159 True colors
Word Soap: As The World Keeps Turning
Author: SYLnl
Title: #159 True colors
Rating: PG
Summary: “Don't be afraid to let them show your true colors. True colors are beautiful, like a rainbow.” - Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly
Big Thanks To: ltklo, for brushing up my grammar
Previously on As The World Keeps Turning: click here for chapters 1 - 158
She felt emotional, looking around. This was her first real visit. Sure, she’d been here before, but she never made it past the kitchen and dining room. And even that was a blur. She knew it happened. She acknowledged her actions. But it didn’t make sense to her. Not even a tiny bit.
She watched the man on a chair next to her. His eyes were on the children on the other couch. They were drawing and something worried him, because she saw him frown. It made his face stern, but that didn’t throw her off anymore. She recognized the warmth in the blue eyes. The tenderness. The love. She watched him look up to Luke and their exchange of smiles touched her deeply.
The hand on hers distracted her and she looked up to the owner.
“Are you okay? You let me know when you want to go?”
She smiled.
“I’m okay. More than okay. It’s so good to be here.”
Damian nodded. He understood exactly what she meant. This had been a special moment. Sharing a domestic scene with their son and his family. That may be normal in many families, but not in theirs. He saw how Reid was softly informing Luke about something and now Luke was frowning too.
What was going on? He didn’t want to ask. Didn’t dare to interfere and overstep. He didn’t have to, though. His grandson gave him a clue by leaning over to Zoë and offering her a red pencil. Her shake of the head was short but clear and Danny looked at Zoë’s drawing. Now Damian noticed what apparently Reid had noticed too. His new granddaughter only used black. Without being aware of it, he frowned too.
Before he really thought things through, Damian addressed the young boy with a friendly smile.
“So what are you making, Danny?”
The boy looked up, obviously feeling more relaxed with his grandfather because his smile was genuine.
“I’m making something for Dawn. To hang in the barn.”
“Now that’s a good idea,” Damian nodded, “I’m sure Dawn will like that.”
Danny rewarded him with another huge smile and Damian hesitated for a moment. His eyes found Luke’s and the little nod gave him the last push to shift his attention to the girl next to Danny.
“How about you, Zoë? Are you also drawing something for Dawn?”
Zoë pulled a face. Making anything for that pony was clearly not on her agenda and the way she looked at him, told Damian something else. She didn’t like him. Her eyes were cold and almost hateful, the message in them very obvious. Leave me alone.
Damian wasn’t put off, though. He knew hatefulness. He knew rejection. So he just smiled.
“I see. For your daddies, then?”
Zoë slightly bowed her head, watching her drawing for a moment and then looking back at Damian again. Her shaking head showed hesitance and then her eyes moved to the two men and she looked almost apologetic.
“It’s okay if you want to draw just for you,” Reid calmly said and relief found its way to Zoë’s eyes. Then she looked at her drawing again and bit her lip. A telling sign for Luke who left Reid’s armrest and squatted next to her.
“It’s okay, sweetie. We understand everything feels a bit dark for you right now.”
When she looked up, again Luke was struck by the beauty of her eyes. Especially with the little watery glow on them. She softly put a few fingers on Luke’s cheek and when he made a move to stand up again, she moved her fingers to his arm, shaking her head again. So Luke stayed put, watching how she tapped on Danny’s arm and pointed at the red pencil she declined earlier.
The boy handed it over with a little smile and after another quick look at Luke, she studied her drawing. In a small corner, surrounded by black figures and forms, she put the red pencil on the paper and almost immediately Luke knew what she was doing. The small heart was not very artistic, but it was clearly a heart and it was very red. She colored it with a little piece of tongue sticking out of her mouth. She colored it with a passion. With hope. Leaving all the adults with a lump in their throat.
Then Zoë looked at Danny and the boy looked at her. For a moment they smiled at each other and then Danny nodded and gave her a thumbs up. It made Zoë grin.
“You have a beautiful family, Luke,” Lily took her son’s hand in hers, “Thank you for sharing it with us.”
“Inviting us back to the house was a real treat,” Damian agreed, giving his son a soft pat on the back. He moved over to Reid and they shook hands.
“Reid, thank you too. It’s a pleasure to watch the both of you.”
“So I don’t have to worry about being shipped off to some camp to set me straight?” Reid teased and Damian had the courtesy to blush.
“I’ve done some dumb things,” he admitted, looking Reid in the eye. “But if anybody had to be set straight, it was me. And you two did that. I honestly realize now that it’s not about gender, but about love.”
“Hallelujah,” Reid smiled and when he felt Luke next to him, he put his arm around him. Their smile was telling.
“Thanks…Dad…” Luke’s hesitation was noticed, but Damian focused on the word he had missed for a long time. The word that made his face light up. That made him kiss his son on the cheek.
“I second your mother, son. You have a beautiful family. I’m very proud…of both of you.”
Reid just nodded and Luke leaned forward to kiss his father.
“Thanks.”
After a last wave they closed the door and with their arms around each other walked back into the living room where Holden kept an eye on the kids. When Luke and Reid entered, Holden rose to his feet.
“I’m leaving too. I promised Mama and Molly to help with dinner…”
“Doing what?” Luke teased and Holden grinned.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted, “but I’m hoping my willingness to help will get me in their good graces.”
“Smart thinking,” Reid agreed and both men smiled, shaking their hands.
“This was a good day,” Holden smiled at Danny and felt rich when the boy smiled back.
While Luke and Holden walked over to the front door, Reid flumped on the chair next to Zoë and took a quick look at the artwork at hand. The contrast was huge. Danny was still working on something that looked like their family. The sun was shining, the colors were bright. Danny was in a good place. And Zoë was not. Except for the little red heart, her painting showed some indefinable forms with all one thing in common. They were all black.
“I’m pretty sure Dawn will like that, Danny,” Reid smiled when the boy was obviously pleased with the remark.
“This is us.”
“I can see that. What’s with the suitcase in my hand?” Is he afraid I will leave?
“Not a suitcase. Your doctor’s bag.”
“Ah, of course.” Proportions are obviously not a natural part of a six years old. “And what’s that?” It looks like a rat!
“That’s the dog.”
Dog? “We don’t have a dog.” Not that I know of, at least.
“I know,” Danny’s smile was calm and a little mischievous, “but I’d like one.”
To Reid’s surprise Zoë looked up with more enthusiasm than he’d seen so far and her nodding confirmed it. Oh boy.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” Luke could sense something was going on, so he sat next to Reid on the armrest and put his arm around his shoulder.
“Danny made a picture of us,” Reid started and pointed at the rat, “and that’s the dog he would like.”
“Dog?” the way Luke’s eyes started to glimmer made Reid moan and when Zoë started her nodding again, the brown eyes started to shine even brighter.
“We just added two horses to the mix. Let’s get used to that first.” Reid reminded them, trying hard not to look at Zoë’s sad eyes.
“We’ll talk about it,” Luke kissed Reid’s temple and stood up. “How about it. Anybody hungry yet?”