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“Your mother loved the water,” she said.
“Yes,” Josie said, turning to hug her. That was one thing she’d been thankful for, that Josie still hugged her all the time like she had her mother. One of these days, maybe Josie would call her Mom, but she’d never push it.
There was no replacing Colleen in their lives, but she wanted what was best for Josie too and never wanted the little girl to feel as if she had no parent in her life.
“Then I think this is where we put a picture of you and your mother. I had one blown up and framed. I actually have a whole collage of them as a surprise.”
“Really?” Josie asked.
“I know you love looking at pictures of your mother and what better way than this,” she said. “But I’ve got another surprise for you.”
“What?” Josie asked. Her long brown hair was falling out of her ponytail and Josie kept pushing it behind her ear. The ferry ride had blown it around because they’d stood on the deck as they watched Boston fade into the distance after the almost three-hour ride to get there.
“The owners of the home that we are renting from said we can paint our bedrooms any color we want.”
“Yay,” Josie said. “The white is boring.”
“It is. So after the movers get here and set everything up for us, we’ll figure out what colors to paint and go buy it tomorrow and get started. We need food and have to unpack some boxes, but we’ll hold off doing most of it in your room until it’s painted.”
“I want to paint my room mint green,” Josie said.
“Then we’ll find a mint green for you. But in here, I thought this wall over here could be a chalkboard. They’ve got paint for that and then you can draw all over the wall whenever you want. We can put all your craft and art supplies in here for you too.”
“Can I paint on this wall over here like a forest with flowers?”
“You mean like your own mural?” she asked. She hadn’t thought of that.
“Yes,” Josie said.
“Sure,” she said. When they moved out she’d just put layers of primer over it if she had to. Anything to make Josie happy.
“I need to draw it on paper first to decide,” Josie said. “I won’t know tomorrow.”
“I didn’t think you would, but you tell me what color you want this room and we’ll leave that wall white for now.”
“Avery,” Josie said.
“What, honey?”
“I want to paint all three walls with murals. Can I?”
She laughed. If being creative helped Josie, she was all for it.
“You can do whatever you want. So we’ll get paint for your bedroom, then for your chalkboard wall and paint them tomorrow.”
“What color are you painting your room?” Josie asked.
“You know what?” she said. “I think I’m going to keep it white. I’ll order a pretty bedspread and curtains and artwork instead. Maybe you can paint me a picture and I’ll frame it and put it on the wall.”
“I can do that,” Josie said. “You like the water too. Can we go to the beach and I can draw a picture there or take a picture and then I can paint it for you?”
At eight, Josie had such an organized mature mind for her craft. Avery was going to do her best to hone it and that was part of the reason moving closer to Laine would help. She’d get Josie some private lessons for sure.
“I think that sounds like a lovely thing to put in my room,” she said. She heard some commotion outside. “I bet you the movers are here. Why don’t we let them in to do their thing.”
They went down the stairs and prepared for the next few hours of chaos. She pointed out where things should go, where the beds would be set up and TVs hung.
She could have done all of that, but there was so much more to focus on and it was easier this way.
