The main house had pumpkin-colored walls and smelled like apples. Justin led me through the entranceway and into the kitchen. A woman took silverware out of the dishwasher and placed it in a drawer, and a dark-haired little girl frantically colored something at the kitchen table.
The woman looked up at me, smiling. She had Justin’s eyes and high cheekbones, but honey-blond hair. I figured it was dyed due to the darker locks underneath.
“Drea, this is my sister, Nicci.” He motioned to me. “Nicci, this is Drea—my girlfriend.”
“Hi.” He’d said
“It’s really good to meet you. I’ve heard you are quite the talented producer,” she said.
“Thank you. I mean, it’s good to meet you too.” I clenched my hands into balls. Why was I thanking her for hearing something?
“You guys sticking around for dinner?” Nicci asked.
Justin nudged me. “Don’t worry. My sister is a decent cook.”
“Decent? Oh, whatever, Mister I Blackened My Toast This Morning and Set Off the Smoke Alarm.” She laughed, showing a set of dimples. She looked younger than I thought she’d be. No more than twenty-five.
“Hey”—he held his hands up—“someone changed the setting.”
“Likely story.” Nicci walked over to the little girl and peered over her shoulder.
“I’d like to stay,” I said.
“I want you to meet someone else too.” Justin took my hand, leading me toward the table. “This is my niece, Madison.”
Madison drew spirals with a purple crayon. She hummed a soft note with each circle. Justin sat on one side of her, and I took the other.
The phone rang, and Nicci rushed off to get it. Whoever it was made her frown and leave the kitchen. I turned my attention back to Justin’s niece. She drew horizontal lines now. Her lips pursed together in deep concentration.
“How old is she?” I asked.
“Four,” Justin answered. “She does the coloring thing a lot. I think we have a little artist in the making here.”
“It calms her.”
“How do you know?”
I smiled at him. “I just do.”
Madison paused, her big brown eyes searching the table. She picked up an orange crayon and stuck it in my hand.
“Wow.” Justin chuckled. “I was here a month before I got invited to color with her.”
“I’m just special.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Yeah, you are.”
I reached for a blank piece of paper, but she slapped her hand on the pile.
“No,” she said, pulling it out of my reach. She counted through five before handing one to me.
“She’s got an order about them,” Justin said. “Can’t mess it up.”
“What would you like me to draw, Madison?” I asked.
She’d gone back to spirals and humming.
“I drew her a pumpkin. She wasn’t too into that,” Justin said.
I mimicked her rhythm, starting at the corner and making my way down. Coloring always soothed me. The feel of a crayon against paper was satisfying in a way I couldn’t explain to just anyone. But I bet Madison understood.
Nicci walked back into the kitchen. “Dad’s on the phone.”
His eyes widened at her. “He wants to talk to me?”
“He wants to say hi,” she said.
Justin scrambled out of the chair and brushed his hand against my shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
Nicci grinned at the crayon in my hand and sat down in his place. “She likes you.”
“I have a bunch of coloring books at home. She can have some if she’d like,” I told her.
“I think she’d really love that.” She ruffled her daughter’s hair. “Say thank you to Drea.”
Madison repeated her words exactly but didn’t let it stop her project.
“Did you like drawing too?” Nicci asked.
“I still do. It relaxes me.” I kept my eyes on the paper. His sister seemed nice, but I felt as if I was under a microscope. What if she didn’t like me?
“I use a punching bag to relax. We all have our methods.” She laughed. It sounded almost nervous.
