He smiled. "You remember…"
"How can I forget?" she asked, wincing. "You drug me over to stare at it for hours every time we came in here when we were kids."
He laughed. "Here we are again…"
"Yeah," she said. Her eyes were dark and far away. Tears blurred the corners of her vision. She wiped away the saline film and walked to the next exhibit. Most of the artwork was local, therefore there weren't any Van Gough's or Davinci's, but all the same the paintings and sculptures and drawings were wonderful.
She walked slowly past the pictures, trying not to seem too disinterested. She'd come for a reason. To find the picture her mother loved so much. Taylor trailed along a few yards behind her, trying not to stare at her as they walked through the museum. She was not a supermodel or a beauty queen like Chloe; there was simply something about her easy-going, comfortable manner that made her seem so exotic. She was so wildly different from Chloe. Chloe was all about rushing around and being serious. She was always dressed in nice, neat clothes. Her hair was always fixed and her make-up always done before 8 o'clock in the morning.
Taylor felt his eyes burning, and he closed his eyes. The tears receded back into their ducts.
"Taylor!" she exclaimed. He felt her hand grab the front of his shirt, and her pulling him along. He followed, a bit startled. She came to an abrupt halt, and jerked him next to her. "Do you recognize it?" she breathed, her voice jittery and excited.
It was a copy of a painting by Margaret Kane. It was fairly popular. Several of his friends' mothers' in high school had this same picture hanging in their living rooms and hallways. A little boy with shaggy blond hair was planting a sweet kiss on the cheek of a girl with long brown hair. When he and Ashley had been younger, their parents had teased them that the little girl and boy in the painting were them. They'd choke and sputter for awhile, at least until their parents moved past the dreaded painting.
"It's…" He found himself hoarse. He cleared his throat. "It's nice."
"My mom used to love this," she said, her voice cheerful. "Don't you remember, Taylor?"
He looked at her bewilderedly. She was grinning. "She wouldn't buy a copy and hang it in our living room, I remember, because she said it was so special that it shouldn't be gawked at all of the time. She didn't want to take it for granted or get used to it…"
He nodded. Her hand was still grasping the front of his shirt tightly. She could feel his breathing, heavy and fast. She looked at him. "Are you okay?"
"Do you remember why she liked it so much?" he asked, his throat tight. Her grip loosened, and her eyes became overcast.
"Well, I…" Her heart began to thud rapidly in her chest, and she let go of his shirt. He let out a quivering breath. He placed his hands on either of her shoulders, and pulled her to him. In a moment of bravery and stupidity and spontaneity, he brushed his mouth over hers.
At first, she was frightened. But the warm, familiarity of Taylor soon made her fear melt. She could wrap her arms around him and the world went away. She kissed him back with more intensity. He returned her kiss, urgent and desperate for her touch. He was shaking violently, because he was afraid she would let go.
"Taylor," she whispered, her lips ceasing to move against his. Her breathing was labored, as was his. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, begging him not to move. She buried her face in his chest. He sighed heavily, and put his chin on her head.
"I couldn't help it," he said, his voice quivering.
"I know," she said, letting a tear run down her cheek. "We're fucked, aren't we?"
He let out a nervous laugh. "We are."
"I've missed you so bad," she murmured.
"Me, too," he told her, kissing her hair. She peered out from Taylor's chest at the people who watched them scornfully.
"Can we…leave?" she asked quietly.
Nodding, he led her to the nearest exit. Unsure of where to go from there, they walked the sidewalks of downtown Tulsa. They finally stopped at a small restaurant in a pocket of old downtown. There they ordered sandwiches and listened to a new musical talent that was sweeping the area. They began to try to figure out what they should do with themselves.
