AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do I have paint on me?” She starts patting her face and looks at her arms.
“Yes,” I say.
She shrugs. “No point in doing anything about it now. I’m just going to get messier.”
I try to peer around her, but she holds up her hand to stop me.
“What kind of ice cream?” she asks like it’s the most serious question in the world.
The corner of my mouth twitches and then I say, “That lemon cookie you like so much from the local place.”
She leans her head back and groans. “I know you’re just trying to get on my good side.”
“It’s working, isn’t it?” I reply.
“Maybe.”
I try to steal another look into the nursery, but she presses her hands to my chest, holding me back. “Before you look, I want you to remember it’s not finished.”
I turn my eyes down to her. “Of course.”
She nervously fidgets with my shirt and then drops her hands. I know she’s an amazing artist. I don’t know why she’s nervous. She takes a deep breath and steps aside so I can enter the room. The floors are covered in drop cloths, there’s no furniture yet, but the walls.
I blink a few times. I’m pretty sure Maggie is holding her breath, her gaze locked on me. I turn to her, “This is incredible.”
She lets out a big rush of air. “Really? It’s obviously unfinished. I have so much still to do.”
I hold my hand over my mouth and walk closer to the wall. The mural covers all four walls. “I thought you were just doing some sort of outer space thing,” I say without taking my eyes off the painting.
“Well, I was just going to do one wall, but I just couldn’t help myself.”
I look over the wall closest to me – it’s a whimsical fairytale scene with mountains and castles and then I continue to the next one – a magical forest with woodland creatures throughout. The next one is the daytime sky, and the final wall is the night sky. The first full of clouds and hot air balloons and the latter stars and planets. Neither is realistic - they match the fairytale tone of the other two walls. I shake my head. “Maggie, this is so amazing.”
I steal a glance at her. She’s blinking back tears, but she turns quickly and points to one corner. “I was thinking about putting the crib here between the day sky and the night sky.”
She points to the other side of the room and says, “The dresser over here, a bookshelf there, and the glider in that other corner.”
I nod. “Do you have furniture picked out?”
“I ordered it already. Will be here in two weeks.”
I turn toward her and brace myself before saying, “How much?”
She scowls and crosses her arms over her chest. “I’ve decided I don’t want your money.”
“Yeah. I got that from the six times I tried to Venmo you, and you wouldn’t accept any of it.”
She taps her foot impatiently on the floor.
“What’s the big deal?” I say, irritation showing in my voice.
She doesn’t answer at first and then says, “I don’t want to be beholden to you. If I accept your money, it gives you power.”
My mouth falls open. “It gives mepower. Maggie, what the hell are you talking about?”
“There’s a power dynamic here, Declan, whether you want to admit it or not. Money just fuels it. If I take your money, I’m in your debt.”
I can’t believe what she’s saying right now. I’m at a complete loss for words. She whirls around and marches out of the room without another word. I follow her to the kitchen where she starts washing her hands.
