Chapter 16

• She finished her first step and began to sort through the box of acrylic paints. Every once in a while, she would take a bottle out and squeeze a small amount onto her palette before returning it to the box. Brown, green, black, white, and blue were among the colors that joined her selection.
• For the next few hours, I watched her—mostly in silence—as she relaxed into her work. She was excited and eager at first, but now her movements looked more like a ballet. Her hand moved gracefully, delicately placing small portions of paint across her work surface. It was clear to me, even without being able to see the painting, that Violet was a skilled artist. But even more than that, she was happier than I had seen her in a long time. This night was shaping up to be everything I had hoped for and more.
• When the sun had nearly set below the horizon, I gathered the courage to ask how her progress was going.