Chapter 6 Mia #2
Lowered the camera and looked at the screen.
Mia’s face fell. “That’s terrible.”
Nolan leaned over her shoulder, studying the image. “No, it’s not terrible. It just needs some adjustments.” He pointed at the screen. “See how the horizon is tilted? And the light is washing out the sky here?”
Mia nodded.
“Okay, try again,” Nolan said. “But this time, think about what you’re trying to capture. It’s not just about pointing and shooting. It’s about seeing the moment before it happens. Finding the light. Looking for the story hidden in the frame.”
He moved beside her, his voice dropping into a rhythm that felt almost meditative.
“Photography isn’t about perfection. There’s no such thing as a perfect shot. What you’re looking for is a perfect moment captured in time. A feeling. A breath. Something that makes you stop and really see what’s in front of you instead of just looking at it.”
Mia lifted the camera again, this time more slowly, more deliberately.
She looked at the ocean. Saw the way the fading light caught the crest of a wave. Saw the contrast between the dark water and the glowing sky. Saw the lone bird cutting across the frame, wings spread wide.
Mia clicked.
Lowered the camera.
Looked at the screen.
It was better. Not perfect, but better.
“There you go,” Nolan said, approval clear in his voice. “You’ve got a good eye.”
They stayed there for a while, Nolan showing her how to adjust settings, how to frame a shot, how to wait for the right moment instead of forcing it. Mia found herself getting caught up in it, the act of looking through the lens making everything else fade into the background.
The child’s face didn’t surface. The operating table stayed distant. For the first time in days, Mia’s mind was quiet.
When she looked up again, the sky had turned deep purple, and stars were beginning to appear overhead.
“Oh,” Mia said, blinking in surprise. “What time is it?”
Nolan checked his watch. “Almost seven.”
“I didn’t realize we’d been out here so long.” She glanced around.
“Time does that when you’re focused on something,” Nolan said, taking the camera back and slinging it around his neck. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”
They walked in comfortable silence, the boardwalk creaking softly beneath their feet.
“You really do have a good eye,” Nolan said as they neared the Inn. “With a bit of practice, you could be excellent.”
Mia felt a flush of pride and accomplishment, something she hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever. “I can feel the difference between your super-technical camera and my phone.”
Nolan stopped walking and turned to face her. “I have a second camera. It’s not as fancy as this one, but it’s still good quality. You can use it if you want. I’ll teach you, if you have the time and want to, that is.”
Mia didn’t hesitate as excitement tickled her stomach at the thought of learning something new. “Yes. I’d like that.” She frowned before adding quickly. “But I’m wary about using your expensive cameras.”
Nolan waved that off. “I’ll be with you when you use it. And if you find you love photography, and want to buy your own. I’ll help you buy one to suit your needs.”
Mia nodded, warmth spreading through her chest. “Okay. Thank you.”
For the first time since that fateful night, she felt alive again. Back in control.
Her hand went to the locket at her throat, and she realized with a start that she hadn’t stroked it once in the three hours she’d spent with Nolan. She hadn’t counted her steps on the way back either.
They reached the stairs that led to the rooms, and Nolan paused at the bottom.
“Are you an early riser?” he asked. “You can get some brilliant shots at sunrise.”
“I can meet you then,” Mia said without even having to think about it.
Nolan’s smile widened. “Great. Six thirty?”
“Six thirty,” Mia agreed.
They parted ways, and Mia climbed the stairs to her floor, a smile spreading across her face that felt foreign and wonderful all at once.
She reached her door and turned the handle.
Once.
Just once.
Pushed it open and stepped inside.
Eve and Lila were both in Lila’s room, visible through the adjoining door. They looked up as Mia entered, and their faces registered immediate surprise.
“You’re smiling,” Eve said, her tone a mix of relief and curiosity. “What happened?”
“I met a photographer,” Mia said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. “He’s going to teach me photography.”
Eve and Lila exchanged glances, then both stood and moved toward her.
“A photographer?” Lila asked, her eyebrows raised. “A male photographer?”
“Yup,” Mia nodded. “He’s also staying at the inn.”
“We want to meet him before you go off on a photography excursion with him,” Eve said firmly.
“Yes, Mom, I agree with Aunt Eve,” Lila backed Eve. “We need to meet him in order to ensure he’s a nice guy.”
Mia rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop smiling. She pulled them both into a hug, her throat tightening with emotion.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For making me come here.”
Eve squeezed her tight. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
That night, snuggled in the most comfortable bed, Mia dreamed.
She was eight years old again, standing in a driveway she didn’t consciously remember but somehow knew. A pink bicycle leaned against the garage, brand new and shining in the sunlight.
Her mother stood beside her, smiling. Her father was there too, tall and solid, his hand on her shoulder. Although she couldn’t see his face, she could smell his cologne. A scent that always made her feel safe.
“But it’s still three days before my birthday,” she said, excitement bubbling inside her.
“It arrived early, and your father and I couldn’t wait to see the look on your face,” her mother said.
“You’ve wanted this bike forever,” her father pointed out.
Eight-year-old Mia clapped her hands, laughing with pure, uncomplicated joy.
The scene shifted.
She was riding the bike now, pedaling hard around a park across the road from the house. A large pond sat in the center, ducks floating lazily on the surface. A dog ran beside her. He was black, short-haired, massive, and protective. Tyson. A Cane Corso with a blocky head and gentle eyes.
Tyson spotted the ducks and took off, barking joyfully.
Mia laughed and kept pedaling, circling the pond.
Suddenly, a man stepped out from behind a tree.
The laughter died in her throat.
The man lunged toward her, his face twisted with something she didn’t understand but instinctively feared.
She screamed.
The bike wobbled.
Tyson came barreling back, teeth bared, placing himself between her and the stranger.
The man lunged again.
Mia swerved hard, the bike’s front tire hitting a rock.
She flew over the handlebars, arms flailing, the world tilting sickeningly.
She heard her father calling out her name as the pond rushed up to meet her.
Before she hit the water, she screamed one word.
“Daddy!”
Mia sat up straight in bed, the sheets twisted around her legs, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might break through her ribs.
The light snapped on.
Eve and Lila rushed into the room, climbing onto either side of the bed without hesitation.
Suppressed memories were starting to surface, fractured and jagged, demanding to be seen.
“Honey, what is it?” Eve asked, her eyes sleep-heavy but filled with worry.
Lila rubbed her eyes. “You screamed so loud, Mom. Was it a bad dream?”
“I don’t think it was a dream,” Mia said, her voice shaking. “Hand me my phone.”
She patted Lila’s arm, and Lila sleepily reached for the phone on the nightstand.
Mia took it with trembling hands.
A street name surfaced in her mind, clear and vivid. She typed it into the search bar and hit enter.
The screen loaded.
Mia froze.
A circular cul-de-sac with a large park and pond in the middle.
She knew that road. She knew it well.
“Mom?” Lila said.
“Mia?” Eve said at the same time.
Mia looked at them. “I know why my mother really didn’t like Florida.
” She held up the phone. “Remember when I said I’ve never been here?
” She showed them the screen. “I was mistaken. I used to live here. Right here. In St. Augustine, this is where my father ran out of my and my mother’s lives when I was eight. ”
The silence in the room pressed down like a physical weight.