Chapter Three
Liam
From the corner of my eye, I glance over at Jake. He’s been still for a couple minutes now, just staring at the cove to our right. The bright sun sparkles along the blue water lapping against the cliffs. It’s currently the subject of our individual art.
In the last year or so, he’s taken an interest in drawing. He’s got a natural talent for sure.
According to Lucas, he’s great at any medium he tries, but Jake swears that ink pens are his favorite, too. I’ve seen his work with alcohol-based markers, and I think that could be his niche.
Jake is excited to learn, but I don’t try to overstep.
There’s a lot of technical stuff to learn, like the correct way to use hatching to add shading, but all of that can come later.
Jake’s learning his own style for now. He’s already pretty comfortable with that.
I know he wants to learn more realism, similar to my drawings, but I’ve never had a voice that comes through my art like he does.
I’ve always drawn what I see as a way to escape or cope.
Jake draws things the way he interprets them.
Lucas also mentioned that he’s getting bored on his summer break.
His brother and one of their friends, Daisy, are taking surfing lessons, and they go kayaking with her stepmom often.
He has some friends from school, according to my cousin, but he’s kind of a lone wolf and prefers small groups.
I thought an afternoon at the beach before their trip to Disneyland would be nice. For both of us.
It’s rare that I draw for pleasure anymore. And I’m hoping now that I’ll be utilizing my construction management degree more than the architecture one, I might find myself more motivated to do so.
Over the last few weeks, Jake and I have spent a lot of time together, getting to know each other better. To be honest, I never put much thought into how complex a nine-year-old kid could be, but I’ve been proven wrong.
He’s kind of a little shit. Both of his dads would be the first to agree with that statement, and his younger brother Matty would follow up with a hundred examples of how he is. Yet, there’s something about the kid that I feel connected to—a kindred spirit, maybe.
I don’t mind having a new sidekick.
“Hmpf,” Jake quietly contemplates next to me.
Biting back my smirk, I bump his knee with mine. “What’s up, dude?”
“That moss is hard,” he reluctantly admits.
With a quick glance, I notice the eraser marks on his page. They’re only noticeable because we recently started and haven’t gotten even a quarter of the scene done yet. He’ll get it covered up once we figure out the mossy texture.
I’m not sure if my style of layering and shading will translate well to his style, so I don’t offer it right away. Instead, I say, “Textures are a learning curve, especially when there are so many different places that the light is hitting.”
He looks over at me and shakes his head. “It’s not the light. It’s keeping the texture and adding shading.”
Quickly, he shows me how he’s been trying to do it, and I realize he’s mimicking me anyway. Shaking my head, I push my sketchpad toward him and tell him, “My style isn’t going to work for you. And that’s okay.”
”But I like your style,” he pouts.
“You’ve already got the natural talent; realism can be taught later.
Right now, I want you to focus on your own style.
It’s more…” I trail off, thinking of the right word.
“…graphic than what I do, partly because of my job and education. I really want you to focus on fostering this—” I tap his page with the flat side of my pencil “—before we get too worried about the technical stuff. Don’t lose this spark. ”
There’s newfound determination set in his eyebrows and he nods.
Looking back down at his page, he thinks for a long moment then asks, “You said ‘more graphic’… like a comic book or manga?”
Smiling, I tilt my head from side to side then nod. “Yeah, that might be a good place to get some inspiration from. It matches what you’re already doing—the thicker lines and stronger contrasts when you shade.”
“Maybe I can ask Lexi to stock more at Brighter Daze.” His voice is quiet, like he’s thinking more to himself than talking to me. The store’s name sparks familiarity in the back of my mind, but I can’t place it. “Can we stop there on our way home?”
“Sounds like a plan. And if not, we can go into the city and find some references for you.”
With a shy smile, he pushes a lock of blonde hair off his forehead. “Thanks, Uncle Liam.”
We spend a few more minutes talking about the moss on the cliffs and the possible ways to show it. Ultimately, we land on trying to create the shading first and slowly adding texture over it. It’s a longer process than what I would do but it ends up coming together.
When we’re getting near the end of our pieces, Jake glances up at me more and more.
Once I’m done, I set down my sketchbook and turn toward him. “What’s going on? Why are you looking at me like you have a secret?”
He starts to blush and looks up at me with guilty eyes. “I do have a secret…” My brows flick up, but he doesn’t leave me waiting in anticipation. “I know who your date is.”
That gets my attention and is one of the last things I expected to hear. “Oh yeah? Care to tell me who it is?”
He shakes his head. “Dad made me promise.” I squint down at him but there’s amusement clearly written across my features. His blush grows brighter. “She’s really pretty.”
That surprises me even more than his so-called secret. Chuckling, I lean back on my hands. “Well, that’s good to hear.”
“Don’t tell her I said that,” he quickly adds with wide eyes. Looking to the side, as if he’s thinking something over quickly, he adds, “And don’t tell her niece. I mean, I think she’s Stella’s aunt? Whatever.”
This time I do my best to bite back a laugh, realizing that Jake is almost ten and noticing girls for the first time. First crushes are confusing for any person.
Before I can promise to keep my mouth shut, he huffs out a breath and looks at me with pleading eyes. “How about you just forget I even said anything?”
”No can do, man,” I tell him with a shake of my head. His face falls in betrayal, and this time I let my amusement fall from my lips. “You’ve given me hope for the evening, and for that, I can keep your secrets safe.”
He nods resolutely. “Deal.” Giving me a curious look, he asks, “What’s a date like?”
Giving him a long look, I think of a kid-friendly response that doesn’t involve telling him where most of my dates end up—though, that’s not the plan for tonight.
“They’re different for everyone.” I can tell the answer isn’t enough for him, so I try to explain the concept better, knowing that he looks up to me and my words matter.
“Mostly, it just means you’re spending time with someone but it’s different, more intentional, than when you hang out with your friends.
You take someone on a date when you ‘like’ them. ”
He squints, staring at the ocean. “You mean when you like like someone?”
Grinning, I smile, reminded of what it’s like to be a kid and using that silly term. “Yeah, exactly. You go to dinner, or a movie or whatever, and get to know each other.”
“Did you take Hannah on dates?” he asks, genuine curiosity in his eyes.
The casual mention of my ex-fiancée surprises me. Our engagement wasn’t ugly, but it wasn’t amicable on her side. I’ve moved so far past that stage of my life, but we were together for most of Jake’s life.
“Uh, yeah,” I admit. “I took Hannah on dates. Usually, dates come before ‘boyfriend and girlfriend,’ then it can move into something more serious. Like how your dads are married.”
He nods, starting to understand. “Dad and Papa still go on dates.”
“The best couples never stop.” I wink, making him puff out his chest at the confirmation that his dads love each other very much.
It’s true. Even though they had their own struggles when they first met, I immediately loved Knox for my cousin.
I never doubted they would figure their shit out, and they’ve been committed to each other every day since.
Not only to the relationship, but to each other.
I think that’s the key to staying in love.
And for a long time, Hannah and I were committed to the relationship, but not each other’s needs and desires.
Thankfully, his interest in the topic dies off after that.
We stay by the beach for a while, finishing our smoothies and talking about which rides Jake is the most excited for this weekend.
Eventually, he jumps off the wall and leads me toward the bookstore, the same one that feels familiar, but I can’t place inside my mind.
As the afternoon waves on, my thoughts move to the date tonight—to imagining who the ‘pretty’ woman could be.