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She chuckled. "Fresh air is good for you. Maybe Sebastian is right, it might help clear your head a bit."
I reached a plateau and decided to take a little break on a log. "I'm hoping, but it hasn't worked so far."
"Again. It's just been two days. You've had to deal with a lot lately."
I blew air through my lips. "I know."
"Your dad is doing well. We went over for dinner. Your Aunt Maggie made chicken salads. Your dad grumbled the whole time."
Something caught in my chest. I had been going and taking care of my dad almost every day since the heart attack. Aunt Maggie's been taking the heavy load, enjoying having someone to fawn over since "my babies are all grown" as she liked to tell us. I felt a pang of guilt for not being there now. Being away from my family.
"You went quiet on me," Daisy said in a soft voice.
My shoulder sagged. "I should be there."
"No," Daisy said in her firm librarian voice, the one that scared even the rowdiest of teenagers and retirees to behave. "You've been nothing but helpful to your family and you need to put on your oxygen mask first. We have things taken care of here. You know your brother, if Maggie so much as has to leave the house for a quick appointment, Dom is stepping in to cover. Your dad even liked the drill sergeant Maggie hired to get him to exercise more. They've been spending all this time together. It's an unexpected bromance."
That lifted my spirits a bit. I could imagine Dad talking back to the drill sergeant, giving him a hard time just to have some fun. "Will you keep giving me updates?"
"Of course. You know I will."
Our family was stronger now that Daisy was in it. I'm so glad she found my brother and tore down his stubborn walls.
"By the way, how's the eye?" she asked.
I reached up to check. "I'm not wincing, so that's a good sign. It's a fun color. So there's that."
"Maybe you should paint a self-portrait with your black eye."
A laugh burst from my chest. "That would certainly draw some attention."
And maybe it wasn't such a bad idea...
"It could be commentary on the physical cost and danger of celebrity. Have the city as your backdrop. Maybe add some purple to the sky."
I closed my eyes and envisioned it. Dreaming about the colors I could blend together to get the black, purple, and blue of my shiner. The blood vessels leaking just under the skin. The city lights would surround me from behind. The face would be close up in the frame. Centered, of course.
"Daisy, you're a genius." I opened my eyes and went hiking back down the hill. “Willow, this way, sweetheart."
"Wait, Sebastian named his dog Willow? I love that. Makes me think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
"First, I'm going to paint this painting, and then when I'm back in the city we are going to do a Buffy rewatch because it's been far too long since I've seen it."
She laughed. "You got yourself a deal. I'll text Kiki and let her know."
"Perfect. Now I've got a canvas that needs some paint."
* * *
My fingers were sore, just like the rest of my body.
I'd pulled an all nighter, something I hadn't done since college, but the muse was too strong to ignore.
I stifled another yawn as Sebastian's mother came into view. "Good morning, Faith. What are you doing up, sweetheart?"
She entered the room, and her eyes went wide when she saw the canvas. "That's stunning."
I stepped back and put a hand on my chin to observe the painting. "Thanks. I think I like it too."
