it slowly to life, rather than sitting hunched over a computer screen.
Each photo brought a little bit of life back into me. It wasn’t my life, perhaps, but it was something. And I watched it all appear like magic in those processing trays. Like tiny glimpses of hope—that maybe one day, I’d have a life worth photographing.
My eyes turned to the small bulletin board I’d put up on the wall for display, and settled in on the single photo I’d pinned up there. Two smiling faces in the grass, looking up at the camera with nothing but hope and happiness in the future.
Maybe someday, I could turn the camera around again and find someone worth capturing.
“Why do you have that?” Everly’s voice asked in the darkness, as I watched the silhouette of her hand stretch toward the bulletin board. In the dull red lights, I saw her finger the photo, her eyes shadowed and her expression hooded as she pulled it from its place on the wall.