Page 24 of Whispers of Redemption

“Well, your ankle is clearly much better,” Cassie observed, pulling away from the curb.

Ani blew a giant, pink bubble with the gum she was chewing and popped it.

“Yup, it is!” she said, then added, “Thanks for taking me to the mural unveiling before we do lunch today. I know my being there means a lot to my friend, Zoe.”

“Who is Zoe again?” Cassie asked as she drove slowly through the suburban neighborhood.

“Zoe Forester, she went to the same high school that I do. But she’s a couple of years older and already graduated. She was a teacher assistant in my freshman art class and was totally cool. She’s super talented,” Ani added, and popped another bubble. “She’s been working with some local muralist on a project to help beautify the city by painting outdoor murals on businesses and stuff. This is her first solo piece.”

“Nice,” Cassie said, pulling out of the neighborhood. “Now, where are we going?”

Ani pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. “Her mural is on the exterior of the public library downtown.”

Tourist traffic packed all the parking spaces up and down Main Street, and the library parking lot was full. So, Cassie parked a short walk away on a side street. She put Angel on her leash and she pranced along, leading the way as they walked down to join the throng of summer vacationers.

The street was alive with the sounds of laughter and conversation, and the smell of coconut sunscreen and sun-warmed lake filled the air. Brightly dressed vacationers of all ages flowed in and out of colorful storefronts and along the sidewalks of the quaint downtown area.

As they wove their way around families and small clusters of chattering people, Cassie asked, “So how have the Jerk and the Joke been treating you lately?”

Ani’s expression darkened. “Same old, same old,” she said, avoiding a careening toddler who had briefly escaped his parents. “They were both still out cold when I left. They partied pretty hard last night, so I just stayed out of their way. And there was literally nothing edible in the house for breakfast again. Speaking of which,” Ani gave her a sidelong look, “where are you taking me for lunch?”

“I was thinking we could both use some ice cream,” Cassie said with a smile, wrapping her arm around Ani’s shoulder.

“Dairy House! Woot!” Ani said with a grin.

They arrived at the library and headed past the wide concrete entrance steps toward the crowd of people gathered at the far side of the historic brick building. They joined the group and noted a massive, black cloth shrouding a large section of the exterior wall. A small podium was set up in front and an elegant older woman stood on it. She wore a flowy, chiffon dress in swirling shades of soft green, giving her a distinctly artsy look. Her sleek, white hair was cut into a sophisticated chin-length bob. She tapped the microphone lightly. “Welcome, everyone, welcome. May I have your attention?”

The volume of the crowd quieted as the woman began speaking. She introduced herself as Tilly Fontaine Riley, president of the Whispering Pines Mural Society, and explained that the society had been formed to not only help beautify the community but also to share important points of local history through the artwork.

“Our library committee requested that this special piece be included on the exterior of the building.” Tilly waved a delicate hand to indicate the shrouded wall behind her. “We had a gifted local artist, Zoe Forester, rise to the challenge. And I think you’ll all agree, she’s done an outstanding job of capturing a memorable era of Whispering Pines’ history.”

With that, Tilly stepped down from the podium and walked over to grasp one side of the cloth that was covering the mural. A tall, slender dark-haired woman was already grasping the cloth on the other side. Tilly counted, “One...two...three!” and the two women gently lifted the cloth away to reveal the beautiful mural beneath.

The label underneath the artwork titled it as “An Old-Fashioned Day at the Beach.” The mural depicted a beautiful summer day. A luminescent blue sky with white fluffy clouds met the rolling blue-green waves of Lake Michigan. Seagulls swooped in the distance as two women with parasols, dressed in early nineteenth-century attire, strolled along the sandy shoreline. In the background, children built sandcastles and played in the waves. There was a peaceful feel to the entire piece that drew Cassie in. It seemed a mythical place where people had no cares in the world except basking in the warm, brilliant sunshine.

The crowd applauded and whistled, and soon the rumble of conversations filled the air again.

“There she is!” Ani said, grabbing Cassie’s arm and dragging her through the crowd. “Zoe!” she called out, waving her other hand high.

A young woman with spiky jet-black hair containing a streak of electric blue in the center turned to face them. She had thick, kohl-rimmed blue eyes. They crinkled at the corners when she grinned broadly at the sight of Ani. “Hey, kiddo! How’s it goin’?” Zoe wrapped Ani in a big hug. Her voice was Demi Moore husky, but she was petite and fine boned.

“This is my foster sister, Cassie,” Ani said.

“Hey!” Zoe extended ring-filled fingers to shake Cassie’s hand. “Ani talks about you. All. The. Time.”

“Shut up, Zoe!” Ani said, looking embarrassed. But Zoe just laughed.

“I’m so glad you made it, kiddo.”

“Your mural is beautiful,” Cassie said.

“Thanks!” Zoe looked pleased. “Come here, I want to introduce you both to my mentor.”

They followed Zoe through the crowd, stopping multiple times for people to congratulate her, ask questions, and make comments.

Finally, they reached a small cluster of people engaged in conversation. Zoe tapped the shoulder of the same dark-haired woman who had helped unveil the painting. She turned, and Zoe introduced her to Cassie and Ani. “This is Alex Fontaine, soon-to-be Riley,” she added with a wink. “My mentor.”

“Am I?” Alex said with a laugh. “I guess I never thought of myself as your mentor.”

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