said and went to sit next to her. I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.
Using only crayons she had drawn a spot-on portrait of me and in the lower corner she had managed to draw the sapper logo I have tattooed on my back.
“Wow, did you make this?” I asked, although it was a rhetorical question since she had been alone the whole time. “This is incredible.”
“If you like it, you can have it,” she said and handed it to me.
“I love it. Thank you.”
She gave me a genuine smile. “It’s nothing. I make portraits for a living, I’m a street artist,” she said.
“But you’re insanely talented, you know that, right?”
She shrugged. “I just like to draw.”
Then I remembered and handed her the gift I had been holding behind my back. “This is for you, my dear.”
“For me?” Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, for you.”
She opened the gift and held up the little plastic toy, which was the size of her hand, and then she turned it over in the air. “This is Rainbow Dash, she was one of my favorites in the movies.”
“There were movies?”
“Yes… cartoons.”
“That’s nice.”
We were interrupted by Bruce, who cleared his throat behind us. “Feeling better, Cia?” he asked.
“Yes. Thank you.” She looked up at him and for the first time I didn’t read hostility on her face.
“That’s a nice drawing,” he said and pointed to my portrait.
“Cia made it,” I said, not hiding the pride in my voice.
He sat down on a chair beside us and asked to see it.
“How long have you been an artist?” he asked.
“I don’t remember, but I started making portraits for money when I was seventeen.”
“You forgot to sign it,” he said and handed it back to her.
She picked up a black crayon and put it to the lower right side of the paper, but there was a moment of hesitation before she wrote “To G from Cia.”
“Interesting,” Bruce commented, and he had the look of a sly fox. “What name do you normally sign your portraits with?”
“I just write a B, nothing else.”
“B for Black?”
“Yes.”
“And yet you chose to sign this one as Cia – why is that?”
“I don’t know, it just felt right.”
“I’m wondering if you would be interested in helping me out with an art project while you’re here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been planning on decorating the dining room for a while, but I’m wondering if maybe you would like to have fun with it…”
“Like make pictures for the walls?”
“Yes… why not?”
“Sure, what kind of pictures would you like?”
“Whatever you feel inspired to make,” he replied. “Just tell me what you need. We already have some art supplies here and if you need more I can get them for you.”
Cia looked intrigued. “I just need large pieces of good-quality paper and quality pencils,”
“But what if I wanted some pictures in colors, could you do that?”
“I don’t know, I’ve only ever worked with pencils”
Bruce smiled. “Then this will be a challenge for you.”
Cia was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke. “I think I could do it.”
“Wonderful. Therese can show you where we keep our art supplies,” he said and got up from the chair. “Also, since you are now five years old, it might be fun for you to take a hike with your father. Nature here is breathtaking.”
“What about boots?” I asked since Cia only had sneakers on.
“I’m sure her black boots will do fine for a hike; I’ll have them brought to your cabin,” Bruce said and got up to leave. “Enjoy your day; I’ll see you at dinner.”
“I’ve been dying to hike ever since we got here,” I said and was pleased when Cia seemed as eager about the idea as I did.
Ten minutes later we set off with a water bottle each and big smiles. I was holding Cia’s hand and she didn’t object. It was crazy to think how much she had moved mentally in the last forty-eight hours.
“I think I already have an idea for a painting,”
Using only crayons she had drawn a spot-on portrait of me and in the lower corner she had managed to draw the sapper logo I have tattooed on my back.
“Wow, did you make this?” I asked, although it was a rhetorical question since she had been alone the whole time. “This is incredible.”
“If you like it, you can have it,” she said and handed it to me.
“I love it. Thank you.”
She gave me a genuine smile. “It’s nothing. I make portraits for a living, I’m a street artist,” she said.
“But you’re insanely talented, you know that, right?”
She shrugged. “I just like to draw.”
Then I remembered and handed her the gift I had been holding behind my back. “This is for you, my dear.”
“For me?” Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, for you.”
She opened the gift and held up the little plastic toy, which was the size of her hand, and then she turned it over in the air. “This is Rainbow Dash, she was one of my favorites in the movies.”
“There were movies?”
“Yes… cartoons.”
“That’s nice.”
We were interrupted by Bruce, who cleared his throat behind us. “Feeling better, Cia?” he asked.
“Yes. Thank you.” She looked up at him and for the first time I didn’t read hostility on her face.
“That’s a nice drawing,” he said and pointed to my portrait.
“Cia made it,” I said, not hiding the pride in my voice.
He sat down on a chair beside us and asked to see it.
“How long have you been an artist?” he asked.
“I don’t remember, but I started making portraits for money when I was seventeen.”
“You forgot to sign it,” he said and handed it back to her.
She picked up a black crayon and put it to the lower right side of the paper, but there was a moment of hesitation before she wrote “To G from Cia.”
“Interesting,” Bruce commented, and he had the look of a sly fox. “What name do you normally sign your portraits with?”
“I just write a B, nothing else.”
“B for Black?”
“Yes.”
“And yet you chose to sign this one as Cia – why is that?”
“I don’t know, it just felt right.”
“I’m wondering if you would be interested in helping me out with an art project while you’re here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been planning on decorating the dining room for a while, but I’m wondering if maybe you would like to have fun with it…”
“Like make pictures for the walls?”
“Yes… why not?”
“Sure, what kind of pictures would you like?”
“Whatever you feel inspired to make,” he replied. “Just tell me what you need. We already have some art supplies here and if you need more I can get them for you.”
Cia looked intrigued. “I just need large pieces of good-quality paper and quality pencils,”
“But what if I wanted some pictures in colors, could you do that?”
“I don’t know, I’ve only ever worked with pencils”
Bruce smiled. “Then this will be a challenge for you.”
Cia was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke. “I think I could do it.”
“Wonderful. Therese can show you where we keep our art supplies,” he said and got up from the chair. “Also, since you are now five years old, it might be fun for you to take a hike with your father. Nature here is breathtaking.”
“What about boots?” I asked since Cia only had sneakers on.
“I’m sure her black boots will do fine for a hike; I’ll have them brought to your cabin,” Bruce said and got up to leave. “Enjoy your day; I’ll see you at dinner.”
“I’ve been dying to hike ever since we got here,” I said and was pleased when Cia seemed as eager about the idea as I did.
Ten minutes later we set off with a water bottle each and big smiles. I was holding Cia’s hand and she didn’t object. It was crazy to think how much she had moved mentally in the last forty-eight hours.
“I think I already have an idea for a painting,”
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