A Colorful Life: Drawn in Broken Crayon

by Melissa Storm

  ***

  Because Daly hadn't been to the Detroit Zoo since elementary school, this marked her first time seeing the park's new star exhibit, the Polar Passage. As she and Kashi stepped into the indoor tunnel of water, light, and faux ice, her mouth fell open and her breath caught for a moment.

  "Wow," she whispered. Her brain spun as she tried to capture every single detail of this wondrous place. Even if they hadn't run out of film, she'd still have wanted to sketch this scene in her diary.

  "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kashi took her hand as they paced through the bright tunnel.

  "I know the ice isn't real, but I feel so cold." She rubbed her arms.

  "Enough said." Kashi released her hand and placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him in a warm side hug.

  In an instant, winter was gone, and summer filled Daly's chest. She relaxed into him, fighting off the growing urge to kiss him. He needs to make the first move, she reminded herself for the millionth time that day.

  A polar bear swam by overhead. Bubbles escaped from under his limbs and floated to the surface. The black pads of the bear's feet vanished as he swam out of sight in the dark blue water.

  "Wow, did you see that?" She broke their embrace to rush over to where the majestic white animal had swum.

  Kashi rushed up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Neither said a word as the bears and snow seals swam, flipped, and paced. They stood in a trance, apart from the rest of the world, alone together in the underground tunnel.

  Plip, plip, plip. The unmistakable pitter-patter of rain pounded the exhibit. Fat drops rolled down the sloped roof and mixed with the pools of water overhead.

  Daly looked over her shoulder at Kashi. "What do we do now?"

  "I say we make a run for it. We can hop the train, and get back to the front of the park."

  "Why not wait it out?"

  He shrugged and let go of her waist. "No telling how long the storm will last."

  She wanted to say, Oh no! Our date is not ending this soon. We only just got to the good part. We're so close. But instead, she settled for "You're right, I guess. Let's head back."

  "Are you ready?" He pulled his jacket up over his head. "It's time to run!"

  Daly unfolded the zoo brochure and held it over her head as she shuffled after Kashi into the heavy rain. When they finally reached the small railroad station at the back of the zoo, they were both soaked.

  A few minutes later, the train chugged toward the front of the park. Rain poured in from the open sides as the two sat huddled together in the tiny car. Daly shivered—not even Kashi's arm flung across her shoulders was enough to warm her.

  "This way," he instructed when the train stopped, pulling her to a large domed building. He held open the heavy iron and motioned for her to enter. "We can get warmed up in here."

  He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. "You okay?"

  She nodded. "J-j-just a little cold."

  "Let's go into the butterfly garden. It's always plenty warm."

  He placed his hand against the small of her back and guided her toward the first of two heavy glass doors that led into the garden.

  A worker droned instructions without as much as a glance their way. "Be careful where you step. Some of our butterflies like to perch on the ground. Make sure to let the first door close before opening the second door."

  Kashi pushed the second door open, and a wall of heat crashed into them. She peeled off both Kashi's jacket and her own, letting the hot air dry her clothes.

  "Told you." He smiled when she handed his jacket back to him.

  She stepped toward the stacked stone fountain at the center of the room, and listened to the simple harmony of the flowing water.

  "I love this place," Kashi said. "It engages all the senses."

  She agreed, taking in the sights and scents of the blossoming flowers, listening to the gentle trickle of the fountain, and allowing the warmth of the garden to embrace her. It engaged all the senses, as Kashi had said, except for taste. She glanced over at him, fixing her gaze on his full lips.

  "So beautiful," she said, bringing her eyes to meet his.

  A curious Postman Butterfly landed on the fountain next to them. They watched the beautiful insect rub its forelegs together and flex its wings before flying away almost as quickly as it had landed. She followed as the Postman flitted upward, watching dozens of butterflies float at the top of the glass dome. She reached to her side and took Kashi's hand, then closed her eyes and imagined him reaching up to pluck a butterfly from the sky, thus completing the picture from her diary—their hat trick of fate.

  Someone bumped into them from behind, stealing their perfect moment away.

  "Excuse me," said a middle-aged woman corralling two toddlers.

  Zoo visitors continued to pour into the tiny garden, seeking shelter from the rain. A handful of volunteers in red vests stood guard, watching for any misconduct. Suddenly, there were far too many people cramped inside for Daly's liking.

  "This way." As if reading her mind, Kashi headed toward the exit. "It won't be so crowded."

  She followed him through the chain curtain and into the free-flight aviary.

  A Scarlet Macaw greeted them with an impertinent squawk as they strolled deeper into the indoor jungle.

  Daly stopped to examine the colorful parrot, but Kashi continued forward, pulling her deeper into the warm sanctuary.

  The winding trail was all but deserted. Most visitors clung to the more popular butterfly garden, which meant the two of them were alone in the presence of the birds. Rounding a corner, they came upon a secluded nook under a Caribbean bleeding tree still vibrant with greenery, even though the trees outside had long since begun to yellow and shed their leaves. High in the tree, long-necked Scarlet Ibises hopped about, competing to find the best branch for perching. A concrete wall, carved to resemble a natural rock structure, shielded them from the view of potential onlookers.

  Daly marveled at the playful Ibises above. "They're so—"

  Kashi interrupted her by bringing a hand to her cheek and taking a step into her.

  Is this it? Is this the moment I've been waiting for all day? She didn't have much time to wonder, because within an instant, his lips drew forward to meet hers.

  Her heart trembled as he parted her lips with his tongue. She pressed closer still and raked her hands into his hair. Locked in his embrace, she let her inhibitions go, wanting only more, more, more as they kissed in time to the cacophony of tweets, chirps, and whistles of their avian companions.

  If only this moment could last forever. If only she could live there permanently instead of at home with Laine.

  Kashi pulled away and ran a finger across her lower lip

  She cast a weak smile. Her face flushed warm, but not from embarrassment. She couldn't allow this encounter to go on any longer—unless, of course, they really wanted to get in trouble with zoo security.

  Kashi hummed one long beat and once again pulled her into him, this time in an embrace of arms rather than lips.

  Her cheek pressed into his collarbone, where the rhythm of his heart thumped wildly against her face.

  Bringing his lips to her ear, he whispered, "So, how was that for life-changing?"

  Chapter 9

  Infatuation fills the space between interest and all-out love. I like it.

  Daly sat cross-legged on the floor with scraps of colored paper and clipped photographs scattered about her. She glanced longingly at her favorite picture from their date—she and Kashi holding hands in front of the majestic bear fountain. True, all the pictures were special, but somehow this was the most special, which meant she needed to place it perfectly into her collage.

  After several minutes of raising, lowering, and repositioning the photo, she found the perfect spot, finally finishing phase one of her newest art project.

  This particular project allowed her to relive the experience of their date all over again—turns out Kashi h
ad been right about those silly cardboard cameras. Of the fifty-six exposures, only thirty-five proved usable. More than a dozen featured her walking along the wooded trail, with alternating expressions of shock and annoyance on her face, as Kashi tried to capture the "true moment in history" and "exact moment she fell head-over-heels-in-love."

  Sweet as that escapade was, Daly wished that they'd better preserved their film. They had no pictures from after the picnic, and weren't those the most special moments from the day? Well, at least she would have her memories—she didn't think she'd ever forget their "life-changing" encounter.

  Now she began to secure the meticulously placed photos onto a large canvas using industrial-strength rubber glue. A beautiful peacock silhouette appeared as she continued to affix one photo after another. She laughed to herself while combing through the memories, flipping over her lioness pose to add glue, and pressing it onto the canvas.

  The next photo in line was the shot of Kashi puffing out his cheeks and pulling at his ears like a monkey. Daly instinctively reached for her sketch diary and thumbed to the picture of her father. After placing it down next to her work in progress, she realized how similar the two were—both in the pictures and in life.

  What would Daddy think of Kashi? Would he approve? She smiled and bent down to give the aged sketch a kiss. Of course, he would. He would love Kashi.

  "I miss you, Daddy," she whispered, and returned the journal to its resting place between her mattress and box spring. She had an important project to finish.

  Even with her careful attention to detail, the collage was missing something—something to bring the whole work together. She thought for a few moments, then sprang up from the floor and sifted through her supplies. When she saw found oil pastels, she knew at once the exact thing the collage needed.

  Stroke by conscious stroke, she filled in the background. A field of irises flowed forth, and in the corner a tiny placard read, "Trust in fate."

  The day rushed by as Daly worked on her piece—nothing mattered but doing this, and doing it right. Besides, lingering over the photographs made her feel as if their date had carried on into the next day. She felt Kashi's fingers intertwine with her own when she wrapped her hand around the wooden paintbrush. A shiver ran up her spine at the memory of their kiss in the aviary. Even the smell of the botanical gardens seemed to fill the air of her basement studio.

  She remained ensconced in her nostalgic cocoon until her cell phone trilled.

  It was Kashi. "Hi. What have you been doing all day?"

  She almost told him, but instead fished a piece of crinkly brown paper from her supply closet and wrapped the collage while they chatted. Her naughty little secret would have to wait. "Oh, working on a few things. What are you up to? Any plans?"

  "Just work, but what I really want is to go out with you again. Soon would be nice." His musical laugh chimed over the phone.

  "Sure. I'd love to. How about tomorrow?"

  "Great. How about we—"

  "Not so fast. I get to plan this one."

  Kashi laughed again. "Whatever you say, boss."

  "Pick you up at five?"

  "You betcha."

  "See you then. Bye!"

  Click.

  She knew exactly where to take him. Now she just needed to plan the fine details, to create a date that would rival Kashi's zoo extravaganza.

  She'd definitely get bonus points for bringing a gift. She tied the neatly wrapped collage with a thin purple ribbon. Her hand lingered on the package far too long as she moved it to the back corner of her room. She wanted to give this gift to Kashi, but the thought of parting with it just....

  What if I make another? This was the only possible solution, so she jogged up the stairs, hopped in her car, and went to get the exposures developed a second time.

  The store clerk gave her an odd look, but Daly didn't care.

  Several more hours passed as she worked on the duplicate. Once she was finished, she wiped her hands off on the seat of her pants and hung the completed work on the wall right next to her easel, where it would serve as a happy inspiration during her creative sessions.

  That had kept her busy for a while, but she was surprised after glancing at her cell phone to discover that it was still only five o'clock. What would she do with the rest of her day? For a moment, the possibility of tucking herself in and attempting to sleep for the next fourteen hours appealed to her—after all, that was one way to make their date arrive sooner.

  On second thought, too much sleep made her cranky—not the kind of attitude she wanted to bring to her second date with a man she was falling for fast. Her eyes darted around the room in search of more feasible options. A brightly colored plastic bag atop her dresser gave her the perfect answer. Meghann.

  Daly had bought an adorable stuffed otter for Meghann's baby in the zoo gift. It had curly whiskers and soft belly fuzz— too perfect to pass up, even if she had promised not to buy her anything else. And how could she wait any longer to give the gift to Meghann? She had to call her right away. Maybe she'd be able to convince her to help prep for Daly's big date night plans.

  ***

  An hour later, the tinny doorbell echoed through the house. Daly bounded up the stairs to invite Meghann in, but Laine had already beaten her to the door. Her mother stood with her back to the stairs as she let Meghann in, blocking Daly in the process.

  "Why did you bike the whole way over here?" Laine grumbled. "Daly should've picked you up."

  Meghann used her forearm to wipe a trickle of sweat from her brow. "Nah, that's okay. I needed the exercise, anyway."

  "Well then, I'll leave the two of you to your plans." Laine drifted across the room toward the upper staircase, finally allowing Daly to join them on the main floor.

  "Hi." Daly gave Meghann a quick hug.

  When the two pulled apart, Meghann motioned her eyes wildly in the direction Laine had departed.

  Ahh, yes, Meghann's whole 'every mother loves her child' speech. Entertaining Meghann's new request would be easier than explaining she'd already tried and failed.

  "Mom," Daly called over her shoulder. "Do you think you could help us a bit?" She swallowed to clear her throat. "We need someone with your unique expertise."

  "My unique expertise? Of course, what do you need?" The floorboards creaked as Laine padded back to the staircase.

  "Uh, I have a date tomorrow, and I want to make a romantic picnic, but I don't know where to begin."

  "A date?" Laine finished her descent and came to stand with them near the entryway. Her nose wrinkled—whether in disgust or confusion, Daly couldn't quite tell. "With the same man you saw the day before yesterday?"

  Daly nodded, already regretting having extended the invitation.

  "But why are you making a picnic? You don't know the first thing about cooking."

  Forget it, Daly wanted to scream, but Meghann interrupted her somewhere between thinking and speaking the words.

  "That's why we're really hoping you can help. Ple-e-ease," Meghann begged, extending the final syllable way too long.

  Laine's eyes jumped from Meghann to Daly and back again; her furrowed brow melted. "Oh, I see."

  "So, will you help?" Meghann shot a knowing look toward Daly.

  Daly scratched at her elbow and looked at the floor.

  "Sure, why not?"

  Meghann clasped her hands together and squeaked.

  Daly forced a smile. "Thanks, Mom."

  Laine's gray eyes glossed over and then lit with panic. "You didn't leave much time for planning, and I'm sure we'll have to make a trip to the grocery store. Have you at least considered the menu?"

  "Um, no."

  "We were hoping you'd help with that, since you're such a good planner and all." Meghann swooped in to rescue Daly once again.

  I can't even talk to my own mother without a translator. Is that sad or funny? Or both?

  Laine chewed on her bottom lip for several seconds and then clasped her hands togethe
r. "All right, seems like sandwiches are the way to go. We'll find a way to dress them up and make a nice meal of it. First, let's go to the store to gather your ingredients."

  Forty-five minutes later, they returned with several bags of groceries.

  Daly shook her head. "All this to make a simple picnic?"

  "You didn't ask for simple, you asked for nice." Laine smiled. She was definitely lightening up a bit—she seemed to like being in charge, especially when the task was something she enjoyed so much. Not even Daly's presence could ruin the experience for her.

  Laine proved to be a good teacher. She instructed the younger women in preparing seven-veggie antipasto, cucumber-brie sandwiches—on homemade pumpernickel—and big juicy strawberries drizzled with a marbleized chocolate sauce. Preparing the feast proved far simpler than Daly had thought, but then again, the most difficult task she'd been assigned was peeling and slicing the cucumbers.

  As soon as they finished preparing and storing the meal, Laine stretched her arms over her head and cracked her neck on either side. "I believe it's time for me to get back to Brideshead Revisited. I've only read this one twice before, you know."

  Once her mother had escaped hearing distance, Daly whispered to Meghann, "This picnic is missing one last thing." She searched through the pantry and extracted a bottle of Syrah from Laine's modest wine collection—never mind that she wasn't technically old enough to drink. Not as if the park rangers were going to card her, and besides, romantic dates needed wine—that much was practically a law.

  "There." She topped off an old silver flask with as much wine as it would hold, which evidently wasn't very much at all.

  Meghann looked a bit uncomfortable, but said nothing.

  "Do you want to stay awhile longer?" The longer Daly kept her friend away from that hostile home environment the better. Besides, she was far too excited about tomorrow's big date. How was she ever going to relax when happy, electric waves shot up and down her limbs?

  "Sure. What should we do?"

  "I did have a thought...."

  Their conversation moved from the kitchen to Daly's studio, where Meghann happily agreed to pose for a piece in Daly's scholarship portfolio.