EPILOGUE
Jocelyn
Everything feels a bit surreal, almost as if I’m in a dream. I stare at the tiled floors and the sleek glass fixtures and podiums everywhere. I’m wearing a cocktail dress that cost more than anything in my wardrobe does, and that feels surreal as well. Even with the cocktail dress and with a diamond necklace Lena let me borrow, I feel underdressed! All around me, people are milling about wearing tuxedos and evening gowns, and they look as if they belong in those clothes.
Michael slides up next to me and hands me a glass of champagne. He notices my expression and whispers, “How are you feeling, Little Girl?”
I whisper back, “I want to run away, Daddy. I’m so nervous I feel sick.”
He smiles and kisses my cheek. “If you run away, I swear to God, you’ll finally get that spanking I’ve been threatening.”
I giggle and say, “Okay, Daddy.”
Then, the host speaks. “And now the woman of the hour!” He waves at me and says, “Come on up here, Josie!”
Of all the days to wear heels! The whole way up to him, I expect to fall flat on my face, but I make it to the little platform and he introduces me. Then he announces, “And now, you may reserve your pieces!” I glance at Michael. He mouths something I believe is ‘you got this’.
He’s wrong! I’m going to melt into nothing!
He smiles and points and I see a gallery employee place a tag next to the title card of one of my vases.
Sold.
I look around.
There are tags going on vase after vase and on bowls and sculptures.
The like my work!
They like my work.
The gallery owner gives me smile, leans forward, and kisses my cheek “Told you,” he says.
I don’t know how to respond and I just stand there in shock. He says, “You’re too cute,” with a laugh. He leaves the platform to meet a distinguished-looking couple, who are looking at one of my sculptures and I run to Michael.
“Daddy!” I say, “They like my art!”
“Of course, they do, Pumpkin,” he says.
He holds me tightly, and the feeling of my Daddy’s embrace is far more powerful and far more important than any of the tags on any of the ceramics are.
***