The teenager wiped her cheeks with both sleeves. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I softened my voice because she was still a child. Older than Lily had been, yes, but still young enough to look terrified of every adult in the room.
“I know,” I said. “But I need to understand why nobody told me you and Lily were that close.”
Nova opened her mouth, but a voice behind us answered first.
“Because it was complicated.”
I turned.
The teenager wiped her cheeks.
Elaine stood in the doorway. Her cream blazer was crisp, and her smile was cold.
Nova went still.
That told me more than any explanation could have.
Elaine looked at her daughter. “Sweetheart, you were supposed to stay near your display.”
“I was,” Nova said quietly.
“No. You were making a scene.”
I stepped slightly in front of Nova. “She wasn’t. I asked about the painting.”
Nova went still.
Elaine’s eyes moved to me. “Tanya, I’m sorry. This must be upsetting.”
“Don’t call my daughter’s face upsetting like it’s spilled wine.”
Tracy touched my elbow. “Tanya.”
“I’m fine,” I said, though I wasn’t. I pointed toward the gallery. “Why did you want that painting hidden behind a fake title? Nova is talented. You should have told me that my child was her subject.”
Elaine’s jaw tightened. “Nova has been grieving in an unhealthy way. Her therapist encouraged art, not public drama.”
“This must be upsetting.”
Nova lifted her head. “Dr. Barrow said I should tell the truth about my sister.”
“Nova,” Elaine warned.
“No, Mom.” Her voice shook, but she kept going. “You wanted me to call it Girl in Yellow.”
I looked at Elaine. “Why?”
“Because not everything belongs in front of strangers.”
“My daughter’s name belongs wherever people loved her.”
“I was protecting Nova.”
“You took the pictures down,” Nova whispered.
The room went quiet.
“Dr. Barrow said I should tell the truth about my sister.”
I turned to her carefully. “What pictures, honey?”
“The ones at home. Lily’s school photo. Our lake picture. Our picnic picture with Olive, the cat.”
Elaine snapped. “Enough.”
Nova winced.
I faced Elaine fully. “Don’t snap at her for telling the truth. Where’s Patrick?”
Elaine shrugged and then looked away.
I pulled out my phone and called my ex-husband.
He answered on the fourth ring. “Tanya?”
“Are you at the gallery?”
“I’m parking. Why? Why are you there?”
“What pictures, honey?”
“We need to talk.”
“What happened?” he asked.
I looked at the painting through the open doorway. “I found Lily.”
There was silence.
Then he said softly, “What?”
I hung up.
***
Five minutes later, Patrick appeared.
“I found Lily.”
He saw Nova crying. Then he saw the painting.
“Lily,” he said. “My baby.”
I faced him. “Did you know about this? Did you know Elaine wanted her renamed?”
Patrick shook his head.
“She was erasing Lily again. And you let her.”
Elaine stepped closer. “I wasn’t erasing your daughter. I was preventing my daughter from living in Lily’s shadow.”
Nova’s voice cracked. “I wasn’t in her shadow, Mom. I never was. I was with her.”
Patrick stared at Nova like he had missed an entire language she had been speaking for years.
“Did you know about this?”
Andrea appeared in the doorway. “Nova, your artist talk starts in ten minutes. Do you need a moment?”
“Yes,” I said, before Elaine could answer. “We all do.”
***
Outside, cold air hit my face, and I could finally breathe.
Nova stood beside the wall, hugging herself.
I turned to Patrick. “Did you let Elaine box up Lily’s things?”
His mouth opened, then closed.
“Answer me.”
“Yes,” he said. “I thought it would help everyone move on.”
“No. It helped you stop feeling guilty.”
I could finally breathe.
Nova pulled a folded paper from her dress pocket.
“I kept this.”
Elaine went pale. “Nova.”
“Let her speak,” I said.
Nova handed it to me.
There was pink marker on the paper and crooked stars in the corners.
“Supernova, come to my birthday or I’ll be offended forever. Love, Lily.”
My hands shook. “This was Lily’s last birthday.”
Nova nodded. “I never came.”
“I’ll be offended forever.”
I remembered Lily waiting by the window with a paper crown.
“Maybe Nova’s busy,” I’d said.
Lily had shrugged too hard. “It’s fine.”
It hadn’t been fine.
I looked at Elaine. “You hid this?”
Elaine’s voice stayed thin. “Nova and I had plans.”
“No, I didn’t,” Nova said. “You told me Lily didn’t really want me there.”
Patrick turned. “You told me Tanya changed the date.”
“You hid this?”
