You Belong With Me

Lost & Found

Tiana Bennett

I'm feeling extremely excited, anxious, a little bit upset, and 499+ other emotions.

It's been a few days, and I still can't believe I've convinced Dad.

Mom is a bit upset and mad at Dad for fulfilling my every "nonsense" wish.

But what has been decided, has been decided, so I trust Dad enough to not think that he won't let me go at the last minute.

After taking a quick shower, I resumed working on the painting I was currently working on.

It was more like me trying to express each and every emotion on this canvas with colours.

They say each colour has its own way of indicating something.

I couldn't disagree with that because that's what drives me to create something.

And it's really peaceful to me.

Sometimes I experiment with my art, mostly focusing on scenery or memorable memories. But occasionally, I try different art styles, wanting to explore every aspect of it.

One of my favourite art styles is Indian. I have tried it quite a few times, and it has never failed to impress me.

Mostly, I use traditional Indian architecture as my inspiration. It was tough at the start, but now I've gotten used to it, and I love the outcomes each time.

As I was engrossed and busy working on my painting, I heard a knock on my door. “Come in,” I instructed.

It could only be Mom because Dad was at work, and it's only the three of us who live here.

As soon as I gave permission to enter, my mom came into my room. I looked at her with a soft smile, which she returned. Hmm… someone seems to have gotten better, I guess…

“It looks incredibly beautiful,” Mom complimented my art after taking a good look at it. My smile widened as I responded.

“Thanks, Mom. I have been working on it for almost a month. It's still not completely finished yet, but I'm satisfied with it so far,” I explained as I put my brushes in a washing container.

“Yes, I can tell that. By the way, have you checked the time?” She asked as she sat on my bed, making my eyebrows scrunch up in confusion. I glanced at the wall clock in my room.

“Oh shoot, it's 3:00 pm already? I'm sorry, Mom. I just couldn't focus on time,” I apologised as I stood up from my stool and went to the bathroom to wash my hands, only to find some paint stains on my clothes and face. I sighed, washed up a little and changed my T-shirt before I went back to my room.

“You know, Tia, I love how you are all passionate about everything you do. But you should take care of yourself too, right?” My mom said calmly, and I nodded. I lay on the bed, resting my head on her lap as she massaged my scalp a little.

“You haven't eaten anything today. I was really mad at you at first. But your painting looks great, so I'll let this one slide,” Mom said as she braided a few strands of my hair, playing with them.

“I'm sorry, Mom. But I wasn't hungry, I promise. But now that you've reminded me, I'm actually hungry. Let's get down and eat something?” I suggested as I got up, walking towards the door to exit, with mom following closely behind.