Poor Dad Painted A Nursery, Not Knowing The Homeowner Was A CEO Who’d Fall For His Care
Professional Visions and Unexpected Help
For the next hour, Ryan worked on the details of the mural while Mia chattered happily to Willow. She showed her how to make giraffe spots and asked endless questions about the house.
To his surprise, Willow answered patiently. She sat cross-legged on the floor with his daughter as if she had nowhere more important to be.
“What do you do when you’re not painting other people’s houses?” Willow asked Ryan as he added texture to the elephant’s hide.
“Anything that pays the bills?” he answered honestly. “Handman work mostly. Some commercial painting jobs when I can get them.”
He hesitated, then added, “I was studying architecture before Mia was born. I never quite finished.”
“You have an architect’s eye,” she observed, studying the way he’d created depth in the landscape. “The perspective in this mural is technically perfect.”
Ryan looked at her in surprise. “You know about architectural perspective?”
“I should,” she said with a small smile. “I’m the CEO of Greenfield Development Group. We build commercial properties throughout the Northeast.”
The paintbrush nearly slipped from Ryan’s fingers. Greenfield Development was one of the largest commercial real estate developers in the region. He’d studied their designs in his university courses.
“Wow,” was all he managed to say. Willow’s phone buzzed, breaking the moment.
“I need to head to my meeting,” she said rising gracefully. “Please lock up when you’re finished. And…” she hesitated, glancing around the room. “Thank you for making this space so beautiful.”
After she left, Ryan tried to focus on finishing the mural, but his thoughts drifted to Willow. She was strikingly beautiful and spoke gently with Mia, despite the sadness in her eyes.
“I like her,” Mia declared as they packed up their supplies. “She’s nice and pretty.”
“Yes she is,” Ryan agreed, wiping a smudge of paint from his cheek. “Now let’s clean up so we can stop by the grocery store on the way home.”
“It’s spaghetti night with the red sauce and the cheese?” Mia asked hopefully. “Would it be spaghetti night without them?”
Ryan smiled, trying to push away thoughts of Willow Greenfield and the life she represented. The next morning, Ryan returned to add the final touches to the nursery.
Instead of the house being empty, he found Willow in the kitchen with her laptop open. “Good morning,” she said, looking up as he hesitated in the doorway.
“Coffee?” she gestured to an elaborate espresso machine that looked like it belonged in a high-end cafe.
“Thanks but I brought my own,” Ryan said, lifting his battered travel mug. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“I’m working from home today,” she explained. “The open house isn’t until 4:00 so I thought I’d get some work done here before I need to clear out.”
She paused. “Where’s Mia today?” “School. Regular schedule today Thankfully.”
He shifted his weight, unsure of the protocol for conversation. “I should get started upstairs. I just need to add some final highlights and touch-ups.”
“Of course,” Willow nodded. She stopped him as he turned to leave. “Ryan there’s something I’d like to discuss with you when you have a moment.”
His mind went to worst case scenarios, wondering if she found a flaw in his work. “I have a moment now,” he said, bracing himself.
“It’s about your background in architecture,” she said, surprising him. “I was curious about what specifically you studied and how close you were to finishing your degree.”
The question caught him off guard. “I was in my final year at Boston Architectural College, just three courses short of graduation when my ex-wife left and I became Mia’s full-time parent.”
He wasn’t sure why he was telling her this, except her direct gaze invited honesty. Willow nodded thoughtfully. “Would you be interested in finishing? With your talent it seems like a waste not to.”
Ryan let out a short laugh. “Of course I’d be interested. But between working full-time and raising Mia it’s just not in the cards right now. Maybe when she’s older.”
“I see.” Willow made a note on her tablet. “Well don’t let me keep you. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished mural.”
Ryan spent the morning adding final touches to the safari world. Sunlight spilled through the windows, making the animals seem almost ready to leap from the walls.
By noon, he was adding his signature. Willow appeared in the doorway. “It’s finished,” he said, stepping back to let her see the completed work.
Willow stood silent for so long that Ryan began to worry. “Is something wrong?” he finally asked.
She shook her head slowly. “No it’s perfect. Better than I imagined?” She turned to face him. “This room was supposed to be for my daughter.”
The statement was laden with unspoken grief. “I’m sorry,” Ryan said softly, understanding washing over him.
“If you don’t mind me asking what happened?” Willow moved to the window. “Nothing dramatic, no tragedy to report. I was in the process of adopting as a single mother.”
She had been working on it for nearly 2 years. “Then three months ago the birth mother changed her mind.”
“That’s still a loss,” Ryan said. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“The rational part of me understands completely,” she said. “But I had already started loving a child I’d never met. Hence the safari nursery for a baby who will never sleep here.”
“Is that why you’re selling?” Ryan asked. She nodded. “Too many dreams built into these walls. I’m going back to my condo in the city.”
Before Ryan could respond, his phone rang. It was Mia’s school. “Mia has a fever of 101. She needs to be picked up as soon as possible.”
Ryan looked at his watch, calculating. The bus would take an hour and he couldn’t afford a taxi. “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promised.
“Problem?” Willow asked. “Mia’s sick. I need to pick her up but I’m between cars right now.”
“I’ll drive you,” Willow said decisively. Ryan stared at her. “You don’t need to do that I can take the bus.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Your daughter is sick. I have a car and time.” She was heading downstairs. “Consider it a thank you for the beautiful mural.”
