No Shame (Book 2 - No Regrets)

Chapter Two - Painting a Different Image

KATIE'S POV

  Saturdays, ever since the second semester of school started, have been when I am my laziest. Sleeping in, staying in my pajamas for as long as possible, and relaxing. Although, there usually are a few hours on one or two Saturdays a month I'll spend with friends. However, one of the key parts of Saturday for me, is sleeping in and getting a few extra hours of sleep.

  This Saturday morning was different, instead of waking up on my own around noon. I was woken up a few hours earlier to my niece gently poking my arm. "She's waking up, keep poking." My older brother whispers to her. I opened my eyes and gave Mollie a tired smile.

"I am so happy to see you, sweetheart." I say as I start to stretch a bit. "Can't say I feel the same about your daddy though."

Dominick fakes being hurt and places a hand on his chest. "All I wanted was to see my favorite sister, and this is the treatment I get." He leans over and picks up Mollie. She laughs as he playfully throws her over his shoulder, holding on tightly to her ankles. "Come on, Buggie. Let's go where our company is appreciated." He shuts the door behind him.

I smile and laugh a bit. I reach over and grab my phone from my bedside table. Taking a quick look at my social media apps, I catch up on the few things that have happened in my friends and family's lives. I put on some yoga-pants and a T-shirt before leaving my room and heading downstairs. I hear Mom laughing from the kitchen which is soon followed by Mollie's laugh.

"What did I miss?" I ask with a smile entering the kitchen.

"Nona made the egg a mess." Mollie says still amused and humored by the matter. She is sitting on her knees on a chair that Mom has set by the stove.

Mom laughs a bit and shakes her head, "I can see someone is going through a tell-all phase." She says.

I stop to kiss the top of Mollie's head as I head to the pantry to get some cereal. "Where did your daddy go?" I ask her as I look around the kitchen. I didn't see Dominick in the living room and I don't recall seeing any lights on toward the study.

"He left. He has a study group and Tyde had work today." Mom answers.

I get a bowl from the cabinet, I look down at Mollie. "Guess that means we'll have to plan something fun." I say with a wink.

She smiles, "Paint outside." She says throwing up her hands happily.

I smile, "It's a date." I say.

She stands up and begins jumping excitedly on the chair. "Mollie, what did Nona say about how to sit in a chair?" my mother asks with gentle-scolding tone.

Mollie stops jumping and sits back down on her knees. "Much better and safer." Mom says with a smile.

"Yeah Mollie, we don't want you to crack your head open on this floor. Your big smart brain would fall right out and make a mess." I say.

Mom shoots me a look that says "not funny" and Mollie covers her mouth as she laughs, clearly amused by my comment.

~~~~~~~

"Oh my, Mollie that is so pretty." I comment looking at her fourth painting of the half-hour. She has covered another paper with an abstract mess of color. "I love how you used all the colors I gave you. So bright and expressive." I say.

Mollie smiles proudly before looking at my painting. "Is that a tree?" She asks pointing at my painting.

I nod my head, "Sure is." I answer. "You are one of the smartest three year olds I know." I dip my paintbrush in the moss-green color I mixed on my plate.

"This one is for Big-Dude." Mollie declares.

I smile in response. Linkon is currently training at A-School, after he completed basic the summer he enlisted, he went straight to A-School. He now trains and awaits other orders, Tyde mentioned him possibly being deployed to Germany; but nothing has been officially announced. "He will love it." I tell Mollie.

She carefully picking up the paper by the edge. She walks it over to the edge of the back patio and cautiously sets it down on the ground next to her other paintings to dry in the sun. Each painting has a person who Mollie plans to give them to. Her first painting is to go to Mom, the second to Dad, and the other to me. She takes two small rocks and sets one down on the top of the paper and the other on the bottom. By the time she returns to the tables, I have sat down another paper for her to paint on.

"This one will be for mommy." Mollie declares picking up her paint brush. She dips it into what is left of the blue on her plate.

  No one knows exactly how or what started Mollie calling Tyde mommy. Everyone has ensured Nikki is never a secret from Mollie; and never encouraged or pushed Mollie to call Tyde "mommy". Everyone has also made sure Mollie always, as much as she can for her age, understands that Nikki is her mother. However, one day, out of the blue Mollie called Tyde mommy. No one discourages or makes attempts to correct her, to Mollie "mommy" fits Tyde.

"I heard Aunt Aria was going to be taking you to a movie this afternoon." I say. "Are you excited?"

Mollie dips her brush into the red paint on her plate. "Yes." She answers. "I love Aunt Aria, she is fun." I smile as I add detail to my tree. "Why is- why is Aunt Aria- what makes her sad?" She suddenly asks. I am so taken by surprise by the question I nearly drop my paintbrush.

"Why do you say Aunt Aria is sad?" I ask keeping my tone calm.

"She sometimes gets sad face when we talk." Mollie explains keeping her eyes on her painting. "And I always act good. So I not make her sad by bad actions."

"Sometimes people are sad because of things other people have done or things in the past." I explain, choosing my words carefully. "I am sure you being so well-behaved helps cheer her up." I say.

Mollie, still focused on painting, casual answers, "It don't."

My smile drops and I look down at my tree. I study the branches on it. Aria's family tree has lost so many branches in the past years, from death and circumstances.

No one can blame or fault her for suffering from a pain many are lucky enough to not understand.

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

Aria, Linkon, and Tyde will all show up soon in the story. You will learn more about how they, themselves, and their lives have all changed since the last chapter of No Regrets.

You will find out more about Aria's broken family tree and her pain in future chapters.

PLEASE FORGIVE ANY ERROR OR TYPOS, WROTE THIS EXHAUSTED (insomnia). I will fix any errors later.

THANK YOU FOR READING! I HOLE YOU ENJOYED!

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