Soulmates Ch. 01

One weekend she decided to see how good her skills here to paint in the modern styles so she set to work. She couldn't help but want to paint man and the wolf spirit. She wouldn't let anyone see it and always giggled when Dee pouted and Richard begged to see her work.

After a month she was happy with her painting. She stood back and stared at it. Her heart fluttered just looking at the man she had painted. She skipped down the stairs and gave Ulisi a big hug and said, "I've finished it."

Ulisi hugged her granddaughter back."I'm so happy for you." She gave her a kiss on the cheek. "What are you going to do with it?"

Maria sat down next to Ulisi, holding her hand."I'm not sure yet, but I want to do another piece I have in my head. I've been dreaming of this couple for a long time but I wanted to see if I could do the man and wolf first before trying to do the couple together. I might end up putting them both in the exhibition in a few month."

Then she sighed. "I'm not sure if I can part with them though." She laughed."It's hard to explain and I'm not even sure if I could if I wanted to."

Ulisi patted Maria's hand."I'm sure if you feel you have the right person to sell them to, it would be going to the right home."

Maria gave Ulisi another hug before going into the kitchen to eat. She knew what she had to do now for the next painting.

* * * * *

After four months and still not being allowed to see Maria's paintings, Richard, Dee and Eric filed into the art gallery. Eric's heart stopped when he saw the young woman Maria had turned into as she chatted with a couple of guests. He knew he shouldn't be there. He wanted to take her away there and then, he told Richard he had to leave and would come back the next day to see the paintings.

Richard and Dee nodded as Eric left and went over to see Maria. After they both gave her a hug they stared at her paintings. They looked at each other and then back to the paintings.

In the painting of the man and wolf, and the markings were all of the one wolf they knew, down to the scar under his eye. It was Eric. He hadn't changed much over the years compared to Richard. Richard had had his hair cut short and was a little thinner in the face along with the two different builds, no comparison to them would of ever been notice.

The painting of the couple showed Eric and a woman they knew was White Deer. Even with the soft background of the couple, they knew when that moment took place.

Dee didn't take her eyes off the paintings as she asked, "How did you come up with these? They're amazing." She kept her tone neutral, not wanting to let on what she knew.

Maria shrugged. "From dreams I have. I just hoped I could capture the love that I feel in the dreams with them."

Richard whispered something to Dee and she nodded as he stepped away, then Dee turned her attention back to the paintings. She put her hands on Maria's shoulders and squeezed. "These are amazing," then went over to the young woman and gave her a tight hug. "You're a talented artist."

Maria hugged her back and moved to the side to look at the paintings. "Whoever he is, I hope he doesn't mind me using him as my muse. I've gotten a lot of inspiration from him with these two paintings."

Richard returned to hear what Maria said. "I'm sure he'd be proud to be your muse."

By the end of the night, the four of them were some of the last to leave. The curator came up to Maria smiling. "Well my dear, you have gotten a lot of interest in your new two works.

At the moment the bidding is up to five hundred for both." He took her hands in his and patted them.

Maria's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Five hundred dollars. Wow. Nothing else I've done had gotten that kind of interest." then she hugged Ulisi.

The curator shook his head. "Err, no. I mean, five hundred thousand."

Maria's eyes went wide."That can't be possible. Nothing I do is worth that kind of money. Call them and tell them that's too much."

The curator shook his head."The offer was clear. And the bidder is interested in a third painting of the line as well if you're interested."

Blinking, Maria asked, "A third? What do they want?"

"They said they would be interested to see the woman with a wolf spirit as well. So if you're able to do that for them..." The curator looked at her, hopeful.

Maria hadn't thought about giving the woman in her paintings a wolf spirit and as she thought about it, the more it seemed the right thing to do so she nodded."OK, give me a few days and I'll get back to you."

The curator gave her a broad smile."That is all I ask my dear. The bidder is a regular bidder on Native American artists around the country. He's a benefactor to many artists now. Even if the artist doesn't think they're worth anything, he always buys high and from what I know, he's never offered anything this high before. So you better watch out because if he sees more of your works..." He grinned,letting it sink in.

Maria just blushed hearing that statement which made Dee excited for her friend, even though she knew who was bidding and why Richard had slipped away before.

* * * * *

It was late the next day when Eric made it back to the gallery. He went over to the paintings which Richard told him he had to bid on and stared at them. His heart skipped a beat when he saw his own face and wolf staring back at him, and then over to the painting with the couple to see himself and White Deer together. He then left the gallery with a smile across his lips. His mate would return to him soon.

* * * * *

Over the next few months, Richard and Dee witnessed a reversal in Eric's attitude. He went from moping around the apartments and office to full excitement in his eyes. Since the gallery exhibition, he had her paintings up in his apartment and waiting for the third to arrive.

Maria stared at the painting. She had completed the woman ages ago but was still stuck on the wolf. She sighed, how come it had been easy to complete the other two paintings and she couldn't complete this one? She headed downstairs to get some advice from her grandmother.

"Gran," she began, "I can't figure out what the woman's wolf is like. No matter what colors I try, nothing feels right."

"Why not go outside with your sketchbook, draw the wolf then close your eyes as the rays hit you and see what you come back with," Ulisi suggested.

Maria nodded. "OK, I'll try that. It can't hurt any." She grabbed her colors and book and headed outside to sit on the stairs of the back porch. She sketched the wolf in detail and waited for dusk.

Just behind the forest line stood a wolf with a scar under its eye. He whimpered, wanting to be with the girl but knew it wasn't the right moment. Soon Richard stepped up beside the wolf and rubbed the wolf's head a little. "Soon, brother, you'll be with her."

Through their twin connection, Eric said, She will be eighteen soon so once she has completed the painting, I'm going to invite her and A-wa-ni-ta over to deliver the painting.

Richard nodded. "Good idea. She might not freak out seeing the man in her dreams is alive and kicking with Ulisi there"

Eric looked up at his brother. That might be why she can't find the wolf in her. I never bit White Deer before she died so she doesn't know what her wolf looks like.

Richard thought about it then nodded again. "That might be it, brother. It would explain to why she can't finish while she was able to complete the other two within months."

* * * * *

As the months passed, Maria became more upset that she couldn't finish her third painting. Despite her anonymous buyer's assurances that she shouldn't worry, her frustration increased. At least, she thought, his emails where a source of calm.

Even though she didn't know the man, she felt a connection to him. She had never spoken to him on the phone, or seen him in person. She only had his words. He had even wished her a early happy birthday. He had even told her, he wished her knew her better to invite her out for a birthday celebration,which made her blush.

She was turning eighteen tomorrow. She was excited about that. Richard and Dee had invited her and Ulisi out to dinner, and Richard had said his mysterious brother was going to join them. She knew when she was born that the brothers had helped her grandmother, but Richard's brother had gone overseas for a long time. Richard said it was about time his brother saw the young woman they had helped raise.

To Be Continued.....