Color Blind
Copyright© 2026 by Evie Olivia Niven
Chapter 3: Passion
Xandri’s stomach rumbled so noisily that she clapped her hands over it. She was in the car with Janice, Bea, and Alanna, traveling to the museum where the Wolfe family art show was taking place. I’m starving, she thought, sighing. Too bad there’s nothing at home to eat. Xandri needed to get some food, but she didn’t have the money just yet. She didn’t get paid until Tuesday, and it was only Saturday.
“Hey, I’m hungry,” Alanna said suddenly. “You guys hungry?”
“Not really,” Janice answered coolly. She and Alanna, it turned out, did not much like each other.
“Um ... well, I am,” Xandri said softly. “I uh ... well, I was excited this morning...”
Bea laughed. “And you spent all your money this week on film, right?”
Xandri blushed. Bea knew her so well. Alanna laughed softly, but Xandri could see her eyes in the rearview mirror, and aside from humor there was a spark of understanding. Janice huffed and rolled her eyes; she wanted to get to the museum quickly. To see Quinn, Xandri thought, biting her lip. She’s been all over him ... I can kind of understand why Alanna doesn’t like her. Janice didn’t flirt so much as glomp, and it was disturbing to watch.
“All right, let’s just pick up Sada, then we’ll get something,” Alanna said. “Dunkin’ Donuts good?”
“Ooo, croissant sandwich,” Xandri cooed.
Alanna laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Alastair was helping set up the gallery, so he’d asked them to pick up Sada. They pulled into the parking lot of the apartment the two of them shared and found Sada waiting already. She’s so pretty, Xandri thought, sighing. Janice isn’t even close to being as pretty. It wasn’t just Sada’s physical features; there was a lot of personality that showed through in her face. She liked folks like that.
“Have we eaten yet?” Sada asked, as soon as she had slid into the car next to Xandri. “I wasn’t awake when Alastair left, so I haven’t.”
“We’re stopping,” Alanna told her. “Alastair let you sleep? How sweet.”
“I told him to wake me,” Sada said, scowling. “I’ll get him back for that later.”
Xandri smiled to herself. Although she’d only spent a few afternoons with Alanna, she enjoyed her company, and she liked her family, too. Her mother and father were kind, the sort of parents Xandri herself would have liked to have. And Alastair was very nice, always greeting her when he saw her, and speaking to her as if she was one of the family. Only Quinn remained elusive. Maybe that’s a good thing, she thought, feeling her cheeks heat.
They stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts and went through the drive-thru. Xandri ordered sausage, egg, and cheese on a croissant, and a medium coffee. She didn’t usually drink it, but she’d been so excited last night she hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep. Sada, Alanna, and Bea shared a box of Munchkins, but Janice refused to eat anything. Trying to keep herself thin, Xandri thought, rolling her eyes. She should try having no money for food, that would work. Although she did bring that on herself to a small extent, always spending money for photography supplies.
They had finished eating by the time they reached the museum. Alanna got special parking and they were able to get inside easily. Xandri couldn’t seem to keep her eyes still; they wandered from exhibit to exhibit as she passed. There were so many different kinds of art here. And the Wolfe family had a whole gallery all to themselves, too. Each was sectioned off for a member of the family: Aislinn, Alanna, Quinn, and...
Xandri frowned and moved away from the rest of the group to inspect the works in the fourth section. It was all sculpture, much of it sort of abstract, but all of it rather lovely, in a rough way. She particularly liked a solid white statue, probably porcelain, that looked somewhat like two lovers intertwined. It’s poetic, Xandri thought, fingering her camera and wondering if anyone would be upset if she took pictures.
“Do you like them?”
Xandri jumped as hands came down on her shoulders. She looked up into the nearly black eyes of Gabriel Wolfe. Oh, my, she thought, swallowing hard, her mouth suddenly dry. He’s gorgeous, too ... and he’s in his forties! The Wolfe family was absolute murder on the female heart.
“They’re very ... expressive,” Xandri responded quietly. “I like how they look ... like the creator just did it because he enjoyed it. Are they yours, Mr. Wolfe?”
“Gabriel, please,” Gabriel corrected, smiling. “Mr. Wolfe makes me feel so old. And yes, they are. When Alastair and Quinn were about five, I took them to do some working with clay as a treat. Turns out I enjoyed it more than they did.”
Xandri laughed. “They must have been so cute at that age.”
“Have Alanna show you pictures next time you’re over,” Gabriel told her. “They are really something.”
Xandri amused herself by traveling through each section, studying the artwork. Aislinn’s work was the most refined, because she’d been doing it the longest. Alanna’s work was more whimsical than her mother’s, often of fantasy creatures and wild landscapes. Quinn’s work was ... well. It lacked something, Xandri thought, fiddling with the strap holding her camera around her neck. It’s really good, but there’s something missing.
Soon the museum was opening up to the public. They’ve got two days, Xandri thought, leaning against a wall out of the way. Plenty of times for fans, but also for critics. She knew there were going to be art critics, too. Alanna had mentioned that sometimes reporters from newspapers came in. Xandri did see some people who looked like they might be more official, but it wasn’t until noon that anyone drew any attention.
“A real shame. He was so talented when he was younger, but now he’s just a hack.”
All attention turned to an older man standing in the section of Quinn’s paintings and drawings. He had to be at least sixty, and he carried a cane, although he spent more time swinging it around as he talked than actually leaning on it. Xandri inched closer to hear what he was saying to the woman next to him, who was probably a reporter, based on the notepad she was holding.
“They seem pretty good,” the woman said, pressing the tip of her pen to her lips.
“Bah, what do you know?” the old man growled. “I’m the one who knows what I’m talking about. There’s no life in these ... no passion. Especially that one, there.”
Xandri winced. The picture he was indicating was the one Janice had sat for, the centerpiece of the show, in a way. It was just as much a picture of her lying on a bed, covered in a thin sheet. I have to admit, it’s kind of boring, Xandri thought. She watched the old man and the woman walk away, then glanced around for Janice and Quinn. Janice was in the middle of a group following the old man, complaining loudly. Quinn stood against a window, away from everyone else, staring out at the street.
Xandri wound her way towards him, mostly because she felt as though she needed to do something, and she didn’t want to talk to Janice. Quinn didn’t even look at her when she approached, though. She wasn’t sure what to say, and the way he scowled down at the street was definitely a deterrent. She was just about to leave when he spoke.
“Do you think he’s right?” Quinn asked quietly.
Xandri didn’t even think before she answered. “I do.”
Quinn looked at her sharply. Oops, Xandri thought, cringing. That was probably not the right answer.
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re good,” Xandri added quickly. “You’re spot on, technically. There just ... there’s something missing.”
“And what do you know?” Quinn demanded. “You don’t paint.”
“But I take pictures,” Xandri said stubbornly. “I know what it’s like when you love doing something. You ... you don’t love this.”
Quinn turned to stare at her. She bit her lip; those pale blue eyes made her feel vulnerable, as if she was standing there naked. Xandri took a step back, lifting her hands up to clutch her camera against her chest. It was her most prized possession, like a child with a teddy bear. Quinn leaned back against the window, facing her, and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I did love it, once,” he said quietly. “Now I don’t love anything.”
Xandri frowned. That’s really sad, she thought, taking a tentative step forward. If he really did love it once, he must have been good. What a depressing thought, that one could fall out of love with something like this. Then an idea exploded into Xandri’s mind, so forcefully that she was surprised no one could see the thoughts moving through her head.
“Do you have a car?” she asked.
“Yes...” Quinn answered, eyeing her curiously.
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