Brooklyn, New York - 2007

The warm glow of the overhead lights cast a soft hue over the exposed brick walls of the Humphrey Gallery. The faint hum of the city outside blended with the quiet rustling of papers and the distant sound of a vinyl record spinning on Rufus’s old turntable. It was late, the usual crowd long gone, leaving only the gentle stillness of an empty art space.

Evellyn stood near a large canvas, her fingers lightly tracing the edges of the frame as she examined the piece before her. Working at the gallery had become a surprisingly peaceful escape, a contrast to the whirlwind that was life with the Upper East Side. Here, in Brooklyn, things felt real. Honest.

Rufus, leaning against the counter with a steaming mug of coffee in hand, watched her with a quiet smile. There was something about seeing her immersed in the art, her expression soft, thoughtful.

“You know,” he said finally, breaking the silence, “I think you spend more time here than I do.”