Chapter 8

8

2023

On Tuesday morning, Janelle led the way downstairs at the museum. Olivia followed a few steps behind. "Jeremy St. Charles is one of the artists working here this summer. He's leading a printmaking class this morning, along with Lisa Mills. She's one of our summer interns." When Olivia didn't respond, Janelle stopped on the landing.

Olivia's slumped posture and glum expression made her feelings painfully clear.

Janelle studied her with growing concern. "I know this is not how you wanted to spend your day, but if you'll go in with an open mind, I think you might be surprised—and even enjoy yourself."

The girl heaved a sigh and crossed her arms. "I'm only here because Dan and Maggie wouldn't let me stay home."

Hearing Olivia refer to her father as Dan didn't bode well. "I understand." How could she get through to this girl and help her change her perspective? A thought struck, and she focused on Olivia. "Your dad is a wise man. He said something important the other night."

Olivia brushed her hair away from her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You have a choice to make."

Olivia rolled her eyes and sighed. "They didn't give me a choice about volunteering."

"True. But you do get to choose what happens now that you're here. Volunteering can bring some real benefits."

"Like what?"

"Well, I probably wouldn't have this job if I hadn't volunteered here when I was younger. It opened the door for me, and it could be a good opportunity for you too."

The girl's expression didn't change, but she lowered her arms and started down the stairs.

Janelle sent off a silent prayer and continued to the classroom. When they stepped through the doorway, Olivia stopped and looked toward the windows. Sunlight poured through, shining on colorful samples of past art projects that covered the walls and hung from the ceiling.

Lisa crossed the room, a welcoming smile on her face. "Good morning." She wore denim overalls and a bright orange T-shirt. Her long blond hair was braided, and she'd wrapped the braids around the crown of her head. A yellow daisy was tucked over her right ear, and a small silver ring pierced the side of her nose. Unconventional and sunny—that's how Janelle would describe Lisa.

Janelle introduced them, then explained, "This is Olivia's first day as a volunteer, so I hope you'll take her under your wing."

"Of course! I'm glad you're here, Olivia. We're expecting about twenty-five kids ages eight to twelve in about fifteen minutes. Have you done any printmaking before?"

Olivia's eyes widened. "No."

"That's okay. Jeremy is a fantastic teacher. The kids love him. Our job is to pass out supplies and offer lots of encouragement." She glanced at Olivia and seemed to read her apprehension. "You'll be fine. Stick with me, and I'll show you exactly what to do. It'll be fun!"

A wave of gratitude flowed through Janelle. "Thanks, Lisa." She shifted her gaze to Olivia. "Come up to my office after class, and we can have lunch together."

Olivia sent her an uncertain look but mumbled, "Okay."

Grinning, Janelle turned and headed out of the classroom. It was time for Olivia to sink or swim, and she had a feeling Lisa was just the right person to give her swimming lessons.

Jonas strolled down the hall of the museum, his gaze fixed on his phone, scrolling through the photos he'd taken of the tokens on display. He'd spent most of the day looking through documents online, searching for a particularly interesting story. He'd found one that mentioned a mother who'd left a fabric heart token, and he'd gone searching for it in the display case. That had turned out to be a dead end, but he'd seen several other tokens that sparked his interest. Perhaps one of those would lead to an interesting angle for the historical focus of the film.

He pushed open the door to Janelle's office, and someone gasped. His steps stalled, and he lifted his head.

A teenage girl with dark brown hair and pale blue eyes stared at him. She quickly hopped up from Janelle's desk chair. "Who are you?"

He smiled. "I'm Jonas Conrad." This had to be Olivia, the reluctant teen volunteer Janelle had spoken of when they'd connected that morning during a coffee break.

Olivia looked past him. "Where's Janelle?"

"I think she's working in the office next door." He pointed to the left.

Olivia snatched her phone off the desk and started toward the door.

"Wait, are you one of the volunteers?" He knew she was, but he hoped the question would put her at ease and open a conversation.

She grimaced and stopped. "Yeah."

"Could I ask you a few questions before you go?"

She frowned, and her gaze darted toward the door.

"I'm gathering information for a film I'm making for the museum, and I was hoping to speak to some of the volunteers."

Interest sparked in her eyes. "What kind of film?"

"It's going to highlight the history of Foundling Hospital and show some of the current museum programs."

"Will it be on TV?"

"They're going to show it at the fundraising gala in September, then they'll probably use it on their website and send it to patrons and potential supporters to help raise funds."

She bit her lip, still looking uncertain.

"So ... would you be willing to answer a few questions?"

She shrugged. "It's only my first day."

"That's all right." He motioned to a chair. "Let's sit down." He grabbed his pen and yellow pad from the desk while she lowered herself into a chair.

"So, what did you do today?"

"I helped in the kids' art class this morning, and I worked on a transcription project this afternoon."

"What kind of art were the kids doing?"

"They made fruit and vegetable prints."

"I've never done that. Tell me about it."

She sighed. "They carve an apple or a potato, dip it in paint, and stamp it on the paper."

He jotted a line and looked at her again. "What did you notice about the kids in the class?"

She frowned. "Notice?"

"You know ... what were they like? How did they respond to being there?"

She thought for a moment. "Most of them seemed shy at first, like they didn't know how to get started. But then Lisa—she's the intern—and the artist who was teaching the class joked around with them and showed them how to do it."

"Did that help?"

"Yeah. The mood in the room changed. Pretty soon most of the kids were talking and laughing while they worked on their projects. Some of them really got into it and made three or four different prints."

"Why do you think some were hesitant at first?"

She thought for a moment. "Maybe they'd never done it before. Or maybe they didn't want to make a mistake and look stupid."

"So, you think they lacked confidence to try something new?"

"I guess so."

"How did you feel when you started this morning?"

She shot him a surprised glance. "I thought we were talking about the kids."

"And the volunteers."

She shifted her gaze to the bookcase. "I didn't want to be here."

"Why is that?"

"I've never done anything like this. I guess, like the kids, I didn't want to look stupid."

He nodded. "It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone and try something new."

She thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Since this was a new experience for both you and the kids ... did that help you connect with them?"

Her gaze turned hazy, making it look as though she was recalling the events of the morning. "There was one little girl who just sat there quietly, even after Lisa carved her apple and showed her how to do the stamping. She didn't want to try. But then I sat beside her and talked to her while I carved a potato and made a print. That did the trick."

"That helped her get started?"

Olivia nodded, her lips curving with a hint of a smile. "She didn't say much, but after a few minutes she started copying what I was doing, and she ended up making a nice project."

He grinned. "I bet it felt good to help her like that."

Olivia's slight smile widened. "Yeah, it did."

Janelle stepped into the open doorway. "Oh, here you are." Her gaze shifted from Olivia to Jonas.

"We were just talking about Olivia's first day as a volunteer." He pointed to his pad. "Research for the film." When Olivia glanced away from him, he winked at Janelle.

"Sounds good." Janelle turned to Olivia. "Your dad called. He's on his way to pick you up. He should be here in about five minutes."

Surprise flashed in Olivia's eyes. "My dad's coming?"

Janelle smiled. "Yes. Why don't you grab your backpack and wait in the lobby? You can see him pull up from there."

"Okay." She stepped behind the desk, picked up her dark green backpack, then strode out the door. "See you tomorrow."

When she disappeared around the corner, Janelle crossed toward him. "What did she say about her first day?"

"It sounds like the art class was a positive experience. She could relate to the kids who were hesitant to try something new."

Janelle looked relieved. "That's good to hear. How was your afternoon?"

He chuckled. "Besides eyestrain from trying to decipher eighteenth-century handwriting on all those documents, I'd say it went pretty well."

"Find anything helpful?"

"What I saw today helped me create the framework, but I didn't find the focal point. Not yet."

"Well ... there's always tomorrow."

He glanced at his watch. It was ten past five. The museum was closed. Would Janelle stay and work longer or ...? "I'm going to pick up some Chinese food. Would you like to join me?"

She met his gaze, questions in her pretty blue eyes.

He waited, hoping she'd say yes.

A smile softened the corners of her mouth. "I love Chinese. Where's the restaurant?"

"I usually take the tube to Tottenham Court Road and stop by a little restaurant called Chopstix. Then I walk over to Soho Square Garden and find a bench in the sunshine."

Her eyes twinkled. "That sounds good. I just need to pack up my laptop, and I'll be ready to go."