I didn’t know how Christopher could have known that I used to love painting. My tears fell relentlessly as I gripped the brush tightly, sobbing my heart out.
No one knew how much I loved and yearned to paint again. All of my love and hope for painting could be seen in Autumnal Panorama.
That oil painting took me two whole months to complete. After that, I sent a picture of it to an online friend called Key, who complimented it and told me that it could really be worth something.
At the time, I thought so too. The art teacher I’ve had since young had always told me that I was very talented and even felt sorry for me when he learned that my drawings didn’t get selected.
Someone called and I saw Christopher’s name on the screen. I stayed silent after picking up, so Christopher started speaking first. “Why are you so quiet? Did you forget me already? It’s only been a few days. That’s kind of sad.”
I continued feeling the smooth handle of the brush in between my fingers. Even though it was just a normal paintbrush, the meaning behind it was completely different to me.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said softly, almost getting choked up.
“What’s wrong? Did you cry?” Christopher asked both urgently and helplessly. “Did something happen?”
“No!” I shook my head and asked, “Are you mad because I didn’t pick up your calls the past few days?”
“Why would I get mad over something so small, silly? I would be angry about plenty more things if I were that short-tempered. Since you asked, though, you should tell me why you didn’t pick up my calls,” Christopher said in a faux-angry voice.
I couldn’t see him, but I could hear the gentleness and love in his voice alone. How could I bear to bring up Monica and ruin it?
No matter what they had going on between them, I could only feel gratitude toward Christopher right now.
I knew that I lost my principles when it came to Christopher, just like how I was with Lyle. If they treated me well, I was willing to leave everything behind for them.
“Something happened that morning and I sprained my ankle, so I was in the hospital when you called me and couldn’t pick up,” I said, trying to gloss it over. However, Christopher had already started to pester me about the foot injury.
“I can’t leave you alone at all, can I? How many times have you gone to the hospital since we met?”
I thought about it and was genuinely trying to remember when I realized that it was way more than I could count on one hand. With a pout, I murmured, “Just once or twice.”
What a lie. I could barely count all the small burns, sprains, and minor injuries that I had suffered at this point.
“If I could see you right now, I would spank you for being so careless,” Christopher said in a low voice.
I felt slightly warm. Spanking had become part of our bedroom activities and usually ended up getting pretty heated. He always said it was the best punishment for me to truly remember.
“Christopher!” I said urgently. After a pause, I asked, “Did you send me a package?”
“Why, do you have another boyfriend in Coldbridge?” he asked me instead.
Obviously I didn’t have a proper answer. If I could manage to attract so many men at one time, would I be in such a state? I would at least be someone like Crystal, who had people falling over for her left and right.
“Why did you send me brushes and paint?”
“Take a guess,” Christopher purposely teased.
I honestly had no idea, but it didn’t matter. I loved the gift too much to think too much of it. He always seemed to know more about me than myself, and could guess what I truly wanted before I even thought about it.
“Do you like it?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I love it. Thank you so much,” I said, feeling choked up again.
“Then draw something with it, alright? When I come back, you can give it to me in return.”
I jerked at the thought. Can I still paint? Could I actually go back to my long-lost hobby again?
“I don’t know what to draw,” I said. My mind was completely blank.
“Why don’t you paint me a pair of eyes that shed no tears?”
