Chapter 99: The art of not giving up

Selen picked her phone up from her nightstand for the umpteenth time to check what the time was. "four am" it read. She heaved a heavy sigh and resumed the same thing she had been doing for the past seven hours- attempt to go to sleep, toss and turn, then wake up two hours later.

After her kiss with Clancy and his declaration of not leaving her, not a lot of talking was done after. Nothing else actually was done after that. They both stared at each other for a long time, just standing in the foyer.

After a significant amount of time passed, then Clancy just kissed her forehead and said "I will see you tomorrow" and then he left and walked out the door, with her still frozen in place.

This time, she could not deny that she had kissed him back. But that was not the reason for her shock, she just did not know how she was supposed to feel about the kiss.

If she should be upset that he kissed her unannounced, but she kissed him back. What was she doing getting into such an awkward triangle with the father of her children and another man who loved her?

How does one even get out of such a situation? "Maybe I should have made it clear that the day in the villa was not meant to repeat itself again" She said to herself. So what was this tingling sensation she felt when she thought about it?

"Maybe I just miss being touched. It has been a while after all" she said to herself and rolled herself back into bed and under her covers.

*** Hours later at the Academia de Bellas Artes***

The panel sat around the table in the conference room of the Academia de Bellas Artes. Selen Williams, Spain’s Art Ambassador, was not in the room.

At the center of the table sat Alejandro Martinez, the panel’s chairperson. To his left was the senior representative from the Ministry of Culture, and opposite them sat the department’s primary legal advisor and a secondary ministry official, Maria.

"Let’s look at the timeline," Alejandro said, opening the first of three thick binders.

"The joint exhibition between the Prado and the National Gallery in London opens in six months. It is our largest international collaboration of the decade. But according to the latest report from the British committee, the administrative pipeline has completely stalled." he said.

"The British legal team is still disputing our baseline insurance valuations for the Velaz pieces," the legal advisor noted, adjusting his glasses.

"They are being deliberately slow with the state agreements. If we remain at this distance, we will miss the shipping deadlines." He said.

The secondary ministry official leaned forward, tapping her pen against the table. "This is not something Selen can resolve via email or video conferences anymore.

The British press is already hinting that Spain is hesitating to loan the masterpieces. If this contract is not finalized by next month, the entire exhibition falls apart. We need a physical presence in England." she stated.

Alejandro turned to a fresh page in his folder. "The National Gallery has formally requested a high-level Spanish liaison on-site. They want someone with executive signing authority to work out of their offices until the final pieces are unpacked and the gallery doors open." He announced to the others.

"That is a four to six month assignment," the secondary ministry official remarked. "Do we have a formal recommendation?" she asked.

"We do," Alejandro said. He slid a folder to the center of the table, containing Selen Williams’s current professional profile.

"Selen is the only person under our jurisdiction who holds a dual degree in Spanish art history and international law. She knows the British museum system, and she is entirely fluent, with a background in England. If we send anyone else, the orientation process alone will take two months." He said.

Maria nodded in agreement. "She is also the only one who can handle their new Director of Collections. Calus Sterling was appointed three months ago, and his compliance record is incredibly rigid.

He has already frozen two international exhibitions this year over minor disputes. He does not trust outside curators, and he does not like compromise. Selen has the specific legal background to match his objections line by line." he said.

Alejandro looked around the room. "I am calling for a formal vote to approve the temporary deployment of Ambassador Williams to the liaison position for a minimum duration of four months," he announced.

Maria raised her hand immediately. The legal advisor and the secondary official followed. "The motion carries," Alejandro stated, recording the note in the official log.

"The budget is approved, and the diplomatic passport adjustments will begin processing immediately." He closed his binder. "Now, how exactly are we going to tell her?"

The legal advisor shifted in his chair. "She is not going to be pleased about the timing. She just launched the contemporary artist residency in Seville last month, and the gallery renovations here in Madrid require her weekly sign-off." he said.

"The professional schedule is not our biggest hurdle," Maria countered, looking directly at Alejandro. "Selen has seven year old triplets. One of them had a bone marrow transplant just months ago.

The child is almost fully healed, but Selen is not going to leave her family behind for four months, nor will she subject a recovering child to the congestion and pollution of central London." she said.

The room went quiet for a moment. Alejandro rubbed his temples. "We cannot afford to compromise on her being on-site, but we must accommodate her family. What does the medical clearance say?"

"From her formal report of resumption, the recovery is stable," the legal advisor said, flipping through the medical part in Selen’s file.

"The doctors have cleared the child for travel, provided there is strict continuity of care and a clean environment. But Selen will refuse the post instantly if she feels her children’s health or stability is compromised."

"Then we adjust the location parameters entirely," Maria suggested. "We do not house them in London. We secure a country estate for them in Kent. The air is clean, it is quiet, and the environment is ideal for a child recovering from a major transplant." She said,