April 29th, 2040
It felt like there was a small weight lifted off her chest hearing Dominic talk about Clara—something Candice had always been so careful not to bring up unless he did first. She always felt… like it wasn’t her place… it wasn’t her person to bring up. But now, hearing his voice carry traces of nostalgia instead of the usual pain that once consumed both of them… it brought her an odd sense of relief. She met his words with a soft smile, though there was a flicker of sadness in her eyes. “She really was amazing, wasn’t she? Clara had this way of making everyone feel like they were the center of her world. Even when we were all arguing over something stupid, she’d come in and somehow make it all better.” Candice paused, letting out a gentle laugh. “Your daughters must be incredible if they remind you of her. And I’m… I’m really happy for you, Dominic. Truly.”
There was a pause, her words lingering in the air as she considered whether to keep going. “I think about her sometimes,” she admitted softly. “How much she meant to all of us… how much I wish things had been different back then.”
And then, as if to lighten the moment that was growing too heavy, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and focused on his stunned reaction to her owning the gallery. His disbelief made her laugh, and for the first time in a while, it felt genuine—like the walls they had both built up over the years were starting to crumble.
“Dominic Lucier, did you just admit I did something amazing?” she teased, arching an eyebrow with a playful grin before gesturing to the space around them. “Well, welcome to my gallery. Though, in my defense, I’ve always kept my name pretty low-profile in all of this. After all, I was a Clarke once—staying out of the limelight took a lot of work.”
She shifted her weight slightly, letting the moment settle before speaking again. “When I was setting up this gallery, I had this vision of creating a space where stories could live—where artists could tell theirs. I guess… I just didn’t expect our stories to cross paths like this again. Life’s funny that way, isn’t it?”
Her smile softened, and there was an almost unspoken invitation in her voice as she looked back at him. “But now that you’re here, I guess the question is: do you still want that show? I’d definitely have to take a look at your work first and see if and how it fits, but if it does, I’d be happy to consider it for the opening."