The Gift

December 23rd 9:46AM

"Sorry," Morgan breathed coming up the stairs. Anita turned and narrowed her eyes at the girl that just came up the stairs.

"Come on," Henry said, motioning for Morgan to follow him up the white staircase. Anita let out a heavy breath and shook her head. She pushed past Henry and started up the stairs.

"For an artist you sure look like a mess," Anita stated, turning the corner on the landing. Morgan trotted up the stairs behind her, a smirk forming on the girl's face.

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked. Anita stopped at the top of the stairs and faced Morgan.

"You look like a total mess. Who goes out looking like that? Some artist you are," Anita snorted.

"Well you apparently think I'm alright," Morgan stated. Henry stopped beside her and tipped his head in confusion. Anita raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her red sweater.

"What are you talking about? You're terrible," Anita snapped back.

"Then you should take that down," Morgan said, gesturing to the painting of the deer on the wall. Anita and Henry both faced the painting on the wall. Anita stepped closer to the painting and looked at it closely.

"Why?" Anita turned back to face Morgan. "I received that from a woman who said it was worth hundreds." Morgan let out a laugh and shook her head.

"I'm pretty sure it is not worth that, and if it is, I've been jipped. That is mine," Morgan stated. Katie had come out of the bedroom she shared with Allison and stood in the hall, listening. She bit her lip to hold back a laugh, not aimed at Morgan, but at Anita. Henry's mouth hung open slightly as he watched Morgan in awe.

"That is not yours," Anita growled.

"They messed up my classes my first semester and put me in a senior art class. I had to do a project with a partner and the only one who would work with me was Alex, who I work with now in the art studio. For our final we had to do a realistic scene, so we did a winter scene for Christmas. I did the trees and the sky, Alex did the snow and the reindeer," Morgan explained, pointing to each piece of the painting. "We have the original in the studio. In the bottom right corner, there is a M and an A tangled together."

"That's preposterous!" Anita bellowed. Before she could say anything else, Katie took the frame off of the wall and popped the picture out of the frame. When she held it up, the M and A were visible in the bottom corner. Anita let out a huff and stormed off up the stairs to the master bedroom.

"I've loved this painting forever, and now it's even better," Katie smiled, putting the picture back in the frame.

"You did that?" Henry asked again. The corners of his mouth were curled up in a smile.

"Yeah," Morgan laughed. The door swung open at the top of the stairs and Anita peered out.

"Henry, you're coming to the charity banquet tonight," she called down. Henry's smile fell and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not-"

"Don't you dare argue, you're coming!" Anita snapped. Henry crossed his arms and looked up the stairs.

"Fine, but Morgan is coming," he called up the stairs. Anita shook her head and groaned.

"Fine, but I'm not finding her anything to wear. Unless she has a formal dress in her stuff, she's not going to look good," Anita replied and slammed the door. Henry turned and looked at Morgan who shook her head. He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"I might have something, come on," Katie said, motioning for Morgan to follow her into the bedroom. "She's only bringing Henry because Amber will be there. We're going to make you look even better."