Chapter82: 82

I spin around as she holds up one of the canvases that have two puppies on it. “Of course we can.” I smile and lead her over to the coffee table where I set up a piece of plastic and grab the paints. “What color do you want to start with?” I ask, holding up some options for her. “Glitter!” she shouts as she grabs for an iridescent pink. “Where’s your mom?” She focuses her attention on the picture, spreading the paint with small, slow strokes of the brush like I showed her. “Oh, I live alone. My parents don’t live with me.” “My mom died,” she says matter-of-factly. “Um…” I pause for a second, completely unsure how to handle this situation. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. My mom died too.” I don’t know if I should have shared that. I don’t know what her father has taught her about death or the afterlife. “Tell me something about your mom,” I say, hoping to steer the conversation into a more positive light. “I don’t know.” She shrugs, continuing to paint. “I was a baby.” “Wow, are you sure you ha