Page 6 of Labor of Love

“We both get to live out our dre⁠—”

“Ahhhh!” Karli runs over. “Parker told me where you were, and damn, he’s looking mighty fine today.” I chuckle brokenly, choking on emotion, but Karli is too caught up with her brother to hear.

“He’s my best friend, Karli,” Stetson groans at his sister.

“I can appreciate muscle. But OHMYGOODNESS, I’m so happy for your offer!” She hugs her brother, then raises an eyebrow at me. “Weren’t you wearing that dress yesterday?”

A nervous laugh bubbles from my lips, even as nausea swirls. “You’ve repeated outfits.” I should come clean and tell her, but with Stetson now leaving…it’s not like anything will come of us.

“True.” She brushes me off, turning her attention back to her older brother. “Mom and Dad are going to freak! You’ve worked sooo hard for this.”

“I’m gonna go.” My voice cracks, but I smile through it. “Congrats, Stet. I’m proud of you.” His last memory of me will be how proud I am of him. Not one of me crumbling to my knees and weeping. “I’ll text you later, Karli.”

“I’ll drive you,” Stetson pleas as I walk away.

Don’t look back.

“I’ve got my mind to walk off.” My feet match the beat of my heart which puts me in a trot. I’ll collect my art stuff another time.

“It’s twenty minutes in this heat,” Karli chimes in.

“I’m used to living in hell.”

The most painful part isn’t him leaving. It’s him treating our night together as a one-off instead of me being someone worth asking to tag along on his journey.

And when he leaves not even forty-eight hours later, only calling me once and not leaving a message, it’s clear how little our time together meant to him. At least compared to how much it meant to me.

3

LAYLA

2.5 YEARS LATER

“I’ll most definitely paint Henley’s Pup Portrait next month. Email me his photo, and I’ll be in touch.” Finishing up a client call, I schedule in the estimated start date.

Accomplishment warms me as much as the September Texas heat while washing my paintbrushes.

What started as a painting of my deceased childhood hound, Rosie, turned into locals asking me to paint their beloved animals––dogs, cats, chickens, bunnies, cows. Last week, I painted a gecko. Social media turned this into a full career, thanks to some viral video posts.

Now, I get to give back to the local community when someone adopts a pet. It’s a fun offering that Piper from the animal rescue center and I worked out.

My door flies open and the paintbrush drops, along with my heart.

“I’m here whether you’re clothed or not,” Karli sing-songs, walking into my apartment above a local downtown shop.

I try to catch my breath. “What if I was naked?”

“Please, we showered together until we were, what, thirteen?” Rolling her eyes, she takes her rightful place on a bar stool opposite the sink.

“Yeah, god forbid we’d stop our conversation for a moment during sleepovers.” It was to the point where Stetson questioned if Karli and I were more than friends, so we eased up on the no boundaries.

“One of these days, I’ll knock and leave some mystery.”

She’s the only person who ever visits me, so whether she knocks or not, I’ll always assume it’s her at my door.

“How was your flight back here?” I ask. “Was your week in Europe worth the jet lag?”

“Amazing! You’re coming with me next time!” As an influencer, she’s been on so many cool trips. “Don’t tell Parker you were my first stop.” She winks. “He has been deprived of me for over a week, and I desperately wanna ride him till the sun comes up tomorrow. But, I needed to see my best friend.”