Arm-in-arm, an older couple walked into the museum gala. The man wore a black evening coat and his wife, an elegant black dress, evening gloves, and a white fur stole. The two strode in influential gait. Gazing at one particular painting, the woman turns to her husband raising a thin eyebrow, she utters, "Song Dynasty, dear…" 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnBALGLnLg
The man nods in agreement, "I’d have never guessed that, by the looks of those signs," he said, gesturing to the Song Dynasty exhibit banners. His wife smiles and playfully bumps her hip into his. "You know Archie, art is not just pretty paintings. Every work of art has its history. It wouldn’t hurt you to know some of it, especially on a night like tonight.”344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQuD0g8InT
“Of course, dear.." 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5v824cIeix
The old man said dismissively as he steps away from his wife, grabbing two champagne flutes from a passing waiter with a serving tray. "Oh, my dear Birdie, tonight is a night for celebration—not for matriculation." 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3x0uzRzKtM
Birdie plucks a glass of champagne from her husband’s hand and takes a small sip, sighing nostalgically. "Do you ever think about those days?" 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AzuCKZSmi
He stares into his glass as in deep thought. "Darling?" He looks up longingly, "My dear, I can’t walk through any room of our home, or look at any wall without remembering." 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUspKwAWgbr
"Do you remember MoMA?" Birdie said with a light chuckle. 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cRUh6YH1w
"How could I forget! That’s where you lost your wedding rings."344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiMlU9YNRC
She shrugs, "Too bad, I do believe that self portrait would’ve looked rather good in the sitting room.." 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLGDqV6XaW
"You’ve always been a fan of Picasso, my dear.." 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWq6YvwcSe
The two sigh in unison as they remember that balmy, summer evening in 1980...344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MQg4P3yuB
There the young couple stood, in front of the blue portrait of a young Pablo Picasso, stoic but with a small smirk playing at his pallid lips, his dark eyes staring back at them. Almost daring them to whisk him away.344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDSdABwCgh
Birdie watched as her husband stood in front of the large painting, his strong chin tilted upwards, his dark brows furrowed in concentration. His fists on his hips, as he glared at the painting. "Birdie, honestly, this painting is so utterly depressing.." He says in a hushed yet, urgent whisper, "Why is it, again that we decided on this one?" 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV628HRcbl
"Well, for you, darling it's always been the thrill of acquisition, while for me…its’ always been about the art." Archie pauses, turning to look at his young bride. Her doe-like eyes brimmed with tears that threatened to fall as she looked up at the portrait.344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzfoChx3pO
In this moment, Archie felt his walls crumble as her delicate hands reached for the canvas. He shakes his head, giving a wry chuckle, "You’ve never looked at me like that before."344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeExQUiZFqi
She turns to him as she wipes the stray tears away, laughing. "Well, I'm sure this painting is a better listener than you, Mr. Delacroix."344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxZZN7m08Y
"Then I’ll take my ring back, thank you very much," He said as he stretched out a gloved hand.344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07RWOrYIkY
"You aren’t serious," she mused as she reached for her wedding rings. Upon feeling nothing, she let out a hitched breath. 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqCsXxF39c
"What? What is it?"344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckNJJkOYJa
"My rings! My wedding rings! They’re gone!" She exclaimed in a hushed whisper.344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2BpRKlXQJ
"Surely, you didn’t bring them." 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgbnFkrAS4
Her face flushed with anger as she hissed, "I never take them off! You should know that!" 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7bOXd4My0
He raised his hands up defensively. "Alright, alright, where’d you put them last?" Slowly she turns to her husband in obvious annoyance, "If I knew that, they wouldn’t be lost."344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWePQQd6cQ
"Okay, well, the guards will be circling back in about," the young man pushes up his sleeve to look at his watch. "twenty or so minutes. So, how do you want to do this, Mr. Picasso?"344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA31mgFVrE
"Mr. Picasso?! My wedding rings, Archie, they’re missing!"344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7q2eLSBCf
Rubbing the back of his neck, he asks, "So…no more…Mr. Picasso?"344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWakbZKmqh
"ARCHIE!"344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpX0PjSXOZ
"Archie.."344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCDb5If6gD
"Archie, darling? Are you alright?"344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zwQpMA5pY
Pulled back into the present, Archie looks to his wife. Her pale blue eyes were fixated on him, her eyebrows knitted together in concern. Archie looks past his wife and up at the centerpiece of the gallery.
"It seems that the Empress has finally graced us with her presence." 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5NNRDiiUA
Birdie turns around, following his gaze up to the portraiture of a young Chinese empress, adorned in red and orange robes, her moonlike face turned away from the audience, her black hair hidden by the intricate bejeweled headpiece. Her tiny lips curled in the slightest of smiles. 344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAPV7QOgcT
"Oh Archie, she's beautiful.."
Archie clears his throat, before giving his wife a cunning side-eye.344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzwP0uTWZI
"I do believe that Her Majesty would look amazing over the fireplace in the study."
The old woman whips her head towards her husband with a look of shock, her eyes shone with anticipation and excitement.344Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8iDaLkkla
"How?"
ns3.145.179.147da2
然後按「加至主畫面」