Somehow, Corey manages to do it with minimal mess. Lexi and I dunk our paintbrushes and then attempt to splatter the paint onto our trees like leaves and blossom. I end up with huge dollops of paint on the paper and a very messy thumb.
“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” I ask Lexi.
“Yup.”
“I think that’s cheating.”
Corey laughs. “Use two or three colours to add depth.”
“You make it sound like we’re painting masterpieces.”
“I am,” Lexi says.
“Am I?”
“No. Yours isn’t very good.”
Corey and I both burst out laughing.
“Oh really?” I say before splattering paint over her.
She shrieks and then cackles before spraying paint all over me.
“Children!” Corey says in a fake-stern voice. “Stop!”
Lexi and I both put on guilty faces and hang our heads.
“Sorry, Mr Morris,” I say in the cheekiest tone imaginable.
Lexi snorts.
“I think you’ve got enough paint on your trees. Go and clean up,” Corey says, pointing to the sink.
Lexi and I wash our brushes, palettes, and hands together. We also help each other to clean up our paint-spattered faces.
“I think you’ll need a hair wash,” I say.
“I think you need a new shirt,” she laughs.
I glance down. While the apron bore the brunt of the paint, several droplets landed on my shirt.
“I think you’re right.”
“It’s a good thing it’s bath time,” Corey says.
“Aww! Can’t I stay up?” Lexi asks.
“Not tonight. You’ve got school tomorrow. Upstairs.”
Lexi jumps off the step stool and trudges towards the door, where she stops and looks back at me. “You’re not so bad,” she declares before running out of the room.
22
Corey
By the time Lexi is in bed, Spence has cleaned up and is sitting on the sofa, watching TV. He smiles when I enter the room.
“Sit here, sweet boy,” he says, parting his legs so I can sit on the floor between them.
