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He left the workshop, and with the pressure of being watched gone, she relaxed and started to enjoy herself. She worked slowly, taking great care to deliver precision at every step, ensuring the metal sheet was a consistent depth across its surface, that she stretched it evenly at its edges, and pressed with equal firmness to create the two curves at right angles to each other. It looked like a butterfly with its wings tucked up, lacking in the contours Matías had effortlessly created.
She had a vague recollection of the door opening behind her and something being put down on a surface as she eased the silver into position. The bloody metal wasn’t shaping as she wanted it to. She huffed as she worked. She sat back and stared at the piece on the stake. The light pressure on her shoulder made her jump from the seat. She held her heart as it thundered, and the familiar perfume registered. She turned to Aisha and laughed. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” She removed the piece she’d been working on and set it on the table among the other bits, embarrassed that Aisha would see it.
“What are you making?”
“It’s nothing.”
“It looks like something.”
Aisha leaned over her shoulder and picked up the doves joined at the wing that Gabi had made. It was too crude for Gabi’s liking, but the warmth sent Gabi’s thoughts spiralling in a more perfect formation than the helix she’d just tried to hide.
Aisha stepped back and picked up two cups from a box next to the door. “I brought your tea.” She held a cup out to Gabi and sipped from the other. “It’s mint,” she said.
Gabi nodded. “A nice surprise.”
“Mint tea?”
“No. You.”
“I wanted to see you.”
The time that Gabi had lost, following her vague recollection of the door being opened, dawned, and the tips of her ears burned at having been watched. She rubbed the back of her neck. “How long were you stood there?”
Aisha smiled. “Long enough to enjoy seeing you at work.”
Aisha moved closer. She picked up the butterfly-shaped piece. “This is clever.”
“It’s supposed to be a spiral. I’ve never worked with—”
“I love abstract. It allows for imagination to explore possibilities.”
“What do you see?”
Aisha inspected it closely. “Freedom. Movement. Expression.”
Gabi widened her eyes. She hadn’t thought about jewellery that way before but now, she couldn’t not see it, and it brought the piece to life even though it had a long way to go before it would be finished.
“If you turn it like this, it’s almost two hearts overlapping,” Aisha said. She put the piece back on the table and stared at Gabi.
Gabi’s core throbbed. “We’re moving into the apartment on Friday,” she said. “Would you like to come and see it?”
Aisha released Gabi from her gaze and Gabi sipped the tea, grateful for the chill.
“I can’t on Friday.”
“Saturday?”
Aisha shook her head. “Monday evening?”
“Paella?”
“I love paella.”
“Nana makes the best.”
“You have her talent.”
Gabi spluttered. “Ha. I don’t know about that.”
