The Patchwork Hearts

Chapter SIXTY

Maya

I haven't seen Holden in three days, besides on video calls. He seems excited and nervous and exhausted all at once, and I get it. This is a huge deal for him. I miss him a lot but I'd never say anything that would ruin this for him. He deserves all of this and more. I need to be supportive.

I wake up at 5A.M. on Saturday, my body buzzing with excitement. It's a long drive - six hours at least - and we are leaving by 8A.M. The exhibit opening is at 5P.M. that afternoon and we want to get there early so we can eat and relax a bit before the big night.

    Happy exhibit opening day! I text Holden before getting into the shower.

The water is hot and seems to wash away some of my nervousness, thankfully. I'm nervous for him, because I know a lot is riding on this. Really, it's a shit ton of people seeing his work. But there could be people who see it who might want him to do other exhibits in other galleries. There could be people who want to commission him for big, important pieces. A lot could come from this and we both know it.

I'm drinking my first coffee of the day when Holden texts back.

    Thank you. I'm so freaking nervous, but last night was awesome.

He called me when he got back to the hotel room last night, after the private showing of his exhibit. He said there were only about twenty people and it was more like a little party, but everyone seemed cool and they loved his paintings. One of the woman had already put her name on one of them.

Now, even though I want to talk to him more, I know he has a busy morning coming up.

    I'll see you soon, I send back.

    Love you.

I'm fully dressed and ready with a bag with some extra stuff in it sitting at the door, by 7A.M. It's too early to call and bother Annie, and I know that she and Landon will be here in under an hour to pick me up. So I call Nella.

"Hey," she answers, sounding surprised. 

"Hi," I say, then go on, "Good morning."

"You okay?" she wants to know.

"Yeah. I'm just... anxious. I'm going to New York City this afternoon," I tell her, even though she already knows this, and hearing it out loud is weird.

I spent the previous day with her and Willow and baby Evan, knowing I'd be gone for the weekend. Since Evan was born, I have spent at least a couple days a week with them, helping Nella or hanging out with Willow so Nella could nap with the baby.

"It's going to be great!" Nella shouts into my ear and I hear the baby squawk in the background.

"Give them both another kiss for me," I say.

"Tell Holden we say congrats on his exhibit and I can't wait to see pictures!" she goes on, then says, "Willow, no honey, don't climb onto the counter."

I let out a laugh. "You going to be okay?"

"Oh, yeah. George is not working this weekend, remember? We're good. Go have fun with your man!" Nella says then laughs.

After the night Holden and I had sex for the first time - the night Evan was born - things escalated quickly. Holden and I were us again, just like that. We were together whenever possible and hung out with Nella and George a lot, helped with the kids and even babysat so they could go on a date night.

"Okay. I'm going to go finish getting ready," I say to Nella.

"Call me later. Or tomorrow! Love you," she says back and the line goes dead before I can answer.