“Yeah, it’s empty. I figure it can be your art studio or whatever you call it.”
“There’s room for me to have a studio?”
He grinned. “Yeah. Let me show you.”
I followed him down the short hallway to a closed door that I’d assumed was a closet. He opened it and flipped on the light.
It was a small bedroom with plain white walls and a window overlooking the backyard. There was beige carpet on the floor and an empty closet.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Will this work?”
“It’s amazing. I’ll put down drop cloths so I don’t get paint on the carpet.”
“You can, but don’t worry about it. Carpet can always be replaced.”
I took slow steps around the room, thinking about where to place my easel. “This is so much better than the storage room off the garage.”
“That’s all you had? A storage room?”
“Yeah. Once in a while, he’d say he was going to build an addition so I could have a proper studio, but it never happened.” My shoulders slumped. “Why did I wait so long to leave him? Seriously, Theo, I feel like I’ve been the world’s biggest doormat.”
He moved closer and nudged me with his elbow. “You’re not a doormat. You were just stuck in a rut.”
“That’s true. It’s like I’m waking up after living in a fog. It’s a weird feeling.”
“Well, you can paint your feelings in here.”
That made me smile. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“What are you going to paint first?”
I tapped my lips with my finger. “I keep thinking about a mountain creek. Not like the Morris painting he gave me—I’d never copy another artist’s work—but I could honor him by creating my own. Use his as inspiration. I don’t know if it really matters, but I’d like to pay tribute to who he was and what he taught me.”
“That’s awesome. I can’t wait to see it.”
“Thanks. Speaking of.” I tilted my head and gazed at one of the bare walls. “Do you mind if I hang things? I can fix the holes later. I know how.”
“Knock yourself out. You can put things anywhere you want.”
I pointed to a spot on the wall near the window. “I think the Morris painting would look lovely right there.”
“Do you need any help?”
“I don’t think so. It’s not heavy.”
“Let me know if you need me. I’ve still got grades to enter, so I’ll be in the other room.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
He gave me a dimpled grin and left.
My stomach tingled with giddiness as I once again took in the room. A space to paint was a small thing, but it meant so much to me. I could already tell I was going to love working in there.
It only took a few minutes to move my art supplies into the room. A side table would be helpful. Maybe even a small cabinet. I set up my easel and glanced around in satisfaction. It was going to be great.
The Morris painting was in the dining room where Theo had left it. He smiled at me from behind his laptop and asked again if I needed help. I assured him I’d let him know if I did.
I took the painting into my new studio and held it up against the wall. Perfect. I set it on the floor and sat cross-legged while I figured out what hardware it needed for hanging. I had a little box of supplies—sawtooth hangers and probably a few D rings. I ran my hands along the back of the frame, wondering which would be best, when I noticed a rough spot that didn’t feel like wood.
