“Kristie, I promised I was going to get you the piece this way before the exhibition but…”

“I hope you’re not going to say what I think you’re going to say.” Kristie cuts in.

For a solid 5 seconds, the call line was silent.

“…come on Anna. You promised me and I took your word for it.”

“I know I did. But you know it’s only Thursday. We still have 3 more days to Sunday. Don’t worry. I’m going to get you the piece right on time. This time, I reeeally promise”

Kristie sighed heavily then she said firmly.

“Who reeeally promises? Huh? On a more serious note Anna, Saturday. If your piece isn't finished by Saturday, consider this your last exhibition with me”. The call ends just as Anna is about to offer some reassurance, though her mind is completely blank.

“Don’t worry, just breathe, calm down,” Anna muttered to herself, taking slow, measured breaths. She held each breath for what felt like ten seconds, then exhaled very slowly, trying hard to keep the tears welling in her eyes from falling.

This was supposed to be her big break. She had been displaying her paintings in small exhibitions and galleries until they caught the eye of one of the city’s biggest gallery owners, Marc Aandersen. Now, it seemed like this opportunity was slipping right through her fingers, right before her eyes. She felt powerless, as if she had no control over her life.

A walk would help, she thought. She quickly grabbed her favorite long black coat and slipped into her boots. She had to take walk to clear her head or see something new because that was the main reason she was in this small town after all.

Thirty minutes had passed since she went on that walk. She chose the beach that caught her eye in the results after she asked Google “places near me to help find inspiration while experiencing creative block”. So far, nothing extraordinary had happened. Part of her hoped that kicking a few pebbles might trigger some inspiration, but nothing sparked—not even a flicker.

Up ahead, maybe a couple of kilometers away, she saw a lighthouse. She had never been this close to one before. It looked beautiful, sturdy, and well-maintained, with a huge red-painted wooden door. Curiosity surged within her, quickening her steps toward it. Perhaps this was the little adventure she had been longing for all this time.

“Right! One huge door on a large all white lighthouse. Not creepy at all” she said sarcastically under her breath. Three knocks and one loud hello later, she ushered herself in. It was ghost-quiet. She could literally hear a pin fall and that fact sent shivers down her spine. Strangely, lights were on in the entire place. The spiral staircase gracefully wrapped itself along the walls, compelling her to pull out her phone and capture the scene. As she explored further, she noticed the walls were painted a pristine white, adorned with black and white photos in plain frames. Each photo depicted moments spent in the lighthouse frozen in time, adding a mysterious charm to the lighthouse's interior. In the hallway, alongside the staircase, two coats hung—one large, likely for an adult, and a smaller one, clearly for a child—suggesting recent inhabitants or visitors.

Taking each stair one after the other, she ascended until she reached the lantern room. There, she saw a man and a little girl standing against the railings. The man had his arms around the girl—a father and daughter, perhaps.

“Hello…”

They both turned around startled. The man instinctively pulled the little girl close to him.

“I’m really sorry sneaking up on you like this. I didn’t think I’d find anyone here. My name is Anna and its nice to meet you.” Anna introduced herself as she stretched out her hand to greet the man.

The man returned the handshake. His grip was strong and distinctly masculine.

“I’m Jack and this here, is my daughter, Emily. We, well, I am the caretaker of this lighthouse and Emily here helps out from time to time.” he responded nudging Emily to do same

“Hi there Anna. I’m Emily but you can call me Em. It’s nice to meet you” a tiny, shy voice spoke up. Emily stood behind her father barely looking in Anna’s direction as she spoke. Anna crouched a few feet in front of her and offered a warm smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too Em.”

"I think we should head back downstairs. The waves and wind are picking up. I can also smell a storm building up," Jack instructed, gently lifting his daughter into his arms. He led his guest down the stairs in silence. Anna found it peculiar. Perhaps Emily was injured or simply found the stairs tiring. Anna herself found them exhausting.

Jack made pancakes while Anna looked around, asking questions about the lighthouse, the town, and the people. She could be chatty at times; she knew that and it didn't bother her. Everyone told her how annoying it could be but she believed it’s what helped her to paint the way she does.

"...so, what are you doing in Little Rock?" Jack finally asked, breaking Anna’s streak of questions. The aroma of the pancakes filled the air—three stacks topped with maple syrup. He handed a plate to Anna and placed Em’s in front of her, gently guiding her to begin eating. It was then that Anna realized Em was blind. A rush of pity and sadness washed over her. She attempted to conceal her emotions, though she suspected Jack had noticed.

“Uhm, well, I’m an artist and I’m from the city. To be clear, I’m a small time artist, nothing to my name…yet. I’ve been experiencing some creative block and in search of new experiences and interactions to unblock it. I have an exhibition on Sunday and I have nothing to show.” she went on. “I came to Little Rock to find something, a spark, motivation, inspiration; everything and anything to help me start my piece.” she continued as she shoved the first fork bite of pancake into her mouth.

“if I’m sure about anything, it’s that you find what you’re looking for when you’re not trying.” he said turning slightly to look at Emily. There was a story there. Anna could sense it but she didn’t want to pry — just yet.

"Do tell," Anna leaned back in her seat, genuinely intrigued by Jack's perspective. Her curiosity was palpable; she couldn't contain it. Jack, meanwhile, had turned his attention towards Em, watching her with a mix of tenderness and concern as she carefully cut through her pancakes. Anna noticed a deep sadness in his eyes, evoking the same overwhelming empathy she felt earlier when she realized Em was blind.

He sighed heavily and turned back, his gaze dropping to his plate of pancakes.

"I lost my wife, Em’s mother, 2 months ago. Liver cancer. We’d been battling it for 2 years. We had hope, lots of hope that she was going to beat it. Even when we all lost hope, Cindy still had high hopes," he paused, taking a deep breath. "Cindy didn’t let cancer beat her down. She still got Em ready for school every morning, handmade Halloween costumes, attended Em’s recitals and school events. She made sure she was always there.”

"I met Cindy at a point when I had given up on a lot of things in life—love, happiness, safety, family, hope. I gave myself every reason to keep her at arm's length, but she was always around. It was annoying at first, but I came to crave her presence, her hugs, her goofiness, her smiles. She had this aura of peace that captivated everyone when she walked into a room. She was my peace," Jack concluded, his voice tinged with nostalgia and sorrow.

He stood up, gathered the empty plates, and took them to the sink. Setting them down, he stood still with his back to Anna. She faced his direction, patiently waiting for him to continue. It was evident he needed a moment to compose himself before speaking further. Anna empathized, understanding how difficult it must be for him to hold everything together in such a trying moment.

"Cindy fell seriously ill just days after our wedding. Our honeymoon turned into numerous hospital visits. We barely had any time alone, but she always managed to make it special," he chuckled softly, and Anna couldn't help but smile in response.

"We discovered Cindy was pregnant with Em," he went on. Jack turned towards Anna, but his gaze remained on Em, his arms folded. There was a sparkle in his eyes as he spoke her name.

“We never planned Em but it brought us soo much joy. Although it was a very difficult pregnancy, Cindy turned out to be the one comforting me.” He chucked again alongside an infectious smile. It made Anna smile too. “I can’t forget the final days, we almost lost Em but she eventually came — our bundle of joy.”

The rest of the night unfolded with stories of the Holdens—Jack, Cindy, and Emily Holden. Anna listened closely, paying attention without interrupting with questions or follow-ups. She absorbed each tale, letting them paint vivid pictures in her mind. A realization dawned on her that she had found what she was searching for, her breakthrough piece. As Jack continued to share, her subconscious continued to paint until he finally concluded, "So that’s what I meant by finding what you’re looking for when you’re not trying.”

By this time, Jack leaned against the door post, appearing relaxed and noticeably lighter, which Anna recognized immediately. She approached him and gestured for a hug. Jack hesitated momentarily, then yielded and embraced her.

"I couldn’t imagine what it must have taken for you to pour your soul out like that. It was clear you needed someone to talk to, and I'm glad you allowed yourself to," she said, embracing him. Jack teared up. He truly had felt alone handling everything with Em. He just needed a shoulder to lean on.

"I have to get going if I want to show up with something for my exhibition. I really enjoyed your company. I was almost ready to give up on finding inspiration, but I think I've found what I was looking for," she said with a grin spreading across her face. She kissed Em goodbye and made her way home. The walk back felt completely different. She couldn't wait to get home and start painting on her blank canvas.

She arrived home and wasted no time setting up her canvas and tools. Six hours of uninterrupted painting later, it was finally done. Sweeping away a bead of sweat from her forehead with her index finger, she admired the masterpiece before her. It was exactly as she had imagined. Every brush stroke was infused with the stories of Cindy, every blend of blue, red, and green represented Jack, and every finishing touch carried a hint of Em. The Holdens had truly inspired her painting. Overcome with emotion, she burst into uncontrollable tears. What did it all mean? As she completed the piece, reliving the moments spent listening to Jack, she found some answers, though exhaustion quickly overtook her. Collapsing onto her bed, she fell asleep almost immediately.

It was Sunday, the day of the exhibition.

"Anna, this might be one of your best works yet. I can feel it all," Kristie said softly, her voice full of admiration.

"I know, Kristie. And that's exactly why I can't show this at the exhibition."

"What!?" Kristie exclaimed in shock, turning to face Anna. The distress and anger were evident on her face, but Anna remained calm. She walked over and placed her hand gently on Kristie's shoulder.

"You had to be there, Kristie. Their story felt so personal, so sacred. I can't be selfish about this. As much as I want recognition, I know deep down that my big break will come when I least expect it," Anna explained, picking up the piece and walking away with a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.

Two days later, Jack received a package at the lighthouse.