Unfinished Symphony (Logan 3)

Holly wore one of her long dresses, sandals and beads that reached her waist. She had crystal earrings and a tiara made of crystals and other minerals.

"Artists," Grandma Olivia muttered.

Despite how Kenneth was dressed, he received an ovation when he entered the gallery. He smiled and nodded and escorted Holly to the foot of Neptune's Daughter.

"Well," Laurence Baker said stepping up beside Kenneth, "now that the artist is here, we can unveil his creation. As you all know, Mr. Childs has named his work Neptune's Daughter. In your program he describes his own work as a view of Neptune's daughter emerging from the sea, metamorphosing into a beautiful woman. The piece attempts to capture that metamorphosis at a climactic point. Without further ado, let's allow Mr. Childs to unveil Neptune's Daughter."

Kenneth stood there a moment, his eyes searching the crowd untilthey settled on me. He looked impishly happy. Everyone held their breath as Kenneth jerked the cord to reveal Neptune's Daughter. The sheet fell away from the statue and the audience released a single gasp, followed by loud applause.

Grandma Olivia's eyes widened as her mouth opened, stretching the skin over her cheekbones. Then she turned to me and we both gazed at each other for a long moment. She knew I had been Kenneth's model, but she didn't expect to see a bare-breasted young woman emerging from the water. She turned back to the statue.

"Well . . . well . . . well," Judge Childs muttered. "I told you this was his best work. What do you think of it, Olivia?"

"I think it's shocking," she declared. "I never expected to see such a realistically portrayed female." She stepped forward and studied the face and then looked at the Judge.

"I know," I heard him say.

"I need some more champagne," Grandma Olivia declared and the Judge escorted her to the table. "What do you think of it, Aunt Sara?" I asked her.

"It looks like Haille," she whispered. "Just like her."

"Yes, it does."

"Jacob wouldn't have approved," she noted and nodded. "No, that he wouldn't."

"Dad didn't know anything about art," Cary said. Aunt Sara's face brightened.

"No," she said, "

he didn't."

I laughed and signed back and forth with May, who was very excited and loved the statue. We listened to other people complimenting it and complimenting Kenneth, who appeared as

uncomfortable with adulation as a man standing in shoes two sizes too small.

Cary and I were about to take May outside for some fresh air when Teddy Jackson, his wife Ann, his daughter, Michelle, and son, Adam, entered the gallery. A cold, electric chill shot through my spine. I hadn't seen the man who was my real father since I had returned, terrified of the moment when I would. Michelle, who disliked me intensely, was actually my half-sister. I couldn't help but search her face and Adam's for any resemblances among us.

Fortunately, the Jacksons were quickly approached by the gallery owner and other members of the crowd.

"Let's go," I urged Cary and we slipped outside.

"It was getting hot in there. Mom's not coming to the party," Cary said. "She wants me to take her home first. I'll bring May and meet you up there later."

"Okay, sure," I replied, still stunned by the sight of Teddy Jackson.

"Are you going with Kenneth and Holly?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm sort of assigned to him to make sure he shows," I added and Cary laughed.

Less than an hour later, the invited guests began to leave the gallery to head up to Judge Childs's home. Kenneth and Holly emerged like two people escaping a long school detention and came laughing and hurrying toward me.

"Let's get something to drink and quick," Kenneth cried. I took my fiddle out of the Judge's car and stepped into the jeep. We took off with Kenneth whooping up a storm. The wind played havoc with my hair, but my complaints went unheeded.

"You got me into this," Kenneth shouted. "Grin and bear it."

We were lucky. It was one of the nicest spring days, the wind warm and gentle, the sky almost turquoise with puffy dabs of clouds. When we arrived the trio was playing, valets were parking cars, balloons were bobbing in the wind. Kenneth and Holly headed straight for the outside bar. People converged around him, shaking his hand, patting him on the back. Holly and I helped ourselves to some of the hors d'oeuvres, and wandered about the grounds.

"What a beautiful place," she remarked. I showed her some of the house as well. When we emerged, the Judge and Grandma Olivia had arrived and were well involved in conversations with the guests. I looked about but didn't see Cary or May anywhere. When I spotted the Jackson family again, I felt myself shrivel inside.