Friday Evening - December 11
Joe sat in the waiting room when Oliver and Shane entered Photography by Phil. At Shane's request, Joe wore a blue and white plaid shirt.
Phil stood at the counter. "Mr. O'Toole. Miss McInerney. It's good to see you again."
"You as well," Oliver said. "This is my father, Joseph O'Toole."
"A pleasure, Mr. O'Toole," Phil said, extending his hand.
"Call me Joe," he said, shaking Phil's hand.
"Come into the studio, and we'll get started," Phil said.
"There will be two photos, correct?" Phil asked Shane.
"Yes. One of Oliver and Joe, and one of the three of us."
"Dressing rooms are in the back."
Oliver and Shane went to change their clothes. Oliver returned wearing gray slacks, a bright blue sweater, and a white shirt, open at the neck. Shane had chosen a sleeveless, electric blue dress with a flared skirt. Oliver looked at her and his eyes softened to the deepest blue with the memory of a long-ago dance in the DLO.
"We'll start with the two gentlemen," Phil said. He took two views, one standing, and one sitting.
" I need to modify my attire before we take the next photo," Oliver said. He went to the dressing room and returned a moment later. He had removed the sweater and replaced it with a navy blue blazer. The white shirt remained open at the throat.
"For the three of you seated, I'm going to use a stool for Joe," Phil said to Shane. "I think it will present well if he is a little higher and behind you and Oliver."
Oliver, Shane, and Joe sat down on their respective chairs. "Smile," Phil said and snapped the photo.
"There are several ways to stage a standing view of three people," Phil said. "Joe and Shane on each side, Oliver in the middle. Joe and Oliver on each side, Shane in the middle. Oliver and Shane in the front, Joe in the back. He will be standing on a footstool."
"What about Dad and I in the back, Shane in the front?" Oliver asked. "That way, Dad won't have to stand on a stool."
"Both of you are taller than Shane. That would work. If you like, I can take all four images. That will give you options to choose from."
"Please do," Shane said.
"Come with me," Phil said when he had finished taking all the pictures. He opened the door to a smaller room with a table, chairs, and a computer with a large screen.
"Have a seat," Phil said. "Give me a few minutes to download the images." He took a large catalog from the shelf and handed it to Oliver. "You can choose the frames you want while you wait."
"You do still have the Christmas ornaments?" Shane asked.
"Yes," Phil said.
"When he took our picture last year, we had printed proofs to look at," Oliver whispered to Shane.
Phil looked at Oliver and smiled. "I've 'modernized' my process. This way, my clients don't have to wait for the proofs. They can see the images the day they are taken."
Shane turned the pages one by one. "I think a rectangular frame will be best for the two pictures. In black. It will complement the colors of our clothes." She stopped flipping pages and turned the catalog so Oliver and Joe could see the frames. "Like this."
"Works for me," Joe said.
Oliver smiled at Shane and squeezed her hand. "That will be fine."
"Now for the ornaments," Shane said. "I think they're at the end." She rotated the catalog back towards herself and thumbed through the pages until she reached the back of the catalog. "This one," she said, turning the catalog towards Oliver and Joe again and pointing at a gold snowflake. "Joe, it's an almost perfect match to the ones you gave us."
"If you are happy with that, then I am, too," Oliver said.
"The images are ready," Phil said. He turned the screen so Joe, Oliver, and Shane could see the pictures.
"What do you think, Oliver," Shane asked.
"I prefer the ones where we are standing," he said. "I am also partial to the image of the three of us with you standing in front."
"I am, too. Joe?"
"Whatever the two of you decide is OK with me," Joe said.
"We'll take two 8 x 10s of each of these," Shane told Phil, touching the images on the screen.
Phil switched to another window. Shane laughed. He had brought his business into the 21st century. The second window contained an order form, with Oliver's information already entered. Phil keyed in all the costs for the pictures and frames.
"How many ornaments will you be needing?" he asked.
"Seven," Shane said. " One of each of the new images." She reached into her purse, took out an envelope, and handed it to Phil. "One of each of these photos."
Phil opened the envelope and examined all the pictures. "All of these are in excellent condition for scanning, except this one." He held up the photo of Oliver's mother and Harvey.
"That photo was lost for a very long time," Oliver said. "It came into my possession a little over a year ago."
"Can you use it?" Shane said.
"Yes. It will need some digital touch up, but I believe you will be happy with the results."
Phil completed the order. He printed a copy and handed it to Oliver. "Your confirmation."
Everyone returned to the waiting area in front.
"I'll call you when the order is ready for pick up," Phil said. " It should take about a week."
"Thank you," Oliver said.
"If you don't have any plans, why don't we grab a bite, and then you come to the Children's Home with me?" Joe said as he, Oliver, and Shane stood by his car.
"Oliver, let's," Shane said. "I'd love to meet the kids."
"As we have no other plans, we would be pleased to accompany you," Oliver said to Joe.
"How about soup and a sandwich?" Joe said. "There's a deli just up the street that serves a great ham & cheese on rye."
"Do they have tuna?" Shane said.
"I think so."
Oliver nodded. "We will join you there," he said.
An hour later, Oliver parked his car in front of the Washington Park Children's Home. Shane's cell phone rang. She took it from her purse and checked the ID.
"It's Rita," she said. Shane spoke into her phone. "Hi, Rita. What have you got for me?"
"Oh," she said, a minute later.
Shane listened again, then spoke into her phone. "Joe invited us to join him tonight. We're parked in front of the building. We'll be right in."
Shane put her phone back into her purse. She reached over and took Oliver's hand.
"You don't have to tell me," Oliver said. "Nothing." He bowed his head.
Shane reached over, gently lifted Oliver's head, and turned it so he would face her. "I know it appears we may not find the owner of this package, but what did you say to me when I thought we might not be able to deliver Sandy's letter? You said you refused to believe the letter had found us only to be unsolvable. Oliver. We will deliver the gift. Trust the timing, and remember something else you said when Doug gave us Danny's dinosaur. 'We are the POstables, and we never give up.' "
Oliver took Shane's hand in his own and laid them over his heart. "You are right, of course. Shall we go in?"
Shane nodded. Oliver got out of the car and came around to open Shane's door. They walked up the stairs and Oliver knocked on the door. Drew answered.
"You must be Oliver and Shane. I'm Drew, the director of this facility," he said. "Please, come in."
Oliver and Shane removed their coats and hung them in the closet.
"Everyone is in the Community Room," Drew said. "Follow me." He led them down the hall.
The room was a bustle of activity. Rita sat at a table, sewing a costume. Norman worked with one of the boys, teaching him the 'poses' he had used in the pageant for Hannah. Bill and Joe stood in the back of the room, talking to each other while consulting a piece of paper. All the other children sat in groups, holding scripts, and practicing lines. Except for one small boy. He sat alone at the back table. Drew clapped his hands for silence.
"Everyone, this is Mr. O'Toole and Miss McInerney. Norman and Rita work with them at the post office."
"Hi!" the children said, waving their hands.
"Would you be interested in a tour of our home?" Drew asked Oliver and Shane.
"We would enjoy that," Oliver said.
"We'll start with the children's favorite place. The kitchen," Drew said. They walked as far as a small office when a loud crash sounded from the Community Room.
"Excuse me," Drew told Oliver and Shane, running back down the hall.
Shane stood in the office doorway. It held a desk, several chairs, a leather sofa, and a large bookcase. Something caught Shane's eye and she touched Oliver's arm. "Oliver. Look!"