Something About Blending

“Daddy! Come on!” Amelia said pulling her dad’s hand. Derick laughed and sped up to appease his eager daughter. “What are you so excited about Amelia?” he asked curious to know why she was speeding along. “Art Daddy! I love art! And Miss Piper,” she added as an after thought her eyes wide with drama. With Amelia chattering on about her newfound love of art the walk to the studio went by quickly. She dropped his hand and tore up back stairs as soon as they close enough. Following behind her Derick could hear Emerson greeting his daughter and welcoming her to class. “Miss Piper is in the other room,” Emerson said with a laugh, in response to a question he hadn’t heard, Derick assumed.

Emerson smiled when she saw Derick looking at her. “She’s a ball of sunshine,” she told him accepting his kiss on the cheek. “I like to think so, even when she’s a brat,” he told with a slight laugh. Emerson rolled her eyes, understanding what he meant only too well. “Derick,” she started in a whisper, “what if they don’t get along in class?” Derick didn’t have to ask who she was talking about. “Em, they’re going to be fine. They might not even see each other today if there are a lot of kids in there. Whatever happens, we’ll work it out,” he said to reassure her. He felt better though knowing that she voiced a concern he had had. Emerson looked at him, her eyes unsure but Derick knew she trusted his words. “Oh and I’m sending Marc to pick her up since neither Mats nor I can make it to get her. Piper met Marc so she can confirm he isn’t a child abductor,” Derick said making Emerson giggle. “Hey Em, class is starting,” Piper called sticking her head around the door and waving to Derick.
Taking her cue Emerson said her goodbye and walked into the kid’s studio to see Teddy standing with Amelia. He has his tongue between his teeth as he concentrated on tying her smock. “Now it won’t fall off,” Teddy announced once he has finished his task. “Thanks Ted!” Amelia beamed up at him. Hanging back for a moment longer Emerson watched as Amelia used Teddy to steady herself while climbing onto her stool. Piper also noticed the interaction and let Emerson stand off to the side rather than call attention to her staring. “No eating the paint, no eating the clay, nothing gets put up your nose or your neighbor’s nose, do not paint on someone without their permission, do not hit anyone with anything including art supplies or body parts. All that being said, you know where the supplies are. Have at it, you have an hour and a half,” Piper called out to the kids clustered around the table. That pulled Emerson out of her trance and she started to walk around snagging a piece of clay to mold while she circled the different tables. When she got to her son he smiled up at her. “Mummy this is Amelia,” he introduced the little girl with blue paint in her hair. “Hello Miss Amelia, nice to meet you,” Emerson told her with a smile. “Hi Miss Emerson!” Amelia exclaimed and proceeded to show Emerson her painting. “It’s for my Daddy,” she announced proudly. Emerson told her it looked great and could tell that it was a pirate but was unsure of what the pirate was doing. With a nod at the two she kept circling but kept her eye on the unlikely pair painting together.

After the last student had been picked up, Teddy approached Emerson. “Mummy, Amelia’s still here,” he whispered pointing to where Amelia was looking at all the art supplies. “Oh that’s alright. Amelia,” she called out motioning for the little girl come over. “Why don’t you hang out with us while you wait for someone to pick you up?” Emerson suggested. Amelia’s eyes went wide with excitement and she nodded her head yes so fast she reminded Emerson of a bobble head. “Wonderful. Teddy do you mind doing me a favor and running this to Aunt Piper?” she asked holding out a folder to her son. He took the folder and headed off towards his godmother’s side of the studio with Amelia trotting at his heels looking at her surroundings. Teddy walked across the studio and entered a messy area that belonged to Piper. “Aunt Piper, Amelia and I have brought you this from Mummy!” he announced in his loudest voice to be heard over the music. Emerging from behind a bookcase with full hands she smiled at them. “Thank you, do you mind putting it on my desk chair?” she asked. “Of course!” Amelia piped up looking at Piper in awe. Piper smiled at the pair as they did what she asked and left her area. “What do you want to do?” Teddy asked as they stood in the neutral area that served as the kid’s studio. Amelia thought for a moment. “Can we do art?” she asked not bothering to hide how eager she was. “Sure! Let’s do clay. It’s my favorite,” Teddy said climbing onto a stool near the supplies to get no-bake clay for them to use.

“It’s a hook,” Amelia said showing off her Captain Hook like creation to Teddy. “I made a bird,” he said holding it up for her to see. Amelia exclaimed over how great it was leaving him beaming with pride. While they created their pirate themed art there was a knock on Emerson’s office door causing her to jump. “Sorry,” Marc apologized unable to contain his laughter. “Marc,” he introduced holding out his hand. “Emerson,” she responded with a laugh of her own and a handshake. “I knew that, I was just being polite,” he said with a smile. Emerson blushed but Marc pushed on before she could respond. “What are you working on?” he asked nodding to her computer. “Oh just editing some photographs. I have a showcase come up and I was trying to refine some of my rough favorites,” she explains showing him the before and after of the photos. “Wow. Derick said you were good but we all just assumed he was looking through rose glasses and exaggerating. Emerson, these are amazing,” Marc said making her blush once again. “Thanks, nature is my favorite subject. I take a lot of pictures of my son Teddy too but he’s not always as willing as nature,” she told him with a laugh. “Speaking of, he should be around here somewhere with Amelia and I think Piper but I’m not sure where Piper went to,” Emerson said trailing off to talking to herself. Still muttering to herself Emerson walked out towards Piper’s part of the studio and saw the kids playing with clay. “Uncle Marc!” Amelia cried when she saw Marc standing behind Emerson. “Surprise!” he responded holding open his arms for her to run to him. “Look! I made this and Ted gave me this one,” she said going off talking a mile a minute.

Oblivious to what was going on Piper entered the room shouting to Emerson. “Em these pictures are great. There are a few rough spots here and there but still great,” she yelled. When Piper looked up she saw everyone staring at her. “Perfect then I take it you heard me,” she said with a laugh. Marc and Emerson laughed as well while Teddy cleaned up the clay and Amelia put Teddy’s bird on her shoulder. “We’re going to head out. Emerson it was great to meet you, Piper nice to see you again and nice to meet you at well Teddy,” Marc said. Amelia waved goodbye to the trio with her hook. The two of them left the studio with Amelia going on about how great Ted was for helping her with her pirate work because he loved pirates too. Listening to her Marc pulled out his phone to shoot a text to Derick telling him that he picked a keeper. As Amelia ran ahead holding the bird onto her shoulder Marc thought that blending the kids together wouldn’t be a problem for Derick and Emerson. Their biggest problem might be the wives on the team who think of Amelia as their own, he thought to himself with a smirk.

Notes