Lotus

by Jennifer Hartmann

Crouched down to my knees, I watch as she scampers over to the far wall where a canvas sits perched, facing away from me. Alexis rubs her body against it as she strolls back and forth, and my curiosity stirs. I rise to my feet and pace the few steps over to the canvas, bending to read the markings etched in pencil along the back side. Oliver Lynch—01.22.17 My heart lurches inside my chest. The date is from years ago, long before my return. My hands tremble as I reach for the canvas and flip it around, closing my eyes for a simple second, then popping them back open. Alexis lets out a soft meow, masking the gasp that surely passes through my lips. It’s a portrait of myself—though, how Sydney could determine my physical appearance as a grown adult is a mystery to me. The details are exquisite, the resemblance uncanny. I’m looking slightly upward, to the left, my hair overgrown and dappled in various browns, reds, and golds. My eyes seem to match the color of my hair, and there is an expression in them that I can’t quite pinpoint. Worried, whimsical…haunted, perhaps.