Hope in Our Hearts by Lydia Proffitt

Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

Where flowers bloom so does hope.

- Lady Bird Johnson

Jason pushed Kale's stroller up the hill and into the air-conditioned building. He was happy to be out of the hot, humid air outside that made him feel sticky. He watched as Lucy's face light up at all the different pieces of art. She was radiant.

They saw the young children's artwork in the front and decided they would work their way up to the back. They eventually made it to the adults in the back. A painting of a horse received first; a blue ribbon was clinging to the frame. Instead of continuing their slow pace, Lucy came to a complete stop to admire the artwork a little bit more.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked, turning towards Jason.

You're beautiful, Jason thought. "Yes, it is. I like the technique they used to make the fur look like you can feel the texture if you touch it."

Jason was really amazed by the artwork, especially by the high school students. The horse painting though was astonishing. He couldn't deny that it truly deserved first. The artist was simply gifted and it was apparent. It looked like a photograph instead of a painting. However, he didn't think none of the artwork compared to the masterpiece walking beside him.

Lucy looked at the painting soaking it in like a sponge. Farther down the table was the portrait that earned second place. The red ribbon added a dash of color to the pencil sketch drawing.

"A lost day by Jason Mercer..." Lucy said stopping dead in her tracks. She stared at Jason like she had lost her train of thought.

"Guilty," Jason said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh my goodness. You didn't tell me you were an artist."

Jason thought Lucy was making a big deal out of nothing. She was practically freaking out in the middle of the art show. She didn't scream at Jason, but she sure didn't whisper it either. Everyone was staring at them. Jason's cheeks were getting red, and he began to ruffle his hair.

"Lucy, I didn't think that was important," he whispered, hoping Lucy would quiet down with him.

"You let me go on and on and on about how much I love the art show, and you didn't bother to mention you was in it?" Lucy didn't sound mad when she spoke. She was shocked. "I mean this is beautiful. I just can't believe you did this. Jason, this is amazing."

Jason was grateful Lucy lowered her voice. He wasn't normally embarrassed easy, but no one knew who he was, and he didn't know them.

"I have a lot of free time. It was something I did real quick in my hotel room from a picture on my phone."

He watched as Lucy analyzed the drawing. Jason loved art, but it was only a hobby. Writing was his real passion. A Lost Day was a drawing of the view outside his childhood home.

Jason lived in a farmhouse facing a pond. He just closed his eyes and was able to recall all the details. However, he couldn't be bothered to look at it now. In his eyes, Lucy had stolen the show.

He couldn't help but notice she looked good, even with her blonde hair up and sweaty from the hot day. He thought, even after the run, she had a natural beauty to her. She didn't wear makeup––as far as he could tell anyway––and her blue eyes were enchanting.

"Why do you draw and write?" Lucy asked. Her eyes were soft and her voice sounded genuinely interested.

The question knocked Jason a little off guard from his current thoughts. He wasn't sure why himself. "Umm, I have since I was little. I lost my hearing when I was five and didn't get my hearing aid till I was thirteen. So, for eight years I had trouble speaking. When my mother couldn't understand me, I was usually able to draw what I wanted. I was really dependent on it, especially if I didn't know the sign of it. When I was younger, I leaned towards drawing. It was a way for me to express myself. Though when I got older, I found writing to be more enjoyable. I just draw now as a side hobby."