The Space In Between(23)

Her brows lowered. Please say yes. She was in deep thought and she finally spoke.
“Give me a few minutes to pack,” she whispered.
While Andrea packed, I stepped into the hallway and called Kyle to let him know what was up. First, he yelled at me about rescheduling my meeting with Iris. I told him I was going to see my mom. He felt extremely guilty and sent good vibes. He loved my mom like he was her kid. Growing up, my mom made sure to look after him as much as she looked over me. He would always deny it, but I knew he would go visit her when I was on a long photo shoot or filming the reality show, to make sure she wasn’t alone, and I’d thanked him for that. He’d just grumbled, calling me crazy, and delivered me his smart ass smirk which told me all I needed to know.
I wished the meeting with Iris could go without happening, but alas, Kyle went on to plan a new meet-up time. “You ready?” Andrea asked me as she glanced outside her front door into the hallway. I hung up my phone and smiled.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Chapter Thirteen

I DIDN’T KNOW what I was doing. How did I end up sitting next to Cooper on an airplane to another state? If there was ever a moment to scream the word panda, now would be that time. I knew Roger was going to flip with me missing work, but it seemed Cooper’s wallet would keep Roger quiet as long as needed.
He looked extremely drained as he stared out of the window. I could tell his mind was racing, probably thinking of the worst possible outcome. I knew the look because I had been there all too often.
“What is she like?” I asked. I placed his hand in mine and held on to him tight, letting him know he wasn’t alone.
Cooper turned to me and I watched as his eyes softened from his troubled look. “She’s funny. And artistic. Clever. She bought me this camera.” Cooper looked at the camera around his neck and quickly snapped a photo of me. My lips curved into a smile as he continued. “She also bought me my first camera. She’s the reason I got involved with photography. I remember when she gave it to me, she said...” He paused. He was getting lost in his mind again, but this time with warm memories. I patiently waited for him to share with me.
“She said that an okay photographer could capture a surrounding. A good photographer could capture an expression. And a great photographer—a great photographer could change someone’s destiny for the best. And she leaned in and kissed my forehead and said ‘Son, what are you waiting for? Go save some lives. You are destined to be great.’”
“She was right.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “I photograph weddings and had a reality television show. I sold out my greatness for money.”
“If you could do anything, what would you photograph?”
“Children.” I saw a spark in his eyes as he said this. “I want to work on this one project where I photograph children’s expressions next to the elderly. You would be shocked by how much emotions don’t change throughout life. Happiness is the same in the eyes of a one-year-old and a one-hundred-year-old. It’s a beautiful thing.” I could hear it in his voice—his passion. It was like he wasn’t even speaking to me—he was feeling what he loved.
He went on to tell me how interested he was in human beings as a whole. How complex we were as a species, how much darkness and light lies in each of us. “So if I could showcase any of my work to the public, it would be that. I would showcase us.” He paused and wiggled his nose. “Well not ‘us,’ you and me, but you know. ‘Us’ as a universal whole.” He rested his head against his seat and tucked a piece of hair that had fallen before my eyes behind my ear. “Although I would love to photograph us, too.”
“I think it’s brilliant. You should do it. And for the record, just because you went through a period of time where things were rocky doesn’t mean you still aren’t destined for greatness.”
His crooked smile appeared as he nudged my shoulder. “Ditto.” He lifted the armrest separating us and stared at me. I knew what he was wondering, and it made me smile because I could tell without him even asking.
“A studio. I wanted to open a dance studio.”
“Wanted to?”
I grinned as he ran his fingers through my short hair. “I want to open a studio. My mom says it’s unrealistic and I should really think about going back to school for a more career-focused major. That’s just Mom though. She worries. Daddy says I inspire him to dream big. He’s my biggest fan.” I chuckled to myself, thinking about how heavy-footed Daddy was. “He even took dancing classes for my…” I stopped. My wedding.
Cooper could tell what I was going to say and he rubbed the back of my neck. His eyes told me that he was fully invested in our conversation. He listened without judgment of any kind. I wiggled in my seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable with how relaxed I was becoming around Cooper. But I couldn’t help it. He made it so easy to not be…sad.
“I would love to see you dance.”
“I would love to see your photography. Do you really believe what your mom said about a great photographer? That they could change someone’s destiny?” I asked.
“Definitely.”
I laughed a little. “Maybe you should take my photo.” I yawned and thought of the lack of sleep from the night before. Cooper lightly tugged me closer. I effortlessly curved into his body and rested my head on his shoulder. “Maybe we should change the rules a bit,” I suggested. I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what he would say. All I knew was I liked learning more about who he was. And I liked having someone I could speak to who wasn’t from my small town who knew everything about Derrick and me.