At Your Most Beautiful by Harper Bliss (book recommendations based on other books .TXT) 📕

Most people had left. Response to her work had been heartwarming and supportive. Imogen seemed ecstatic. Over the course of the evening, she’d found Quinn’s ear at regular intervals and whispered that they’d just sold another of her works—a sensation that most certainly didn’t get old.

Maya had seemed tethered to the area around her portrait. Quinn knew Tommy had bought it. She also knew her parents had bought a large and expensive one that featured people doing all kinds of acrobatics on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Still hovering in the vicinity of her portrait, Maya was talking to Angus and Griff. Tommy and Beth had struck up a conversation with someone Quinn didn’t know. Her parents were chatting with Imogen, but Quinn could tell from her mother’s body language that she was about ready to get out of there—that she’d had enough of all that she’d been put through this evening. Quinn guessed it was probably a bad idea to invite them to the after-party she was having at her and Griff’s, but she had to ask. They were her parents. She walked up to them.

“Here she is,” Imogen said, her enthusiasm powered by a battery that never needed charging. “It’s always lovely to meet the artist’s parents.” She stood there beaming, oblivious to the tension between Quinn and her mom and dad.

“We’re going back to our place for another drink,” Quinn said. “You’re all very welcome to join us.”

“I have to close up here,” Imogen said. “Make sure the place looks spic-and-span again by tomorrow.” She smiled and moved away.

“It’s late,” Quinn’s mother said. “And surely you don’t want us there, darling.”

“We should get back to the hotel, but let’s have brunch tomorrow,” her father said.

“And by ‘we’, you mean…?” Quinn was still on a high—and she needed to know.

“The three of us,” her dad said. “We need to talk, Quinn. Find some sort of peace, because this strain between us is driving me crazy.”

“That’s not what you said last time you came to the city.” Quinn’s mother had been right when she’d said that Quinn always had to push and push—but she knew who she got that particular trait from.

Her dad took a breath. “Before it can be… the four of us, it needs to be the three of us. We need to discuss this as a family. I—” He shook his head. “I can see now that it’s serious and that I need to work on adjusting my feelings about it, but I also need to say some things to you, father to daughter. Can you give me that?”

“Of course, Daddy.” Even though most days they only spoke for a few minutes, Quinn had missed her daily interactions with her father. It was his approval she’d been seeking all of her life and that wasn’t any different now. “I’ll text you the address of a great place where we can meet.”

“Hey.” Her dad opened his arms to her the way he had done when he’d arrived. “I’m so proud of you, kiddo.”

Quinn happily stepped into his embrace.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself,” he whispered as he held her close. “You should be.”

Quinn wondered if he only meant about her show.

“See you tomorrow, darling.” Her mother suddenly sounded much more mellow as well. Maybe she was beginning to realize that she only had one daughter—and Quinn only had one mother. Her mom took over from her dad’s hug seamlessly, the way they’d done when Quinn was a toddler. They wrapped her in a fort of their arms so she could stay in their embrace as she went from one parent to the other.

Quinn had seen her mother in what looked like a rather heated discussion with Maya earlier, but she wasn’t going to ask what they’d talked about now. Maya would tell her later. And it didn’t matter in this moment, this all-too-brief instant in which all three of them remembered the love that existed in their family of three-for-now.

“Sleep tight.” Quinn watched them leave. They only gave the rest of who was left—Maya included—a quick wave of the hand.

Quinn joined Tommy and Beth and asked if they wanted to follow on to hers.

“While I’d love to get smoke blown up my ass by your roommate all night long,” Beth said, “I have to work tomorrow.”

Quinn chuckled. If she’d known Beth was coming, she’d have given Griff a heads-up to prepare herself emotionally for coming face-to-face with her news idol. “Thanks for coming.”

“I’m sure we’ll see you again soon,” Tommy said.

Quinn nodded. She was mainly happy for Maya, who had spent so much energy dreading her son’s reaction. She could stop doing that now.

Quinn had made sure the place she was meeting her parents was more classy than hipster—the sort of restaurant she would take Maya to, instead of where she would go with Griff.

They were already seated when she arrived.

“I had expected you to look a lot worse for wear,” her dad joked as he hugged her hello. He was still in full-on hug modus then.

Quinn was still too happy about how her opening had gone to let any signs of a hangover intrude on her buzz. And she’d woken up next to Maya, who had made it clear that she wasn’t that fond of staying over at Quinn’s but had made an effort because of the occasion last night.

“Morning, darling,” her mother said. “Let’s get you some coffee.” Her mother had always shown her affection in more practical than emotional ways. She was already signaling a server. “This is a nice place.”

They chitchatted about the hotel her parents were staying at and what their plans were for the rest of the day until the food arrived, all the while avoiding the elephant—or cougar, Quinn thought gleefully—in the room.

“Tommy looks very happy,” Quinn’s mom said during a lull in conversation. “A bit tired perhaps, but having a baby will do that to you.”

“Have you met the little one?” her dad asked. “What’s his name again?”

“Ethan,” Quinn said,