“I’m so sorry”, she uttered softly.
“It’s okay.” God, she was so
beautiful, her eyes reflecting concern and recognition. She understood the loss
of a loved one probably better than anyone he’d ever met and before he even realized
it, he was speaking again. “My parents and my grandpa had a ‘ disagreement’ when I was just a baby. And in an attempt to punish him, my parents refused to
let him see me. About six years ago, right before he died, I came here and
spent a week with him...”
Sensing the somber aura, Olivia
decided to share one of her fondest memories
of Grant’s grandpa, one that would not only transform the sudden doleful
mood, but also acquaint him with the kind of man his grandpa was.
“Mr. Gibson was probably the most genuine
person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowin’. When I was a little girl and Ty
would take me to the beach, your grandpa would sit out on the back deck, and on
really hot days, he’d come down the steps and bring us some sweet tea. He made
the best sweet tea I’ve ever tasted.”
Grant chuckled. “Yeah, he sure did…
so anyway, enough about me. I want to know about you.”
Olivia’s posture
stiffened slightly. “Well, there’s not much to tell, really. I moved here
with Ty when I was nine after my parents died; left the island for college two
days after I graduated and never came back until now.”
“Where’d you go to college?”
“A small arts college in Northern
Louisiana. I studied photography.”
Grant took another sip of wine and
then placed his glass gently in front of him on the table. He studied her for a
long beat, her disposition softening before him. “Ty tells me you’re a
freelance photographer.”
“Uh-huh. Three months after I
graduated college, Hurricane Katrina hit. After the storm I packed my camera
and took pictures of some of the aftermath. I hadn’t planned on specializin’ in
any particular kind of photography, but that experience changed me.”
Stroking the stubble along his
pronounced jaw, his eyes bored into hers. “How do you mean?” he asked
curiously.
“Well, most folks heard about the
storm and probably thought it was such an unfortunate thing to happen and then
went on with their everyday lives… There was so much devastation, Grant—I mean
parts of the city looked like it was a part of a third world country! So many
people lost everything they had and for most of them that wasn’t much. For me
capturing pictures of the devastation and chaos after the storm was like
speakin’ for those who didn’t have a voice. My pictures helped New Orleans
command the national attention that it so desperately needed.”
He loved how her features lit up
whenever she spoke about her career. He was beginning to see a whole new side
of her—a caring, softer side. And he liked it.
After dinner they took a lazy stroll
down the boardwalk and turned the corner toward the part of the pier that ran
parallel to the shore. Darkness blanketed the night sky, the stars glistening
like diamonds amongst a mine of black coal. Up ahead the historic Ferris wheel
towered above the pier, gliding effortlessly like a pirouetting ballerina.
Their date was coming to an end, but
not before he stole a private moment away with her on the Ferris wheel. Grant
gestured toward the ride, “That’s where we’re headed next.”
Olivia came to an abrupt
halt.“Whoa—wait a minute. You said dinner; you never mentioned anything about a
Ferris wheel…”
He turned to face her, reaching for
her hand. “Technically you’re correct, but now that we’re here…”
She tried to contain her nerves. She
was ter rified of heights. It was probably
ridiculous considering all of the dangerous and crazy behavior that’d
cluttered her past. She could feel her palms becoming slick, could hear her
rapid pulse in her ears. Her body’s fight or flight mechanism was set into
motion. More than anything she wanted to gather the bottom of her dress
“It’s okay.” God, she was so
beautiful, her eyes reflecting concern and recognition. She understood the loss
of a loved one probably better than anyone he’d ever met and before he even realized
it, he was speaking again. “My parents and my grandpa had a ‘ disagreement’ when I was just a baby. And in an attempt to punish him, my parents refused to
let him see me. About six years ago, right before he died, I came here and
spent a week with him...”
Sensing the somber aura, Olivia
decided to share one of her fondest memories
of Grant’s grandpa, one that would not only transform the sudden doleful
mood, but also acquaint him with the kind of man his grandpa was.
“Mr. Gibson was probably the most genuine
person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowin’. When I was a little girl and Ty
would take me to the beach, your grandpa would sit out on the back deck, and on
really hot days, he’d come down the steps and bring us some sweet tea. He made
the best sweet tea I’ve ever tasted.”
Grant chuckled. “Yeah, he sure did…
so anyway, enough about me. I want to know about you.”
Olivia’s posture
stiffened slightly. “Well, there’s not much to tell, really. I moved here
with Ty when I was nine after my parents died; left the island for college two
days after I graduated and never came back until now.”
“Where’d you go to college?”
“A small arts college in Northern
Louisiana. I studied photography.”
Grant took another sip of wine and
then placed his glass gently in front of him on the table. He studied her for a
long beat, her disposition softening before him. “Ty tells me you’re a
freelance photographer.”
“Uh-huh. Three months after I
graduated college, Hurricane Katrina hit. After the storm I packed my camera
and took pictures of some of the aftermath. I hadn’t planned on specializin’ in
any particular kind of photography, but that experience changed me.”
Stroking the stubble along his
pronounced jaw, his eyes bored into hers. “How do you mean?” he asked
curiously.
“Well, most folks heard about the
storm and probably thought it was such an unfortunate thing to happen and then
went on with their everyday lives… There was so much devastation, Grant—I mean
parts of the city looked like it was a part of a third world country! So many
people lost everything they had and for most of them that wasn’t much. For me
capturing pictures of the devastation and chaos after the storm was like
speakin’ for those who didn’t have a voice. My pictures helped New Orleans
command the national attention that it so desperately needed.”
He loved how her features lit up
whenever she spoke about her career. He was beginning to see a whole new side
of her—a caring, softer side. And he liked it.
After dinner they took a lazy stroll
down the boardwalk and turned the corner toward the part of the pier that ran
parallel to the shore. Darkness blanketed the night sky, the stars glistening
like diamonds amongst a mine of black coal. Up ahead the historic Ferris wheel
towered above the pier, gliding effortlessly like a pirouetting ballerina.
Their date was coming to an end, but
not before he stole a private moment away with her on the Ferris wheel. Grant
gestured toward the ride, “That’s where we’re headed next.”
Olivia came to an abrupt
halt.“Whoa—wait a minute. You said dinner; you never mentioned anything about a
Ferris wheel…”
He turned to face her, reaching for
her hand. “Technically you’re correct, but now that we’re here…”
She tried to contain her nerves. She
was ter rified of heights. It was probably
ridiculous considering all of the dangerous and crazy behavior that’d
cluttered her past. She could feel her palms becoming slick, could hear her
rapid pulse in her ears. Her body’s fight or flight mechanism was set into
motion. More than anything she wanted to gather the bottom of her dress
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