Paintings

Aron POV

"Aron, did you create all of this? I had no idea you were such a talented painter." As she looked at all the paintings, Jerry was taken aback.

"I was also unaware of my hidden talent, but Sara made it possible for me to identify it." I peered at my freshly painted canvas.

"I must say you made excellent paintings. Tell me what went through your mind while you painted these pictures." She gave me a curious glance.

"Jerry, every painting I create captures both the wonderful and tragic parts of my life. If you look closely at this picture, you will discover that the unhappy Christmas night in my life served as the inspiration for this artwork." I took a quick look at the painting, which shows a teenage boy peeking out of his room window, watching his neighbors celebrate Christmas.

"This painting, Jerry, reflects my past trauma with darkness. Do you remember the day you closed me in while I was trying to find a light?" I looked up at her face.

She gave me a nod, then turned to look at my paintings. She paused in front of a painting depicting several women tearing a man's skin.

"Why did you create this painting, Aron?" While fixing her gaze on the painting, she questioned me.

"Jerry, you know exactly what this painting is trying to communicate." I took a deep breath when I thought about my terrible past again.

"I am sorry, Aron. I was so blinded by my lust that I completely forgot about my actions. How could I have been so self-centered as to damage your life to satisfy my lust? I regret what I did in the past. I long to go back in time and make amends for my errors." She looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

"Healing from past traumas and wounds would help us focus on the present rather than lamenting the past since we can not change it." I consoled her by patting her shoulder.

"As a result, in addition to reading the book, you also put the advice the author gave us into practice." She wiped off her tears and hugged me.

"Yes, you are aware of my obsession with talented authors." I gave a shoulder shrug, and then we both started laughing.

I miss Sara every day, but I've also begun to focus on other parts of my life. I'm still trying to find her, but I can't avoid my business or other things. When I couldn't sleep, I would scribble my ideas on canvas. I used to podcast my sentiments when I missed Sara a great deal. She once taught me how to record your voice so that you can express your emotions to other people.

I started my podcast with the expectation that she would eventually hear my feelings and get back to me.

"Jerry, did you discover anything about that author?" I turned to face her, hoping she'd learn anything about Sara.

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you about the amazing news that I was able to uncover not only the true identity of the author but also your mother's address."

"Are you telling me the truth?" I looked at her in disbelief.

"Why would I lie to you?" She gave a shoulder shrug.

"Thank you so much, Jerry." I hugged her to express my happiness.

"Now let's head over to meet Sara Grace." She motioned for me to follow her.

"Right now? But, it is midnight?" I looked at her in confusion.

"Oh, come on, I don't want to take any risks like last time. Before she departs from that location, we must also be there." She dragged me out of the treehouse.

"As you can see, I asserted that she penned the book because no one else could write it with such clarity." I'm pleased with myself for figuring out who the book's true author is.

We got in the car and headed to my mom's place right away. I'm both nervous and delighted about it. Finally, after four months, I'm going to see her. What will I say to her? When she sees me in front of her, how will she respond? Since I struggle to express my emotions, all I can do is hug her to let her know how much I love them.

When my mother sees me, how will she react? When she sees me, will she become enraged or happy? I'm going to meet her today after all these years, and I'm afraid of how she will react.

Jerry took the car down that path, but I don't understand why, given that we ended up in the same village where I had previously gone to find Sara.

"Jerry, I came here in search of Sara, but she is no longer here." My heart grew heavy at the prospect of not finding Sara.

"We won't go to this village; your mom lives on a hill." She directed me to the little community perched atop the hill.

"How are we going to climb that hill?" I gave her a confused look.

"By strolling." After parking next to the road, she signaled me to exit.

"What made my mother decide to reside in that remote village far from the city?" When we began climbing on the mountain, I questioned Jerry.

Because I've never gone tracking before, it's all brand new to me. My excitement doubled to reach the top of the hill because I met Sara there, and I'll also feel accomplished after completing my tracking and arriving at my goal.

"Jerry, why are you walking so slowly? We need to go there before dawn, so hurry up." I turned around to look for her.

She was breathing heavily while walking far away from me.

Near dawn, we reached the mountain's summit. When I saw the sun rising behind the big mountain and filling the sky with sunlight, I was incredibly relieved. As sunlight hits the snow, the snow-covered mountain peaks gleam brilliantly. As I escaped the scorching sun, I felt a surge of warmth as a halo of orange light enveloped the sky. I wish I could move there with her so I could experience the daily wonder of the natural world every day.

After seeing the sunrise, we strolled in the direction of my mom's house. My mom was taken aback upon seeing us. She hugged me happily and welcomed me to her house. Meeting my mother made me feel as though she was a different lady from the one I knew as a child. She has had a transformation, and she now acts with kindness and affection for me.

I searched everywhere for Sara, but I was unable to locate her.

"Are you looking for someone, Aron?" After noticing my nervousness, Mom questioned me.

"Sara Grace. Where is she?" I questioned her.

"How did you get acquainted with her?" Instead of telling me about Sara, she started asking me questions.

"Mom, tell me where she is first, and I'll tell you everything later."

"She moved out of my place two days ago, Aron." Hearing my mother's words quickly filled me with grief.

Did she flee from me once more? How could she have known that I was heading over to look for her?

My heart broke when she lost her trace again.