she would have.
The mayor, a middle-aged woman in a trim blue blazer, briskly greeted them. Janya thought she probably had learned many important things in her campaign, one of which was not to keep people standing in the hot sun. She ended a short speech by reciting an even shorter list of people who had supported the rec center from the beginning. Then, to polite applause, she stepped aside.
Tracy signaled two teenagers, who walked to the center of the curtains and carefully pulled them back. Janya looked straight ahead, afraid to watch the faces of those who were viewing the mural for the first time. The applause began. A full minute later she was no longer worried.
“Will every child who had any part in the mural come forward?” Tracy was up at the lectern now. “And also our star and designer, Janya Kapur.”
The applause began again as the children stepped up to the front. Proud parents and families, rec center staff, local citizens there to see how their taxes were spent and, of course, the tournament attendees. Janya went to stand in front of the mural with the children for photos. Then the unveiling was over. People flocked to the front to see it up close. Rishi and Yash found her, and heaped praise on what she had done.
“I am always proud of you, but perhaps I’m allowed to be a little prouder today?” Rishi kissed her cheek.
“Amazing,” Yash said. “Gorgeous. Will you ever want to work on anything small again?”
She was so happy, she didn’t notice the woman who had come up to stand behind them. She saw Tracy signaling, and she turned to find the mayor standing there.
“Mrs. Kapur?” The mayor held out her hand. Up close, she looked to be in her fifties, with a thick silver streak in her dark hair that could only be natural.
Janya shook hands, remembering to shake as Americans did, with a firm grip.
“The mural is absolutely stunning,” the mayor said.
Janya had not caught the woman’s name, and now she was embarrassed. She nodded her thanks. “I am so glad it pleases you. The children had so much fun with it.” She introduced Rishi and Yash.
“Mrs. Kapur, the Sun County Arts Council has discussed doing a mural on the side of the main library. There’s a little courtyard there, and a long wall that is simply blank space. We’d hoped to make the area a sculpture garden, but we don’t have the funds. We do have enough for a lively mural. Would you be interested?”
Janya looked at Rishi, who was nodding. She turned back to the mayor. “I would be interested and honored.”
“You’ll be hearing from me.” The mayor gave a quick smile before she headed back into the crowd.
“This is wonderful,” Rishi said. “Now I am too proud. I’m bursting.”
Janya thought of all the years when her talent as an artist had been at best tolerated. She would always love India, but her new country, too, had presented her with gifts. She could not be more grateful.
By the time she was on the way home Tracy was exhausted but thrilled. The day’s activities had been a salute to a summer of fun for the youth campers. The Palmetto Grove Shuffleboard Team had performed brilliantly. Two of their adults—Mr. M. being one—had won first and second in the singles division, and two teams had taken first and third in doubles. In the youth division, Bay had surprised everybody by taking a first in his age group. A rock band made up of rising seniors from the local high school had finished the afternoon with a concert, and she’d seen more than one parent tugging an unwilling camper to the car. Youth camp was officially over.
She and Marsh had taken Bay and Olivia out for pizza and ice cream to celebrate. Bay had asked Olivia to come home and watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Alice had agreed. Marsh told Tracy he might stop by when he dropped Olivia off, and she told him to be sure he did. She had something to talk to him about.
It wasn’t the job offer.
Tracy parked outside her cottage and was just about to go inside when she saw two strangers walking from the direction of Herb’s. Wanda beside them made three. When they got closer, Tracy realized one of the women was Katie, who was carrying her son. The other woman looked so much like her that it could only be one