Beautiful Days

Chapter 36 -Struggles We Face-

“So, sweetheart, what are we doing today?” I asked Carlie as she ran around in our bedroom after getting dressed. Haven was still sleeping in his cradle, but would probably wake up in the next hour. Carlie stopped in her tracks and held her hand up. I smiled as I walked to her side, kneeled down and let her touch my cheek. Joy, the sound of laughter, calmness and a huge variety of colors filled my vision and thoughts. “Drawing?” I guessed and she nodded enthusiastically. Just like Nessie, Carlie was more comfortable talking through her gift rather than speaking out loud, though she was just as able to talk out loud even better than a three year old, but most of the time she was too shy to speak out loud and we of course accepted that. “Should we draw downstairs in the winter garden?” I asked. She nodded again and lifted both her arms this time. I scooped her up into my arms, grabbed the baby monitor and walked downstairs.

I placed all crayons on the big round table in the winter garden and lay a stack of colorful paper next to them. Then I sat Carlie into her high chair and she at once grabbed a green crayon and a blue piece of paper and started drawing. I smiled at her and grabbed behind me to get my knitting things and continued working on a hat for Haven. Rosalie and Edward liked to tease me about my typical old-fashioned hobbies, but every time I showed them the outcomes, they had to admit that it wasn’t such a bad one after all. Rose already had about ten woolly hats that I had made her, she never bought any. Carlie reached over the table and touched my hand. I just wanted to look to her, but then my vision was exchanged with an endless yellow. I chuckled and gave the yellow crayon to her. She smiled broadly and enthusiastically starting drawing yellow circles on her art piece. I leaned back in the chair and my thoughts wandered back to the conversation tomorrow. What if Carlie hadn’t stopped Carlisle from talking? What could possibly sadden him so much; it was strange. My mind wandered into a thousand ways to find a reason for his behavior, but I stopped myself before I panicked; I didn’t need to worry, otherwise Carlisle would have told me already…. Right? I sighed and looked down to the dark blue hat in my hands. I would probably go crazy if he didn’t tell me soon... I glanced at the clock and sighed heavily. Carlisle won’t be here until 5 in the afternoon and we only had 10 in the morning…

“Pretty?” Carlie asked me suddenly and showed me her painting. She had drawn several colorful circles and other swirls. “Yes, very pretty,” I answered and kissed her hair. I gave her another piece of paper and she grabbed a brown crayon, but stopped drawing after a moment. She looked outside longingly and watched the branches of the trees in our backyard being moved by the wind. “I think we should take a nice long walk, huh?” I asked her, got up and put the knitting stuff back into the basket in the corner. Carlie let her crayon fall on the table and smiled. She already tried to get out of her high chair, but I was faster and lifted her safely out of it. Carlie ran out of the winter garden in no time and was around the corner in a few seconds. I walked after her and found her standing in front of our wardrobe where we keep all the jackets. Her yellow blue winter coat hung too high up for her to reach, but she already had her boots in her hands and let herself fall to the floor so that she could get them on. I kneeled next to her and assisted her with the shoelaces. I tied her right boot and she jumped up and reached for her jacket again. “First the scarf,” I told her and she grumbled. Carlie wasn’t exactly a fan of winter clothes per se… She wasn’t getting cold so easily because of her higher temperature and thus it didn’t make sense to her to get dressed in such clothes. I nonetheless grabbed her yellow scarf and gently tied it around her neck. She fiddled with the ends, but didn’t complain anymore. I handed her the coat and she at once put it on. She was already at the door when I stopped her. “And what about your little brother?” I asked her amused. She let go of the door handle and knitted her eyebrows. Carlie walked over to me and took my hand. I smiled and walked with her up the stairs to get Haven ready as well.