The Color of Love

Chapter 14

The next day, James stood, peering over the shoulders of his twin children. They sat in the front room of their home at a large table that served as their school desk. This room had once served as James' office and library, but when the children came along, it quickly became clear that he needed to be out of the house to get his work done. So the guest house had become a shared work space for the couple. The upstairs was Lillian's private studio, and the downstairs was James' office.

Now the library was shared with the rest of the family and the room served as a school room. Books were laid out in front of them, covering a large table. Each book was opened to a page that pictured a different painting.

"Your momma will be home soon. She wants you to look at each of the artists' works that you see here on these pages. Pick two paintings by different artists. On the piece of paper I provided each of you, please write down an explanation of why you picked those two, then write down in list form at least ten differences or similarities between them. Please write neatly. You will provide an oral report of your findings and then we will also use these papers to help you with your penmanship and spelling. Do your best."

"Papa, how did Momma get all these art books?" Lizzie asked as she scanned the table in awe of the number of books there.

James looked across the table at the books and a small smile crept onto his face. "You remember the story your mother and I told you about meeting at The Mansion at Seaside while we were both on vacation?" Both children nodded. "Well, that one," he said, pointing to one particular book, "Is one that your mother purchased while on that trip. I took her to that bookstore..."

**—**—**

James stood on the beach waiting anxiously for Lillian to return. He had swum in the ocean that day, and she had sunbathed. And fourteen minutes after agreeing to join him for a walk, dinner, and a surprise, she returned wearing a sundress and sandals.

The thirty minute walk seemed fast to Lillian. James asked her questions about art, her school, her students, and her family. She never had time to ask him questions, as before she knew it, they were walking up a set of stairs that led up off the beach. After walking the boardwalk to the sidewalk along a small street, Lillian finally spoke up, "So where are we going, James?"

"First stop is right around this corner."

She followed as quickly as she could after his long-legged pace. She came around the corner and almost ran right into him as he had stopped and was looking into a shop window.

"Here we are," he said as he waved towards the store.

"Wards Used Books," she said with a grin, then peered into the store. "It's huge!"

"You seemed to like looking through the books at the mansion library. I thought you'd like this too," he said before stepping ahead of her again to pull open the door, bell ringing as he did, and motioned her through it.

They spent the next hour perusing through the book store separately. When it was almost time to go, James went aisle-by-aisle trying to find Lillian. When he finally did, he couldn't help but smile. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the aisle, several books piled around her, and one open in her lap that she seemed to be immersed in. A quick glance told him it must be some sort of book on art history. He watched her for a moment as she twisted a lock of her hair between her fingers and chewed on her bottom lip.

He could have watched for much longer, but the moment was spoiled by an employee approaching. "Sir, is there something I can help you find?"

"No, I've found her," James said without thinking, then shook away the fuzziness in his head, "I mean, no, I've found what I need—I mean no, no there's nothing you can help me find."