AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pick it up and put it on the drying rack. Every piece is art.
Ethel hugs us both. “Don’t crush the cookies,” she whispers.
After I say goodbye to the instructor, Adam is lingering over his own canvas. I walk over to him and he slides his arm behind my back.
“You ready?” he asks.
I nod.
“You don’t remember, but this was kind of a special moment between us for years.”
I look at him. “What was?”
“Well, I don’t draw what everyone else does. I draw what I want, and you always asked me to surprise you.”
“Oh, I can’t wait,” I say.
He flips around the canvas and I sink into his hold. He drew me with my hand on my cheek and my hair down, framing my face. But I have a love-drunk smile on my face.
“I love it,” I say before kissing his cheek.
“Good. Then we’ll take it home.”
Home has never sounded so good coming from his mouth.
After we clean the brushes and I say goodbye to Ivy and the other helpers, we turn off the lights to the room and walk out of Northern Lights Retirement Center hand in hand.
“Do you ever regret not going to school for art?” I ask.
He sighs. “Don’t go rethinking all my life choices again. I told you, I’m happy.”
“But it’s not too late, you know. You could still do it.”
He opens the passenger side truck door and kisses my nose. “I like my job. I’m happy where I am.”
He shuts the door, and when he slides into his seat, he puts the picture in the back seat.
“It’s just a suggestion,” I say.
He starts the truck. “I will say this. I haven’t drawn a thing in over a year. That felt good tonight. But what came out when I put pencil to paper is the most important thing in my life right now, and that’s you.”
“But, Adam…”
He shakes his head, putting the truck in gear. “Don’t overthink this. I was never meant to be an artist. It’s just a hobby I enjoy.”
Then he pulls out of the parking lot, and there seems to be a finality to the conversation I don’t like. Is this why I set up the art nights behind his back? God, please tell me I didn’t leave him so he’d go be an artist in LA and we lost an entire year for nothing?
As good as things are between us, I know I wouldn’t have left without a good reason.
