The Mirror - Page 224

“And she’s right,” Trey said. “You are.”

“There you are!” Cleo stepped outside. “I was wondering—”

Breaking off, she whipped off her sunglasses. “What’s wrong? Son—”

“I’m fine. I’m fine now.” She got up to prove it. “And honest to God, I can’t go through the whole thing again without a glass of wine.”

“I’ll get it.” He shot Cleo a look as he rose. “And I’ll go through it again. You can fill in anything I miss.”

“I don’t think you miss much.”

“I try not to.” As he walked down from the deck, he signaled to Cleo. “Give her a minute, okay?”

“She’s been crying.”

“She needed to. She may need to again, but she’s all right. Just give her a minute.”

When he went inside, Cleo went up on the deck. She shoved her sunglasses on again, sat. “It goes against my nature, but I’m going to listen to him. I’m giving you a minute.”

“I appreciate it.” Sonya sat again, closed her eyes.

And basked in the silence.

Trey came out with a bottle of wine, three glasses. After he’d poured, he sat.

He went through it all, and Sonya marveled at his recollection of details, some she barely remembered recounting herself.

Part of being a good lawyer, she decided.

As he spoke, Cleo reached over, took Sonya’s hand.

Solidarity.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here, Son.”

“Don’t be. I wasn’t alone, and I knew that all through it. And now that I did get through it, and I cried all over Trey, I’m glad I saw them together. Collin and Johanna. I’m glad I could see how much they loved each other, and would’ve loved the child they’d begun. I saw my dad in him, and in a way, I saw my parents at that stage of their lives. So full of love and excitement and plans.

“Sitting here now?” With people she loved, with the gardens blooming and the evening just starting to go soft. “I know, I absolutely believe, the purpose of seeing them, of finding Marianne’s portrait right after, was a reminder of what’s at stake.”

She lifted her glass to Trey. “You said I didn’t give her anything. I mourned for her victims and gave her nothing. I needed to hear that. And I can believe it.”

“Her victims deserved to be mourned.”

“Yes, they do. My father and Collin painted those portraits, and there’s purpose in that, too. They deserve to be displayed together, remembered. That’s what we’re doing. They deserve to have their rings back. And I don’t know how, but we’re going to make that happen.”

“I’m with you, all the way,” Cleo told her. “Now, I want to go see her. See Marianne. You’re right, there’s purpose in that art. We see who we’re fighting for.”

“Let’s all go see her.”

They went inside, into the music room.

“She’s beautiful,” Cleo murmured. “Lit.”

“Radiant,” Sonya agreed. “That’s the word that sprang for me. Young. She, Clover, Lisbeth, all close to the same age.”

“Collin’s work again.” Cleo nodded as she moved in for a closer study. “They’ve taken turns.”

“Honoring them,” Trey put in. “Not just the woman Collin loved, or the woman who gave birth to both of them. But all the ones who came before. And the way it looks, this is where they’re meant to be.”