Part of her never wanted to get up from the couch again. Her arm spilled onto the floor, though she hardly noticed. Silence filled the room.
It was almost like stepping into the past.
"Hey Joan," Anna said.
As usual, the painting brought no reply.
"How are you? We haven't talked in a while." Anna's eyes searched the ceiling. Maybe she should start counting cracks again. "That's my fault, not yours. I've been busy with other things."
Anna closed her eyes. This was the only place that she knew she could find peace. No one ever came into this room except for her. The entire thing was a decorative, useless knickknack.
"I've had a lot on my mind lately. A lot of things have changed in my life."
The wooden grandfather clock chimed.
"I finally made up with Elsa."
Elsa, she thought. The girl's face flashed through her mind.
"I would do anything for her."
Anna did not mean that lightly. Already, she had nearly frozen to death for her sister. If something happened to her, if she ever got hurt, then she would risk her life for her.
Her heart began to beat as though she had run a mile. Getting away from everyone to think about Elsa had been a smart move, but it seemed to have yet helped her clear her mind.
"Elsa," Anna said again. "Oh, Joan, Elsa is perfect."
She knew her sister would disagree if she ever heard Anna say it, but to her it was true.
Her eyes searched the room. All her life she had looked at these paintings, to the dramatic scenes that they portrayed. For years, practically her entire life, she had longed for her life to be like one of those paintings. Now, for the first time (in what must have been forever), she couldn't relate to a single painting.
"I should get going." Anna forced herself from the couch. "You have your own problems, Joan."
Her heart did not slow down once she left the room.