ARIA'S POV
The first painting sold at 7:23 PM, fifty-three minutes after we opened the doors.
I know the exact time because I was standing near the back watching the room when Vincent found me with that specific walk of his, the one that meant something worth saying had happened. He leaned close so I could hear him over the crowd. "Elena's large piece, The Henderson’s are asking full price."
I nodded like I was calm about it. I was not calm about it.
This show had been mine from the beginning. Every artist, every placement, every conversation with collectors about what the work meant and why it mattered. Three months ago I was sleeping on an air mattress in an empty apartment wondering if I still knew how to be a person. Tonight I was standing in a room I had built and it was working.
