Surviving Love (LarssonSiblingSeries#6)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THEO

George asked me to draw Spider-Man on his arm cast after finding an old YouTube video of mine where I drew the Marvel heroes on my friend's kids bedroom door. Drawing on plaster is a bit different, but I'm managing okay, and he seems happy with it so far.

"I can't believe that I have to keep this on for six weeks," he says, stuffing a few grapes into his mouth.

I nod. "Sucks."

"Yeah." He zeroes in on my finishing touches. "Woah, that looks so lifelike. Mum! Mum, come here and look at my cast."

Laine appears with arms full of ironed washing. "What's wrong? I couldn't hear you properly because of the tumble dryer."

It's nice to see her in those jeans again, especially with that soft-looking striped jumper.

George uses his good arm to point at me. "The drawing. It-It's so go-good."

Huh, that isn't the first time that he's stumbled over his words. I watch Laine as she tries to clear the small frown that just took over her face before coming over here to take a look.

"Oh my god, that's bloody brilliant," she says in a rush of words, covering her mouth. "George, ignore my bad word."

He rolls his eyes. "Come on, mum, that's not even a bad word."

I chuckle.

Laine narrows her eyes at me, but there's no anger in them. "Hush, you."

I chuckle harder.

She giggles, coming in to take a closer look. "That's seriously amazing, though. You can really draw, Theo."

"Thanks." I take my eyes away from George's arm to smile at her, but she's too busy taking in the details of my handiwork.

The way she wears her hair up like that makes me want to take it down to run my fingers through it.

Laine clears her throat when she steps back from us. "I'm just going to put this washing upstairs and then it's time for your medicine, okay?"

George nods his head. "Will you sign my cast next, mum?"

Her smile is so protective and warm, it reminds me that I have to check in with my parents today. I could use my mother's smile too. "You bet, baby."

"Nice one. I want grandad to write on it too, and uncle Dex." He grins down at my red marker pen.

Laine picks up a stray sock that's fallen from the pile. "I'm sure that uncle Dexter can get a few of his teammates to sign it too."

He won't want the thing taken off by the end of it. I grab the black marker to do some shading. "Almost done."

George turns back to me in his seat to watch my hand. "Can you teach me to draw like that, Theo?"

I nod fast. "Of course."

The pinkness in his cheeks grows red when he sits all the way back in his seat. "Nice. Then I can teach my cousins."

I always had a creative mind as a kid, often preferring my sketchbook and movie clips, to socialising with friends. I guess practice makes perfect, but I see talent in George's work that's pinned up on the fridge.

Laine says that he's got a lot of talents, which I believe is true, if not a bit bias, but it shows in him. They had already finished the two lots of homework emailed over from the school by the time I got here for one in the afternoon, and he was already making a start on tomorrow's homework.

He's a smart dude.

"Sure can," I reply, putting my pens down to admire Spider-Man's face looking back at me. "Done."