Page 121 of A Second Chance

“I reserved the paint pouring room.” I avert her attention back to me.

“Of course,” she stammers. “Please follow me.”

I grab Scar’s hand and interlace my fingers with hers, shooting her a smile. She returns and quickly looks away, as if hoping to hide the blush that made its way known.

But I caught it.

Daisy leads us to a room that has been set up exactly as I requested. The room is dimly lit, creating a calming effect. The room is meant to fit twenty people, but I reserved the whole room just for us. Daisy hands us black aprons with the colorful company logo stitched on the front. She gives us a quick tutorial in paint pouring and techniques to make our project wall worthy. She covers the table with plastic sheeting and places two white square canvases, a variety of acrylic paint colors, plastic cups, a spatula, a pouring mixing cup, and gloves on top.

We pick our choice of colors and mix them in the mixing cup. I chose warm fall colors, and Scar chose bright summer colors.

“Ah! This is so much fun,” Scar screeches as she pours the paint over the canvas. “Thank you so much, Ricky. This is a perfect date.”

I glance at her and smile when she beams at me. God, I would do anything for her. “You’re welcome.”

Grabbing my spatula, I spread the colors around, trying to give it an abstract look, but it looks more like a vomit of colors. Scar’s looks like art perfection that’s wall worthy.

Daisy checks in and praises our artwork and sets two wine glasses on the table against the wall along with cheese, crackers, and fruit. When she leaves the room, Scar and I take a short break and enjoy the spread.

After our paintings dry, we thank Daisy and walk out to the car. I place the wrapped canvases in the back seat. Once we’re both in the truck, I drive down the road to our favorite food truck we used to go to when we were younger.

“Yes!” Scar claps her hands. “I had a feeling we were coming here for a late-night dinner.”

This is what I love about Scar. She appreciates and gets excited about the little things in life. My Tinkerbelle loves to be behind the scenes, enjoying the show.

I pull up to the side of the road and exit the vehicle.

“Well, if it isn’t Maverick, the star of Hollywood.”

“Hey, Jimmy,” I say, pulling out of my wallet.

“Scar, sweetheart. Always good to see your pretty face.” He gives her an affectionate smile.

“Hi, Jimmy.”

“So, what can I get you kids? The regular?”

After all these years, he still remembers.

We place our orders and I pay him, giving him a generous tip. He looks up at me and mouthsthank you.

Scar and I sit on the bench that overlooks the mountains. We sit in silence and enjoy the food and view until I get the courage to tell her what I’ve been afraid of.

“I bought an apartment here.”

She looks over at me. “Here?”

I nod.

“Why?”

My throat tightens as I gulp down the lump in it. "I'm staying, Scar," I say firmly. "I'm not leaving you two behind. While I'm away in LA, I want you and Shaun to have a comfortable place to stay. I want to make sure you're both taken care of."

“Wh-what?” She looks shocked, her eyes wide.

I toss the empty paper plate in the trash and turn back to her. “I want you to move in with me. It’s my way of showing you that I’m here to stay and I want this to happen between us.” I grab her hands and rub small circles with my thumbs on top.

“Please say something,” I urge when she doesn’t speak, panic rising within me.

---