a modest exhibition
and just like that, the day arrived.
there were enough things to finish that day to keep Melanie occupied and her nerves at bay, but there were moments—first thing that morning, while Lucy's friend Kinsey helped with her hair, the drive over. but all the people helping, today and in preparation, were reassuring, and Finch stayed by her side most of the day. she had all these people—she wasn't doing this alone.
she and Finch had decided not to arrive too early, to avoid making a singular entrance. so by the time they arrived, the Burkhardt Atrium at the headquarters of Strexcorp Synernists, Inc. was buzzing with Desert Bluffs' artistic finest, artist and admirer alike. the place glowed in the setting sun with their finery, an elegancr like that of a finely filigreed butterfly knife.
into this gold and white glow came Melanie—dressed in hellanistic simplicity and arsenic green; Genya's chickadee perching just above the neckline; Liza's flower in the center of the bun sweeping up half of her hair—and Finch beside her. she took his hand and looked to him.
paintinthebluffs:
themathisoncollective:
“I’ll keep you updated,” Ramirez promised. “And I’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I don’t anticipate trouble, but it’s better to be safe.” Jim nodded, taking Melanie’s hand and holding on tight. “Could you, um, send Sheila over?” he asked. “She knows the way.” Ramirez’s smile softened. “Of course, mijo.” She turned to Oscar and nodded. “Shall we?”
“Lead the way.”
Melanie let go of Finch’s hand for one more moment as she and Oscar hugged tightly. “G'night, Dad.”
“Night, sunshine.”
and with that, Oscar followed Ramirez out of the apartment.
Melanie stared at the door, transfixed, as she sat back on the couch with Finch. “That was my dad,” she said, almost a whisper, then she squeezed Finch’s hand and looked to him. “He was here, right? It wasn’t just me?”
“Yeah, he was here,” Jim reassured her quietly. He laughed awkwardly. “And he was weirdly nice about me threatening him, so uh. That’s. That’s good.”
“You were protecting me from a stranger, of course he'd be appreciate that.”
she looked back to the door. "I can't believe it. He's back, I can't believe it."













