Page 57 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
I made a few changes to my sketch as I sat at the kitchen table and sent it back. “Better?”
The kitchen was one of my favorite places to be, reminding me of years of doing homework, working on projects, and playing board games. It wasn’t a modern fancy kitchen. But it was home and literally filled with generations of memories.
We didn’t have an actual working farm anymore, just the orchards, animals, a large garden, and the tractor and small engine repair businesses.
Our family didn’t have a lot, but we usually had enough. Not to mention, I was determined to do everything I could to make everyone’s lives easier.
Dimitri
Don’t get Gwen a cow.
Me
The neighbors have puppies.
Dimitri
No.
Me
What about baby chicks?
Dimitri
She lives in NYC.
I sent him a picture of some baby bunnies my sister’s friend’s rabbit had.
Me
Gwen needs a snuggly friend.
Dimitri
Then get her a stuffie.
I sent him an annoyed picture of me.
“What are you doing in here?” One of my moms, Ma, came into the kitchen.
I had three dads, two moms, and six siblings. I was the second oldest. My grandparents lived in a house across the way with my aunts and their two kids. My uncle and his pack and kids lived in a house on the far side of the property.
“Insta-chatting Gwen and texting Dimitri.” I studied the sketch. It needed something. Maybe a tiny hayloft?
Currently, the living room was full of siblings and parents watching extreme boxing.
Ma opened the wooden cupboard. “I don’t understand how sending each other short videos can be a conversation. Just call her.”
“Call her?” I laughed as I added the hayloft to the design. “Our conversations can go on for days like this. If we get busy, you don’t need to hang up, you just answer whenever.”
An alert showed me that Gwen had replied.
“Much better.” Gwen twirled around on the ice, making the camera spin.
I sent Gwen the new sketch. “Wait, there’s more.”
“Okay. Still building the mini cow barn?” Ma got down the popcorn popper.
