Page 49 of Sean

“Should we?” Kelly looked at Joe. “Can’t remember the last time we had our portrait taken.”

“Then, it’s time,” Joe said. “Where would you like us?”

Julia took a moment to find just the right pose for the older couple. When she got back behind the camera and began taking pictures, she couldn’t help but be a little jealous of what they had. Their love for each other was evident in every click of her shutter. Through good times and bad, they’d continued to be united. Would she ever have that kind of love?

When she finished up with them, she stole a look at Sean. He was watching her with an intensity in his gaze she hadn’t seen before. It reminded her of how he’d looked at her the night before, but there was something else to it now. She was almost afraid to name the emotion that shone in his eyes. Caring, certainly, but was it something more?

“Can you take one of just the girls?” Tara asked while Julia was trying to sort out what she’d seen on Sean’s face and what she felt in her heart.

“Absolutely.” Julia had been planning to suggest that, and she was glad to have something to focus her mind on to keep it from wandering off into impossible territory where Sean was concerned. Tara’s daughters, Eden, Ally Mae, and Alice, lined up. The oldest was so much taller than the younger two that it took some positioning, but the girls were cooperative and sweet as they tried out different poses. Julia took several shots that she felt captured the differing personalities. “Now, you, Tara. Join your girls.”

“I will, but I wish Jude was here,” Tara said as she moved forward.

It was on the tip of Julia’s tongue to promise that she’d take their picture again when Tara’s husband was home on leave. She couldn’t do that because she had no idea where she’d be by then. So she just smiled and continued snapping images.

“We want one with Lucy and Amos,” Eden declared a few minutes later. “All the kids.”

“I…” Julia glanced toward Sean, then to Kelly and Tara. Amos and Lucy weren’t part of the ranch’s kids. They were guests, not family.

“Well, why not?” Kelly said, ending the indecision. “We should all have a picture to remember each other by.”

“That’s true,” Julia agreed. She’d have digital files of all these images as a keepsake. Today had been a red day, so Amos and Lucy were both wearing red shirts. The red contrasted nicely with the white the other kids wore.

They managed to be serious for a few poses and then playtime began. They built a shaky pyramid with Amos on the top and then danced together even though there wasn’t any music. It thrilled Julia to see her niece and nephew so happily interacting with other kids.

“Okay, everyone together,” Kelly declared. “Come on.” She gestured to the adults who stood around the perimeter. “I want to remember our house guests.” With Kelly organizing, Joe, Sean, Tara, and Emmy joined the kids. Sean boosted Amos onto his shoulders, and Lucy stood in front of him like he was her daughter. Julia’s heart skipped about five beats to see them posing like they were a family.

Instead, she swallowed her emotions and took the shots of the smiling faces. In the last one, Sean and his sisters, along with the kids, surrounded Joe and Kelly. It was a bit chaotic, but Julia knew she was capturing magic.

“Come join us,” Tara called, gesturing to Julia.

“I can’t.” Julia held up the camera. She wasn’t much for having her picture taken, and it wasn’t her place to invade this family photo shoot.

“Don’t you have a timer on that thing?” Emmy said.

“I do,” Julia admitted, “but those never turn out well.” She wasn’t lying exactly, but it was a good excuse not to be in the family pictures. She had no place there and was relieved when Tara and Emmy gave up on the idea without further argument.

“If you say so,” Tara said. “I think we need ice cream. Dad, should we take them inside for ice cream sundaes?”

“Great idea,” he said. “Who wants one?”

The kids clamored with excitement as they dashed off for the house, followed more slowly by Tara, Joe, and Emmy.

“No ice cream for you all?” Julia asked Sean and his mother as she flipped through the images she’d taken. There were so many good ones that she was going to struggle to select the best.

“Not for me,” Kelly said. She turned her focus from the kids to Julia. “Let me take a picture of you and Sean together. I’m sure you can show me how to take a picture with this.” She gestured to Julia’s camera.

“I’d like that,” Sean said quickly as he moved forward. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Oh, I…” What could Julia say? Would she love a picture of her and Sean together? Yes. Having it, though, was going to cut into the emotional distance she needed from him. It would create another memory for her to struggle with when they went their separate ways. She already had too many of those.

Soon, she had to leave there, had to leave him. There wasn’t any other way to go forward. No, it was better to keep on her side of the lens. She refused to meet Sean’s gaze for fear of what she’d see there.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Julia said to Kelly, “but thanks for the offer.”

TWENTY-FIVE

Julia piped a border onto Emmy’s birthday cake while Sean wielded a knife and cut cheese cubes nearby. Who knew that all those years of hanging out in grocery stores across the country while her mother helped open them would pay off? Julia had spent loads of time in the bakery department where, more than once, the decorators had let her help with the sample cakes. She’d picked up a lot from those ladies. They’d been kind of like the grandmothers that she hadn’t had.

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