The studio was quiet, sun streaming through tall windows, dust motes dancing in the warm light. Canvases leaned against the walls, half-finished sketches on every table, and the faint smell of oil paint lingered in the air. It was chaotic, alive, and utterly perfect—just like life.

Laura stood beside Cole, her hand brushing over his as they answered the last of the questions from a famous author who had come to feature them in a long-awaited profile: two legends in their respective fields—her, a celebrated fine artist whose exhibitions were shown worldwide; him, a renowned engineer whose designs had changed industries.

“And if you could go back to the beginning,”...