Page 43 of Family Affair
“It’s life, baby,” Lucy shrugged.
“I’m thinking about declining. Do you think I should?”
“I think,” Lucy said slowly, “that you should swallow your pride and go for it. You’ve come so far. I know how you feel, but I also know that were you a terrible artist, Rosa would have found a different way to bridge to Maureen Sheffield.”
Coco smiled, mollified. “Thank you, mom.”
Lucy smiled back with her wonderful gentle smile. “You’re welcome, daughter.”
Lucy’s gaze fell on the portrait that lay conspicuously on top of the manila envelope, and the smile slowly faded from her lips. She picked it up and looked at it at length.
“Beautiful work,” she offered in a neutral tone.
Her mother didn’t draw very well, but possessed an uncanny ability to understand art and quickly find gems among the garbage. More than once Coco relied on Lucy for critique and advice.
Ironically, today was not one of those cases where she needed her mother’s input. She knew without being told the drawing turned out perfectly. Too perfectly, in fact.
“It’s the other Sheffield boy,” Lucy stated.
“Interesting how family resemblance plays out in adults,” Coco offered in a way of a comment and busied herself by straightening up the small pile of her art supplies on the floor.
“It is, isn’t it. They sure affect you in different ways.”
Coco’s hands stilled their busywork. “What do you mean?”
Lucy shrugged and picked up the box of cupcakes preparing to take them to the kitchen.
“Just that you need to remember to draw Dan with the same amount of feeling. Oh,wait. You forgot to draw Dan at all.”
