Chapter 17
Chapter 17: The Blue Paint
Months turned into a year.
One weekend, Evelyn and I decided it was time to finally clean out the spare bedroom at the end of the hall. It had become a catch-all for old boxes, out-of-season coats, and forgotten holiday decorations.
We were covered in dust, carrying a heavy box of old books into the hallway, when Chloe walked in, holding a glass of lemonade.
She surveyed the empty, cleared-out room.
"It looks so big without all the junk in it," Chloe observed.
"It does," Evelyn agreed, wiping a smudge of dirt from her forehead. "We were thinking about turning it into a home office. Or maybe a library."
Chloe took a sip of her lemonade, looking thoughtfully at the blank white walls.
"I think you should paint it blue," Chloe said casually. "Or maybe a soft green."
I leaned against the doorframe. "Blue? For a home office?"
"No," Chloe said, looking at me with those perceptive, impossibly wise eyes she possessed. "For a nursery."
The room went dead silent. Evelyn and I froze, exchanging a stunned, wide-eyed look over Chloe’s head.
"A nursery?" Evelyn whispered.
Chloe shrugged, a small, hopeful smile playing on her lips. "I’m ten now. I’m very responsible. I could help with bottles. And reading bedtime stories. I think... I think I'd be a really good big sister."
I walked over and knelt in front of her. "Chloe, are you saying you want us to have a baby?"
May you like
"Our family is really great," Chloe said softly, wrapping her arms around my neck. "But I think there's room for one more. If you guys want."
Evelyn walked over, joining the hug, tears welling in her eyes. The fear that a new child might make Chloe feel displaced vanished entirely. In this house, love didn't divide; it only multiplied.
