I apologise for the long delay in updating! Promise I'll try and keep it
more current from now on, thanx to Arielle, angel_face and everyone else
for your great reviews!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
April - Central Park, New York
The sky was overcast and it seemed as though the heavens were preparing to open up and lash down with torrential rain, quite unusual for this time of year. Yet this did not bother the artist in the park, he had grown to like it there, the peace and tranquility, the world did not bother him there, he was free to sketch without interruption --- until now at least, he thought to himself grimly as someone called his name. He turned around and saw his 'client' walking towards him. He liked the man, he was at the very least true to his word - his every need had been met. Although Cole would probably say that, that was as much through his own doing as anything else, he smiled at the thought. After all the heartache he had to endure life had finally smiled on him - even though he didn't really feel like smiling back. In the last few months his career had taken off in leaps and bounds, his fame had spread and he was now relatively well off. He cast aside these thoughts, focusing instead on the task at hand, satisfying his client.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, Cedar Oaks
"Rose, guess what?" Lily said as she sat down next to Rose on their makeshift picnic blanket. "Whar?" Rose asked bemusedly, knowing what the answer is going to be, allowing a smile to linger as she looked at the little girl in front of her.
"My birthday is tomorrow!" "I can't wait, I wonder what I am going to get, do you know?"
"No Lily, what a silly idea of course I don't know" Rose answered in mock earnest.
"Do you think Jason will be here tomorrow?" Lily asked worriedly, "What if he doesn't come?"
"Of course he will be here, don't worry your little head over such trivial matters Lily" Rose said, hoping that she was not just getting the little girl's hopes up, ever since Christmas Jason had been scarce, preffering to stay in New York with his father. Rose had no doubts that it had to do with her, she just didn't know what she was going to tell Lily if he wasn't here for her birthday tomorrow.
"He will have to come back though Rose, because daddy's coming back and he will make sure that Jason comes with him" Lily said half to herself, at last satisfied that her big brother would be there for the important day, "can we have the sandwiches now, please?" she begged Rose.
"Allright, but no swimming afterwards for a while", "but-, "no buts Lily you know the rules", Lily shrugged and made a beeline for the picnic basket.
Later, her appetite fully sated, Lily lay on her back looking at the clouds chasing each other across the wide expanse of clear sky. "Tomorrow's going to be perfect" she announced happily, "Rose?"
"Yes?"
"what will happen in September when I go to school?"
"what do you mean?"
"will you have to leave, because I really don't want you to leave"
"I don't know Lily, but it is still a long time, so there is no need to fret about it yet" Lily was not too hapy at this response but decided that it was probably the best she could expect to receive at this time so she decided to drop the subject for now, resuming her cloud watching and wondering what her presents would be.
Lily suddenly jumped up "do you hear that Rose? The dogs are barking that must mean that someone's here, maybe it's daddy and Jason" and with that Lily raced off towards the gates leaving Rose no choice but to follow her.
Rose caught up to Lily just as she reached the front steps, "daddy, Jason! You came" she shouted hugging her dad. Rose stood uncomfortably to one side not really knowing what to say. "Hey Lil" Jason smiled at his little sister, "if I knew I was going to get a welcoming party I would have come back a lot sooner" he joked.
That evening the conversation at the dinner table was stilted, an uncomfortable silence prevailed. Rose finished eating as soon as she could and promptly excused herself.
Rose ascended the mahogany staircase wondering what she was going to say to Jason the next day, she entered Lily's room and chased the little girl away from the window.
"Come now Lily it's time for bed, and you know that the sooner you fall asleep the sooner it will be your birthday"
"Rose, could you read me a story please?" Lily asked pleadingly.
"Sure, which one do you want me to read for you?"
"Cinderella" came the decisive answer.
Rose fetched the book from Lily's bookcase, made sure that Lily was under the covers and comfortable and started to read the fairytale.
Lily's eyes started closing after the second page and by the fifth, she was fast asleep. Rose got up carefully, so as not to wake Lily and switched off the light as she left the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
April - Central Park, New York
The sky was overcast and it seemed as though the heavens were preparing to open up and lash down with torrential rain, quite unusual for this time of year. Yet this did not bother the artist in the park, he had grown to like it there, the peace and tranquility, the world did not bother him there, he was free to sketch without interruption --- until now at least, he thought to himself grimly as someone called his name. He turned around and saw his 'client' walking towards him. He liked the man, he was at the very least true to his word - his every need had been met. Although Cole would probably say that, that was as much through his own doing as anything else, he smiled at the thought. After all the heartache he had to endure life had finally smiled on him - even though he didn't really feel like smiling back. In the last few months his career had taken off in leaps and bounds, his fame had spread and he was now relatively well off. He cast aside these thoughts, focusing instead on the task at hand, satisfying his client.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, Cedar Oaks
"Rose, guess what?" Lily said as she sat down next to Rose on their makeshift picnic blanket. "Whar?" Rose asked bemusedly, knowing what the answer is going to be, allowing a smile to linger as she looked at the little girl in front of her.
"My birthday is tomorrow!" "I can't wait, I wonder what I am going to get, do you know?"
"No Lily, what a silly idea of course I don't know" Rose answered in mock earnest.
"Do you think Jason will be here tomorrow?" Lily asked worriedly, "What if he doesn't come?"
"Of course he will be here, don't worry your little head over such trivial matters Lily" Rose said, hoping that she was not just getting the little girl's hopes up, ever since Christmas Jason had been scarce, preffering to stay in New York with his father. Rose had no doubts that it had to do with her, she just didn't know what she was going to tell Lily if he wasn't here for her birthday tomorrow.
"He will have to come back though Rose, because daddy's coming back and he will make sure that Jason comes with him" Lily said half to herself, at last satisfied that her big brother would be there for the important day, "can we have the sandwiches now, please?" she begged Rose.
"Allright, but no swimming afterwards for a while", "but-, "no buts Lily you know the rules", Lily shrugged and made a beeline for the picnic basket.
Later, her appetite fully sated, Lily lay on her back looking at the clouds chasing each other across the wide expanse of clear sky. "Tomorrow's going to be perfect" she announced happily, "Rose?"
"Yes?"
"what will happen in September when I go to school?"
"what do you mean?"
"will you have to leave, because I really don't want you to leave"
"I don't know Lily, but it is still a long time, so there is no need to fret about it yet" Lily was not too hapy at this response but decided that it was probably the best she could expect to receive at this time so she decided to drop the subject for now, resuming her cloud watching and wondering what her presents would be.
Lily suddenly jumped up "do you hear that Rose? The dogs are barking that must mean that someone's here, maybe it's daddy and Jason" and with that Lily raced off towards the gates leaving Rose no choice but to follow her.
Rose caught up to Lily just as she reached the front steps, "daddy, Jason! You came" she shouted hugging her dad. Rose stood uncomfortably to one side not really knowing what to say. "Hey Lil" Jason smiled at his little sister, "if I knew I was going to get a welcoming party I would have come back a lot sooner" he joked.
That evening the conversation at the dinner table was stilted, an uncomfortable silence prevailed. Rose finished eating as soon as she could and promptly excused herself.
Rose ascended the mahogany staircase wondering what she was going to say to Jason the next day, she entered Lily's room and chased the little girl away from the window.
"Come now Lily it's time for bed, and you know that the sooner you fall asleep the sooner it will be your birthday"
"Rose, could you read me a story please?" Lily asked pleadingly.
"Sure, which one do you want me to read for you?"
"Cinderella" came the decisive answer.
Rose fetched the book from Lily's bookcase, made sure that Lily was under the covers and comfortable and started to read the fairytale.
Lily's eyes started closing after the second page and by the fifth, she was fast asleep. Rose got up carefully, so as not to wake Lily and switched off the light as she left the room.