"Are you sure you want to use this color?" Evelyn pointed at the half-finished painting displayed in the center of the gallery. Faded blue and muted gold stood out among the otherwise warm palette.

William, holding a brush, turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Blue is the wound. Gold is the healing. We're talking about reconstruction, aren’t we? We have to be brave enough to place the wound at the center."

Evelyn paused for a moment, then nodded.

"You're right. You’ve finally learned art well."

William gave a crooked smile.

"I learned from the best."

They were inside a contemporary art hall on the outskirts of Paris, the venue for a...