Page 28 of Something Stronger
“Ok, Daddy.” She clapped her hands and bounced on her feet. “Hurry up, Amy, and we can go see Lucky Star. She’s going to have a baby.” Amy shoved the last bite of food in her mouthand grabbed her plate, rushing after Hallie and leaving me to finish by myself on the deck.
Moments later, I could hear the laughter as the two girls ran through the yard heading for the barn, their ponytails swinging behind them. As I watched them run through the fields, I smiled at the thought that Hallie had found another little girl to be friends with.
Ooooooooo
Louisiana
I’d been sitting in the grass staring at this blank brick wall for an hour. I brought my sketchbook thinking that maybe I’d get some inspiration, but so far all I’ve drawn is the Life in Bloom logo. Carrie told me that I could do whatever I wanted. I had a few drawings that I’d put together when she first asked me to do this, but the more I looked at them, the more I didn’t like them. They just didn’t seem good enough and as doubt began to fill my head, so did the words that Charlie used to echo. He never came right out and said it, but he made me feel like I wasn’t good at my job. I think he would have kept me home my entire life if he hadn’t lost his job. Him getting laid off was the only reason he had been ok with me going back to work.
Frustration came next. I put pencil to paper and began drawing flowers and bouquets. Roses, daises, daffodils, and peonies. I started putting arrows and labeling colors. The longer I sketched, the more I liked what I saw. This was it, the moment that I remembered why I was doing this. I tossed the sketch pad to the side and opened a can of paint. A beautiful pink gleamed back at me. I grabbed my brush and carried the can over to the wall. As I dipped the brush in the paint and then made the first stroke on the wall, part of me grinned with pride. This was a commissioned job. It was my sister, but still it was a paid job and everyone in town would see my work as they drove down Main Street.
I worked feverishly, painting flower after flower and connecting all the stems with a large ribbon. When the sun started to set, I stepped back to admire my progress. I would still need several more days before it would be finished, but, I was happy with what I was able to accomplish on this first day. I sealed the cans and began placing them back in my trunk. I wrapped plastic around the brushes so they wouldn’t dry out before I washed them, and then I climbed in to drive back to the shop. I’d store everything there and wash the brushes before heading to the Henderson’s farm to pick up Amy.
When I was leaving Life in Bloom, I texted Amy to let her know I was on the way. She responded back asking if she could stay longer, but I assured her we could set up another day for her to hang out with Hallie. They had become fast friends, and I was happy for her. She loved hanging out with her cousin, Jack, but like she said… he was a boy.
I turned down the highway and headed toward the Henderson’s farm. I knew exactly where it was because my father had sold them corn when they had cows. I wasn’t sure what Issac was doing with all the fields, but I soon saw when I turned into the long driveway.
The place looked nothing like I remembered as a child. The grass pasture in the front was now mowed short and there was a dirt track around the outside. A white wooden fence replaced the barbed wire one, and there was what looked like a makeshift starting gate off to the side. I’m guessing this is where they were training now.
The driveway that was once lined with trees was now open and about halfway up it split with one side leading to the house and the other going to the barn. The barn had been painted white and there was a gentleman out front pushing a wheelbarrow full of what looked like barn matter. I’m guessing he was stable boy and had been mucking out stalls. I had thatjob as a kid and wouldn’t wish it on anyone, especially in the summer. You think horse poop smells bad, you should be in a dirty barn in the summer with the heat just baking the smell into the air. I swear I used to wash my hair twice in the summer just to get the smell out.
I went to the right, heading up to the house. The giant farmhouse commanded your attention when you pulled up in front of it. It was white with dark green shutters. There was a circular drive in the front and Issac’s truck sparkled in the sun. Perfectly manicure flower beds framed the house on each side, and you could see parts of the back deck between the trees. The Hendersons never flaunted their money and by looking at their farm, you’d never think they were wealthy. Looking at what Issac’s done to the place, I can only imagine how many zeros are in his bank account.
I parked behind his truck and climbed out. I had smudges of paint on my clothes, and I’m sure it was in my hair as well. I made my way up the front walk and rang the bell. A woman answered the door and smiled. “You must be Miss Amy’s mom.” She stepped back and held the door so I could enter. “I’m Annabelle, Mr. Mathis’ housekeeper.” She motioned for me to move farther inside. “The girls were playing out back. Let me go fetch them.” She rushed off and I slowly stepped inside. I felt so out of place. The house was decorated in dark wood and rich colors: deep reds and dark browns. The furniture was stately and looked like a total man’s house. While it was nice, it seemed to lack a woman’s touch.
“Mama!” Amy came bursting through the door. “They have a horse that’s gonna have a baby, and Hallie said she could teach me to ride if it’s ok with you, and we wanna have a sleepover soon!” She was talking so fast I could hardly keep up. Within moments, Issac came walking around the corner.
“I hope she wasn’t any trouble,” I brushed a stray hair out of my face, “and that she behaved herself.”
“She was fine. The girls had a fun day, and we’d love to have her back any time.” He smiled.
“See, Mama. I can come back, right?” She bounced on her toes.
“We’ll talk about it when we get home. Thank you for having her. It helped me out a lot.” I started walking toward the door.
“It’s no problem, really. Hallie doesn’t really have many friends yet.” Issac followed us and paused at the threshold. “If you need help in the future, just let me know. We don’t mind.” He tucked one hand into the pocket of his jeans as he used the other arm to lean against the doorway.
“Thanks.” I almost tripped walking back to the car.
“Mama? Are you ok?” Amy paused and looked at me in concern.
“I’m fine. Get in the car.” I pointed as I smiled in Issac’s direction once more. I felt like such a fool. Here I was looking like I just got in a paintball fight and the guy looked as if he just stepped out of a magazine spread on rich and famous horse owners. What was he thinking as he looked at me? I gave a quick wave and climbed in. As I backed up and took off down the driveway, I glanced in my rearview mirror to see him watching me as I drove away.
Chapter 17
Louisiana
It was an exceptionally hot day, so when my sister asked Amy if she wanted to come over and go swimming, she jumped at the chance. I couldn’t blame her. I remember many hot afternoons as a child when my mom would finally release Codie and I from chores and we couldn’t get to the creek fast enough.
I got up early this morning to drop Amy off, and then I gathered my things to go paint. I promised Carrie I’d finish this week so we could start generating business from this investment. When I pulled into the grassy area near the wall, I tried to get in the shade as much as I could. I carried over all the cans of paint and began inspecting my work from the day before. The rose I’d put along one side looked as if it were real and I ran my fingers lightly across the brick with some expectation of feeling petals. I laughed at myself. I’d never really believed that my art was good.
I opened my sketch book to look at the plans I’d made and then began stirring paint. I laid out the different brushes on a cloth and grabbed a ribbon to tie my hair back out of my face. I decided to work along the top section today because then I wouldn’t need a ladder anymore. I began mixing the purple and then carried it over to where the ladder was leaning against the wall. I climbed up and made a few wild strokes to outline a peony. Some paint splattered on my already paint splattered shirt and I laughed. By the end of this project, I was going to look tie-dyed.
It didn’t take long for the sun to rise above the trees and surrounding buildings. When the bright rays reached my skin, I felt like I was literally baking in the sun. Sweat beaded along my neck and forehead and slowly trickled down my face and back. Iused my sleeve to wipe the wetness away, but there really wasn’t any escaping this. I wondered how I stayed outdoors so much as a child. I must have been crazy.
When lunchtime rolled around, I took a break. There was a small sandwich shop a block over, and I walked there to grab a sandwich and a drink. Once I had my food, I went back to my workspace. There was a large oak tree near where I parked, so I took a seat underneath it to enjoy my lunch. I wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on around me, so I didn’t hear him approach, but I was startled when he said hello. I looked up sharply to see Issac towering over me. His face was shadowed by a brown cowboy hat, but his eyes twinkled.
“Funny seeing you here.” He smiled and tipped his hat. “Mind if I sit for a minute?”
