Page 32 of Her Painter Bear Mate

She flicked the kettle on and put two slices of bread in the toaster, brown because she was trying to be healthy. The crinkling of the bread bag was followed by the clicking of dog paws on the tiles, which was just business as usual.

"Morning, Bork." She tickled the border collie's head although he didn't have much interest in her and was already looking for crumbs.

Millie joined him in his search, sniffling loudly.

"Morning, Millie." Clarissa paused in her tracks and frowned at the sight of the two dogs. "Millie? What are you still doing here?"

The spaniel gave her a hopeful look and licked her lips. She looked adorable with her head tilted to the side, clearly trying to work out what was happening.

"Where's your owner?" Clarissa asked, glancing around the flat. The bathroom door was open and she couldn't imagine that Dee was in her father's room. Had she just left and forgotten her dog?

That didn't sound like her.

Her slices of toast popped up and she carried them to the table on a plate. Two notes were waiting for her in her spot and she picked up the first.

"Not sneaking out, needed to paint. See you soon, Dee," Clarissa read, her eyebrows rising. The word 'needed' had been underlined twice as well, just to emphasise the urgency. She looked at the second note which was in her father's writing. It was shaky and just a single word.

Store.

"I wonder what that's about?" Clarissa asked the dogs, showing them the notes.

They gave her blank looks, their tails wagging hesitantly.

Clarissa ate one slice of toast with butter while she got semi-dressed. She wasn't sure what to make of all this but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. In general, it was better not to get her hopes up.

She grabbed her key and made her way down to the store, surprised when the lights were already on. And more than that, she saw Dee standing behind an easel.

Clarissa's heart fluttered. So she hadn't left at all. She was right here, totally lost in her painting, and looking all the more beautiful for it. The focused look on her face made it clear she was totally engrossed in her work and Clarissa considered not interrupting.

Then again, if Dee hadn't wanted to see her again, why would she have stayed?

She unlocked the door, mesmerised by how in the zone Dee looked. She was standing straighter, her lips kind of pursed, her gaze locked onto her canvas. Her strokes were frantic and wild in some way while perfectly controlled in another.

Clarissa cleared her throat. "Hey."

Dee snapped from her haze, a startled look appearing on her face. "Oh. Hi. It's morning."

"It is. How long have you been down here?"

"Few hours?" Dee stepped back from her canvas, her arms and hands covered in flecks of paint. There was even a streak of red on her face. She'd looked like the passionate determined teenager Clarissa remembered but with the confidence of age instead of the arrogance of youth. It was the most beautiful thing.

Clarissa hesitated. "How did you?—”

"I, umm, ran into your dad which was totally awkward. He said I could paint here. I think he just didn't want me to leave you so he also totally knows about last night." Dee's cheeks flushed almost as red as the paint on it.

“I’m surprised my dad let you paint in here. I’m not even allowed.” Not quite ready to discuss the previous night, Clarissa gestured at the canvas. "Can I see?"

"Be my guest."

Clarissa stepped around the easel and her breath hitched. The painting in front of her was far from finished but it had the same confident bold strokes as all of Dee's regular works. A silver crescent moon illuminated tall buildings with the night sky reflected in every little window. There was more colour than her usual pieces, splashes of green grass, strokes of reddish brown, deep dark blues that gave the piece an ethereal look. But mostly, it captured emotion. The wild desperate strokes fought with the calmness of the piece, making it feel fleeting, fragile, like a memory on the verge of disappearing.

"I love that," Clarissa said earnestly, totally impressed and in awe.

A little smile tugged one side of Dee's mouth up. "It needs a lot more work but I just needed to paint. I wanted to capture how I felt this morning in your bed. The quietness of the room, the grandness of the sky through the window, the feeling of being alone in the world while not being alone at all. I could feel it."

"I'm happy for you. And I'm totally taking credit for unlocking whatever needed unlocking," Clarissa said, grinning now she knew what had inspired the piece. The work wasn't a literal depiction of their morning after but it was filled with the emotions from it, which made it even more special.

Dee smiled properly. "Fair. So you're not mad?"

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