I woke up to see that the sun was already shining at it's peak. I decided to get up but something heavy was preventing me to do so. I looked up to see Hayden's hand on my abdomen. I tried moving it but it was no avail, as his hand was as heavy as a bulldozer. After many tries I decided to poke him awake.
Poke..poke..poke, but no avail. He was sleeping soundly. I huffed out loud before gathering all my strength and pushed him.
*THUD*
My push was so hard that instead of moving away he fell on the floor. I bursted out laughing as he woke up with a start. He looked around to find himself on the floor.
"What the heck am I doing on the floor?" He asked in a raspy voice. I rolled on the bed, laughing.
"Did you just threw me off the bed?" He asked me, confused. I anticipated in laughing. He stood up and I backed off, hiding in the comforter. He snatched the comforter off me and went back too sleeping. I stood up giggling softly, making my way out of the room. I shut the door and skipped towards my room, bee lining for the bathroom. I came outside and went towards the dining room where everybody was already present.
"You are always the last to arrive on the table 'Larie" Dad scolded.
"Yet, I am always the one who finishes first" I commented drinking the juice.
"Like mother, like daughter" He laughed. I rolled my eyes, wolfing down breakfast. Dad looked up to see Hayden straightening his back every now and then and I bit back my laughter.
"What is wrong Hayden?" He finally asked him.
"Nothing, just my back hurts" He answered glaring at me. I laughed turning it immediately into a cough. Dad gave me a glance. I didn't look up in case that I might burst out laughing. Katie gave me a piercing look and I stiffened my laugh. After, wolfing down my breakfast, I immediately went out of the dining room. I sat on the stairs, laughing like a maniac. After me, Hayden came out of the dining room. I immediately got up, running upstairs.
"You, wait right there" He shouted, following me. I ran and ran until I opened the door of a room and closed it shut. I gave out a sigh of relief before I realized my surroundings. I was in a studio. Different paintings were scattered around while the others were placed on the floor. I spotted a canvas, along with it were some paints and pencils. Whoever the owner was, had quite a hand in paintings. I picked up the brush, and it fitted my hand, delicately. I opened the paints and they were also new. Someone must have been here for the place was spotless, but it also looked unused. I smeared some black paint on the canvas drawing random patterns. I was nearly at the end of my painting when the door banged open and Hayden stood there.
"Aha, caught you" He walked towards me but seeing that I paid no heed to him, he came up behind me.
"WOW" He gasped out loud as he saw the painting.
"Isn't it complete and beautiful?" I asked him, quietly.
"It is perfect" He whispered. A family was drawn on the canvas. A man and a woman and a child, together, hand in hand. It was something I always wanted my whole life and so did Hayden. A complete and happy family with no worries, what-so-ever. I let out a sigh, resting my head on his shoulders as his hand rested on my waist. I closed my eyes, imagining what the world would be for me if I had a family like this. The memories of my childhood surfaced in my mind. I opened my eyes and picked up the painting, setting it along with the others. I turned towards the door when I heard it creak. Dad was standing there.
"Did you make it?" He asked me as he sat down beside me. I nodded my head.
"You have your mother's talent. She used to draw with perfection. Every line meant something. These are just not paintings. They are conversations. They are the confessions of a painter who went through a number of trials and tribulations without complaining even once. I in my whole life never so her unsatisfied. She was contented with all she had. She truly was one of a kind and so are you" He touched a painting, whispering to it. I stood up and left him. I came outside to see Hayden waiting for me.
"Training room?" He asked me.
"Yes, please" I walked behind him as he lead the way. We entered the basement of The James Mansion. It was a large hall along with all the necessities one might need in training. Katie was present there, punching a bag.
"You are doing it the hard way" I called at her. She looked at me and stopped. I wrapped my hands in wraps. I jumped in the ring and stood in front of her. She looked at me and I punched her in the abdomen. She sat down, clutching her stomach.
"First, pay attention. Looking at you opponent won't lead you anywhere. When you hit the bag, imagine it as your opponent and don't focus only on one area, see the bag as a whole. Secondly, never look down when you throw a punch. It will make it easy for your opponent to counter your punches." I pulled her up. She stood ready. I punched her in the shoulder but due to my quick speed she didn't defend her self.
"Secondly, Balance is important. Don't push the bag with your head or shoulders for your opponent can counter you easily and make you lose your balance and at worst, you might end up getting an uppercut. Punch, don't push" I let her sit on the ground this time, for her to catch her breath.
"Thirdly, maintain the right distance and do not stop. Don't move when you strike, you must keep your feet firmly planted on the ground." I sat down, facing her.
"And last but not the least, Less power and more breathing and learn from the first three" I stood up and pulled her along. Hayden looked at me proudly and I smiled. I firmly planted my feet in the ring as I kept my eyes trained on Katie. She threw a punch at me, which I dodged easily.
"Remember the last advice" I warned Katie.
"Shut up" she groaned, sitting up. She had thrown the punch which such push that she had fallen to the ground. I punched her at the back and sat on it.
"What the heck Clare?" She screamed at me.
"I am not patient, you know that very well and that was such a poor punch. Who the heck throws a punch and themselves along with it." I scolded her getting up from her back.
"You know I really am thinking whether punching is my therapy or painting?" I commented, testing my punches. Katie got up, still panting.
"Hayden, want to come and fight?" I invited him, smiling. He shock his head, wrapping his hands up.
"You know that I am better than you" He commented. jumping in the ring.
"Narcissism was my thing" I defended my self as he threw a punch at me.
"Well, we share don't we" He kept up with his pace as I dodged more of his punches.
"Nah, I don't" I replied as I caught his punch and twisted it, jumping on his back and throwing him down with all the force my body could muster.
"What the heck was that?" He asked sitting up.
"That was the Black widow style" I smiled, getting up and jumped out of the ring. I picked up the water bottle and drank some water.
"How the heck did you do that?" Katie asked me bewildered.
"Come on, you know I am a Marvel fan and I have watched every single movie almost two times, not counting Infinity wars because I have watched that a total of seven times" I rested on the floor.
"Who the heck watches a movie seven times?" Hayden questioned as he made his way towards the stairs.
"Your one of a kind fiancé watches a movie seven times." I shouted at him.
"Whew, Need a shower" I got up and made my way upstairs with Katie following me.
"How come did you know how to do it?" Katie asked me.
"When I was young I used to go to a boxing club, that is how and sometimes, watching movies helped" I answered.
"Man, you really have a complicated past" She commented, shaking her head in disbelief. I walked upstairs to see the door of Dad's study ajar. I entered it to find that he had placed my painting in his study and was now looking at it.
"Both of them" He suddenly said.
"Both of what?" I asked, standing on the door.
"Your therapy, they are both, painting and punching, just like your mother" He replied looking at me intently.