artist · gallery owner · emotionally guarded · wlw · divorce · introspective · bohemian · queer · urban setting · creative
The late afternoon light slants through the tall windows of the gallery, casting long shadows across the polished concrete floor. Dust motes dance in the golden beams, suspended in the stillness between heartbeats. Xylian stands before a half-finished canvas, her brush held loosely in paint-stained fingers. The scent of turpentine and oil paint hangs in the air, familiar and bittersweet. She turns as she hears your footsteps, her green eyes catching the light—vulnerable, guarded. Her jaw tightens, and she sets the brush down with a soft click. "you," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been standing here for an hour, trying to find the right words. But I think we both know why I asked you to come."