What Happiness Looks Like (Promises) by Karen Lenfestey Read Free Book Online Page B

Jake hadn’t mentioned wanting to rekindle their romance. He hadn’t missed her at all. Disappointment gnawed her gut. “Only Anna’s.”
    “Are you still in love with him?”
    Was she? Not really. Not anymore. It was just that his rejection had hurt so much. Secretly she’d been hoping he’d beg her to take him back and then she could stomp on his heart like he’d done to hers. “I’m over him.”
    “OK then. Unlike the airlines, I don’t penalize for extra baggage.”
    # # #
     
    Saturday morning Joely laid three different outfits on her bed. Unlike most people, she didn’t have the energy to actually try on each one. Dalton had said to dress casually, but wouldn’t tell her where they were going. As an added bonus, the kids were coming along, which meant it wasn’t really a date. So why was she so nervous? Considering her choices, she finally settled on a skirt with a peasant blouse and a belt made out of wooden beads. Anna helped her with the belt’s latch.
    Dalton had one of those pick-up trucks with an extra-long cab and little fold-down seats for the kids in back. When he arrived, Anna jumped in eagerly, sitting across from Ryan.
    Joely tried to guess where they were headed as they drove out of town. After about twenty minutes, she saw where they were going and she started to choke on her own saliva.
    Edging his truck between two brick pillars, Dalton pulled into Logan Prep Academy. “Are you OK?”
    Joely nodded, coughing into her hand. She had never seen the inside of this prestigious school. “What are we doing here?”
    “They offer classes on the weekends to the community. I thought it would be fun if we took a parent and child painting class.”
    Joely looked at her swollen fingers. Would they be able to finesse a brush today? She hadn’t even tried since Anna had been born. She’d lost her will to work, to create. Anxiety gurgled inside her as she climbed out of the truck.
    Inside the school, the hallway floor shone with a fresh coat of wax. She could see the rumor was true—the lockers didn’t have locks because of the school’s honor code. Logan Prep kids didn’t steal. They were all here to lift each other up to be the best that they could be. She saw the school motto hanging on a banner: “Excellence, achievement, integrity.” She wanted those things for Anna. But would her daughter fit in here with all of these rich kids? How could she deny her daughter an opportunity which could lead to a better life?
    Joely followed Dalton into the art classroom and her jaw dropped. Windows lined two walls. All of that natural light stimulated her senses. The air tasted chalky. Potter’s wheels filled one corner, easels and tables spread throughout the rest of the space. This art room was twice the size of the one at her old high school. And this was for elementary students!
    She watched as Anna raced across the room toward the watercolor paints piled on a long bench. She and Ryan selected theirs before choosing a table with four pieces of white paper resting on top.
    The teacher, a thin man with a gray ponytail, raised his hands in the air. “Welcome, welcome. The way I do things is I give you a prompt and let you do your own thing. I will then walk around and offer tips and suggestions.” He spoke quickly as if he were very excited. “I want you to draw night. It can be what you see outside your window or what you see in your dreams. There are no right or wrong answers in art. Isn’t it wonderful?”
    Joely took a deep breath, staring at her blank paper. Rather than pick up a brush, she looked at the other students around the room, mostly mothers and their children. Dalton was one of only two dads present. Dalton’s son, Ryan, sat catty-corner to her, painting a dump truck. Was that what little boys dreamed of at night? She didn’t know. Something pressed against her chest. She’d always thought it would be perfect to have both a daughter and a son.
    She watched Anna as she painted the