The Artist

Chapter 1

11 Years Later

"Hey Mom" Layla said as she entered her mom's art room.

"Hi baby you're home" Leona smiled as she turned around to greet her daughter who had hug her behind.
"Mommy would really love to hug you back right now but she's covered in paint" she said as she kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Is this portrait for me?" Layla asked peering over her mom's shoulder at the painting she as doing.

"Nah! It may be a portrait of you but guess what, this here is the final piece for my art collection that'll be showcased at the art gallery at Saturdays award giving ceremony" she smiled.

"You're using a portrait of me for you're work?" Layla asked surprised.

"Yep".

"But mom thousands of people are gonna be there right? They're all gonna be viewing my portrait".

"Well yeah, that way I can show the world what a beautiful daughter I have" Leona smiled as she used her paint brush and tip some paint on her daughter nose.

"Mooom!" Layla protest as she giggled wiping the paint off.
"OK I'm gonna go before you start painting me literally".

"Order pizza or something for dinner ok" Leona called out to her daughter as she exit the room.

Leona decided to finished her final painting for the art gallery showcased coming up on Saturday night. She already had many artworks at the art gallery but now she was having a new set of artworks showcased at this years opening. Every year the art gallery had a opening where different people from all over the world came to view the works of artists, purchased some of the art works as well as an award ceremony where successful artists were awarded for their great works.

Leona already had about 12pieces of paintings in her artwork series and decided that she'd finished the series collection with a portrait of her daughter. Layla was her life, her motivation, her inspiration and her everything she just felt that she should do the painting of her daughter as a dedication.

Flashback...

Taking care of the little girl wasn't easy that was for sure. After she was thrown out by Andre the one guy she thought was different and was hit by a car she woke up later in the hospital, fortunately with only a few bruises and a broken leg. In reality Leona wished she had died when that car hit her things would be much easier.

It turned out that she was hit by a car carrying a family who were on vacation. A husband and wife and their 15year old daughter. They decided to visit Leona in the hospital and to pay for her hospital and medical bills but however when Marilyn the wife asked about Leona's family and heard Leona's story they were touched and decided to adopt her as their own after contacting the social service agency and informing them about the situation. They even decided to let her keep the baby and they'd take care of it when it was born and would send Leona back to school.

They remain true to their words and Leona became apart of the Cox family with Marilyn her new mom, Seth her new dad and Ashley her new sister. The Cox's were the best family she had she could not deny that, they treated her like real family and she and Ashley became really close. After Leona had gave birth to her beautiful daughter Seth and Marilyn were proud grandparents. They fell in love with the little girl instantly. When Layla was a few months old enough to be separate from her mother Seth and Marilyn paid for a babysitter for the little girl as they had sent Leona back to finished highschool. After highschool they sent both Ashley and Leona to university where Ashley got a degree in accounting and Leona a degree in Arts.
End of Flashback...

Leona smiled to herself as she thought about how Mich things had changed for her. Its funny thing to say but maybe she was lucky to be hit by the Cox's car that day because if it weren't for them she didn't know where she'd be by now.