Sophia Ogden sat with her family at the dinner table, eating pork chops and greens. The cook had not failed to delight as always but there we no smiles around the table. It was the tenth dinner in a row that Sophia's older brother Franklin had been absent at.
Franklin had locked himself away in his room, hardly ever coming out. It was unclear what had caused this sudden wave of depression to sweep over him but in any case he had decided that he would eat all of his meals in solitude. He was fidgety around other people and avoided going outside at all costs. He had been excused from school for fear of suicidal thoughts, and his teachers were investigating for any past instances of bullying.
"Sophia you've always been close with your brother, why don't you try talking to him dear," said Sophia's mother, Alexa Ogden.
"Mom if he doesn't respond to you what makes you think he will respond to me," Sophia replied glumly.
"Just try for your mother and I," said Sophia's father, Lain Ogden, pouring himself more wine. "Your brother has everything he could want for a young man his age. I just don't see how he could be depressed like that."
"You've never been very understanding dad," said Sophia, irritably. "Just because we live in a mansion doesn't mean we are happy."
"So I guess all of this that I've built amounts to nothing special for you huh?"
"There you go proving my point!" said Sophia, half shouting. "It's not about whether we appreciate it at all!"
"Stop it, you two!" said Mrs. Ogden angrily. "Sophia you will not raise your voice at your father like that at the dinner table, am I understood? Dear, Sophia does have a point though. Franklin might be dealing with something that's off our radar so to speak."
Mr. Ogden sighed and gave Sophia a softer look. "I'm sorry honey, Franklin's just been keeping your mother and I very frustrated. It's those damned video games I bought him. Your Aunt warned me about the damage it could do. I should have listened."
"Ok I'll talk to Franklin after dinner," said Sophia quickly. "In the meantime let's stop coming to hasty conclusions. I play games with Franklin sometimes and I think my life isn't worse for it."
"That's my girl," said Mrs. Ogden, smiling brightly. "In the meantime I'll schedule an appointment with Dr. Schubert."
"Dr Schubert?" said Mr. Ogden, raising an eyebrow.
"That specialist that my friend Tiana recommended. He helped her daughter out when she went through that phase remember?"
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"Ah yes. Maybe he will see something that Dr. Forester didn't."
When Sophia's parents had cleared their dining area and Franklin's portion laid out, Sophia went upstairs to Franklin's bedroom door. There wasn't much light coming from underneath.
"Franklin we are done, did you want to come out and eat? Its pork chops today."
Franklin's muffled reply was delayed by nearly a minute. "Yeah I'll be out when I'm ready."
"Are you not feeling well?" Sophia asked, not sure how to else to get the ball rolling.
"I'm fine," came a tired and irritated voice.
Sophia knelt in front of the door and put her ear to it, listening hard and carefully. She could hear Franklin clicking occasionally on his computer. But the other unmistakable sound that just barely reached her ears had her in shock and she instinctively pulled away for a second.
"Franklin are you watching a movie?" said Sophia, brushing back her blonde hair and trying to sound as sweet and innocent as possible. "Is it good?"
"No I'm just reading an online article," said Franklin hastily. "Look I'll be out in a second alright just leave me alone."
"Alright," said Sophia, feeling greatly disheartened. "Just let you little sister know when you need anything ok?"
"Yeah ok."
Franklin let out a long sigh as he listened to Sophia's footsteps going down the steps. He looked down and wiped up his mess with minimal energy. He had spent so long looking over pictures and reproductions of the same painting that he had lost track of time. Nothing else seemed to matter beyond the painting he had up on his screen. The black and white photograph dated back to the 1910s was one of only two existing photographs taken of the painting titled, The Grace of the Fountain. Franklin wished with every fiber of his being that he could see the painting or at least a colored photograph of it. He wished it so he could admire, savor every detail and inch of the woman depicted in it, sitting at the edge of a stone fountain installed in a garden. She wore a simple dress with the left shoulder sleeve pulled down to expose that smooth, perfect breast, so small and innocent looking. No woman that he had ever seen in person, in painting, films, games, or photographs could even compare to the divinity that radiated from that simple natural beauty of her face. The minimal makeup that covered her features made her seem more approachable, less fantastical, and safe to be around. One look was all Franklin needed to be smitten. One look was all he needed to know beyond a shred of doubt that this young woman was a kind person, a good person, and one that he would love like no other.
"We danced in my dreams last night," Franklin whispered to the picture he had enlarged on his screen. "Do you remember?"
He had decided that he would marry the painting. His father might disown him for it and the world would judge him harshly for the absurdity but he didn't care. In the solitude of his room it would have loved and comforted him for the rest of his life, no matter how impoverished it became or how reclusive he would have to live.
But such a wish, even such a simple wish was impossible. For the painting had been lost forever at sea when it went down with its last known owner travelling aboard the luxury ocean liner Duchess of Scotland.
There in the privacy of his bedroom, Franklin had cried himself to sleep upon learning this fact, and was sure that for the rest of his days, he would be wistfully thinking of his wife to be who had sunken into the depths of the Atlantic, never to see the sun again.