At home
Hildegard opened her painting kit and took out some tubes of paint. On her paint pallet board, she squeezed little dollops of crimson, emerald, prussian blue, marigold, titanium white, gold, sunshine yellow, sky blue, dusty orange, and hazelnut brown. She got a mug of water, a 1 inch brush, a 2 inch brush, a skinny paintbrush, and a glass of ice cold soda onto her work table.
The green and mint colored McDodd daughter picked up her remote and pressed the PLAY button.
Bob Who-Ross greeted his audience.
"Welcome to 'Painting with Bob', may Seuss bless you. Shall we begin?" The tape said.
Hildegard watched as she settled into her art stool. "I'm ready."
Several hours later.
Sally had set down the teacups on the table and every daughter that joined her was delighted.
"Who wants tea and cupcakes?" She asked.
A chorus of "I do"s hurt her ears a little bit, but she was happy that the girls were forgetting about their traumatizing doctor visit.
"One, two, three, four, five..." she counted as she placed cupcakes in front of each girl.
"Ninety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five-" she stopped suddenly. One girl was missing.
She sighed. "Where's Hildegard?"
Harley rolled her eyes. "In the quiet room, painting."
Sally put down the cupcake in her spot. "All of you wait. I'll go get her."
She left the room, but the girls snuck licks of frosting from their cupcakes, hoping their mother wouldn't notice.
Hildegard put down her brush ans wiped her forehead, getting a truffula pink stripe right above her eyebrows.
She admired her painting. A complex painting of a lake surrounded by Truffula trees.
"Thank you for joining me. That's a good painting right there. See you next time, on 'Painting with Bob Who-Ross', Seuss Bless." The tv said before the show ended.
Hildegard smiled as she turned off the tv with the knuckle of her pinky finger because she had paint all over her hands and arms.
The teal and mint colored girl got up, gathered her paint pallet, brushes, and paint water cup and headed for the sink.
She watched as the bubbles from the soap changed colors from the paint. Pallet and brushes washed and set to the side to dry, Hildegard got to work scrubbing paint from her fur.
The hand soap lathered as she vigorously scrubbed. Luckily she used child-safe paint and not oil paint, so it was easier to get off.
Painting apron put up, painting set aside to dry, Hildegard was startled when she heard her mother's voice.
"Hildegard?"
She jumped.
Sally chuckled. "Sorry. It's tea time."
Hildegard smiled. "Okay, I'm coming."
Hildegard sat down with her sisters, who giggled at her.
"Tea?" Hannah asked.
"Please." Hildegard said, holding out her teacup.
Hannah poured.
Hildegard sipped, but couldn't help noticing that she was the center of attention.
"What?"
Holiday piped up. "Simba!"
All the girls started laughing.
Hildegard touched her forehead and her fingers came back pink. She furrowed her brows as her mom handed her a napkin for her to wipe it off.
Forehead clean, Hildegard ate her cupcake and drank her tea without a care.
After all, she had a masterpiece in the quiet room.