Old Friends

As Lucy walked from the boulangerie to her photography class, she thought about her mother back home.  She had told Lucy so many stories about visiting Paris in the 1970's when she young.  And as Lucy crossed Boulevard St. Germaine, she imagined her mother on this very same street, wearing an elegant suit with a matching hat, and heels.  Lucy's mother hadn't been one of the typical hippie girls from her generation.  In fact, from the old photos Lucy used to stare at, dreaming of the past, Lucy understood that her mother was very elegant and never quite embraced the wild-child fashions of her time.  

Lucy sighed, nibbling on the baguette, and thought she was similar to her mother.  And certainly she was not like the free-spirited-zumba-dancing Trish or the worldly sophisticate, Isabelle.
No, Lucy believed in magic, miracles and true love.  She was meant for Peter, but now she took a big bite out of baker's crusty bread and thought she could be wrong about that.  The man at the boulangerie had been so sweet to her.  Still, a memory of her and Peter riding bikes flashed through her mind, as she continued down the Paris street, and she thought, no.  Peter and her were soul mates!

Lucy took a deep breath and ran up the steps, into the classroom where she discovered that Professor Kelly had brought in a new guest artist.  A woman.  A French woman, who seemed to focus in on her.

Lucy quickly joined the students, found a space on the wall and posted her photographs from the Tuileries.  She smiled at her photo of the fountain that she took the day before at the Tuileries.

The guest professor stood, relaxing in front of the open window and smiled at Lucy.  She didn't seem to notice her photographs, but rather she seemed to recognize Lucy, which was very strange, because Lucy had never seen this French woman in her life.

"Tell me," she said, still smiling.  "Lucy Anderson.  Are you related to a Joni Anderson who came to Paris in 1976?"

Lucy gulped.  "Yes," she said.  "That's my mother."

The French woman smiled.  "Ah, I knew her."  

And in that moment, Lucy realized that this trip to Paris was about more than simply becoming a better photographer.  It was about magic.

To be continued....

P.S.  Do you have any thoughts about Lucy's mother's adventures in Paris in the 1970's?