Chapter 52

Most of Clara's paintings had that warm, healing vibe. Ethan stood in front of a piece featuring a kid and a cat basking in the sun on a lazy afternoon. The moment felt peaceful and cozy, even for someone like him. His eyes locked on the canvas like he couldn't tear himself away, and for once, that usual gloom hanging around him faded a bit. The gallery had three sections, and Clara was walking all the way to the back with Lilah at her side. "Clara, no wonder so many people love your work. These paintings really hit you in the feels. I actually feel kind of... uplifted," Lilah said as she kept looking around with soft amazement. No surprise Clara's blowing up online—her following on Twitter was in the hundreds of thousands. "Life's tough enough. We all need something sweet to get us through it," Clara replied with a small grin. Lilah looked at her and couldn't help but feel a bit of heartache in her eyes. "We've seen it all now. Wanna grab coffee?" she asked. Clara hadn't seen Lilah si