DISCLAIMER: Don't own.

She was nervous to tell Sandy. Sure he always wanted her to become an art teacher as he tried relentlessly to persuade her to change careers many times after she started working for Caleb but he knew that once Kirsten was set in her ways she wouldn't budge. The truth was that she never wanted to work for Caleb, it just sort of happened. One day he offered her a job and since they had just moved to Newport and didn't have a lot of money she thought that it'd be a good idea to work for Caleb for a little while, even if it wasn't what she wanted to do. Though she only planned to work for Caleb for a year, she ended up working her way up to the top, 15 years later now the company's CFO.

She blurted out quickly, "I want to change careers. I spoke to a counselor at USC who told me I need to take a few classes in order to have my teaching qualifications. I want to be an art teacher."

"What?" Sandy said as if he didn't hear her correctly.

"I don't know how to explain it but after repainting that mural I just fell in love with art again."

"You're going to leave the Newport Group just like that? Kirsten you're the best person they have."

"I'm going to miss working for my dad, but ever since we went to Berkeley a few weeks ago I started feeling this way and I haven't been persuaded to change my mind at all."

"What about your dad? What is he going to do without you? How is he going to react?"

"I don't know. He's not going to be happy. I haven't figured out what to say to him yet. Are you okay with this? You seem a little surprised?"

"Well yeah, honey, I mean you haven't even mentioned anything about art in at least 15 years."

"Do you not want me to change careers?"

"No, I'm not discouraging you, I'm just thinking about how different it'll be with you bringing art supplies to school, going to parent teacher conferences, doing stuff like that. So different from bringing home mini real estate models and contracts."

"I know. I'm excited," she said smiling and then said, "You're not!" disappointedly.

"I am. I'd just think about it a little more before telling your dad."

"Well I'll tell him when the semester is over in May. That'll give him a few months to hire a new CFO before I start."

"When are your classes?"

"Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Remember, we can't have any parties on those nights because my dad can't find out that I'm taking classes."

"Okay," Sandy said still comprehending everything.

"Sandy I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you about this before I registered for classes. It's just that I wanted to make sure this is how I really feel. And I've realized that it is. I was afraid you'd be mad that I wanted to do this and I wanted to avoid a fight if it was just a temporary feeling. But it's not. Are you mad at me?"

"No honey, I'm not mad, just surprised." Sandy couldn't believe his wife's plans. 20 years ago he wanted her to be an art teacher, but things changed since then. He wasn't sure he could get used to his wife grading how well a kid could color-in-the-lines or how well they could finger paint. He didn't mean to sound unsupportive, but after watching his wife become a huge business mogul after all these years he wasn't sure he could grasp her changing careers like this. Plus he knew that if Kirsten ever changed her mind and wanted to come back to the Newport Group her father would never let her and he knew that would devastate her, or maybe it wouldn't now that she was into art again, he wasn't sure.

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May

Kirsten was excited. She was one final away from having her teaching requirements completed. Her last final was to sketch a portrait, which she insisted that Sandy and the boys not look at until after she got her grade on it. She spent hours in their bedroom sitting at the table by the bay window working on it, even giving up "yogalates" and some Newport social events to work on it.

Sandy couldn't believe that Kirsten hadn't changed her mind since she first told him she wanted to become an art teacher. In fact, just the opposite occurred as he found his wife taking on a much more creative side, repainting and redecorating almost the entire house in her free time.

Sandy and the boys were setting the table for dinner as they heard Kirsten open the front door and run over to them shouting, "I did it, straight-As, and now I can teach art!" She placed the covered sketch on the kitchen table. All three of the Cohen boys looked at it anxiously.

Kirsten ran up to Sandy, taking his eyes off the covered sketch and looking at her. She wrapped herself in his arms and jumped on to him as his hands made their way around to her back and lifted her up. He smiled, his wife was pretty reserved and it took a lot for her to show this must excitement visibly. As he lowered Kirsten back down he took her face in his hands and kissed her saying sweetly, "I'm so proud of you baby," and then a bit more anxiously, "Now can we see your sketch?"

"Okay!" she gushed grabbing the covered sketch. "Now you guys aren't obligated to like it, but I hope you do."

"I'm sure we will!" Sandy said. "Right boys?"

"Definitely," Ryan replied.

"Sure thing mom, no doubt," Seth said.

"Here it is!" Kirsten pulled away the covering and exposed a beautiful pencil sketched drawing of her family.

"Kirsten…" Sandy said in awe.

"Mom…" Seth and Ryan both said at the same time.

"Do you like it?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah, it's beautiful…but I don't recognize the photo that you sketched this from," Seth said confused.

Kirsten told them the story of how she decided that for her pencil sketch she was going to sketch her family but that she didn't want to use a photo they already had of the family so she just drew a freehand sketch without looking at any pictures, only using her mind to sketch them.

"That's why you may have noticed me really eyeing you all up lately," she said laughing.

That night while Sandy showered Kirsten got Sandy's other surprise ready. When he came into the bedroom, she grabbed his hand and led him to the bed. "I have another surprise for you. A little one. You've been so supportive of me changing careers and I really appreciate that. I just want to thank you for supporting my dream. You're the best. I hope you like it." She handed him the wrapped present.

"Kirsten! It's beautiful!" Sandy exclaimed as he stared at the 5x7 framed portrait his wife sketched. It was a sketch of their wedding photo. "Could I put it in my office? I've been meaning to bring our wedding photo to the new office but I haven't yet and this is perfect!"

"Sure. It's yours. Do you like it?"

"I love it. Not only do I love this piece of art, I love the woman in the photo and the artist who drew it," Sandy said sweetly as he smiled at Kirsten.

"And I love the man in the photo," Kirsten replied back with a smile, "I love him so much."

Sandy carefully put the photo on the nightstand and pulled Kirsten in for a hug saying, "Thank you baby."

"Your welcome. I'm glad you like it," Kirsten replied while laughing as Sandy started to kiss her on the neck, "Sandy that tickles!"

"Fine," Sandy said playfully as he pushed Kirsten backward onto the bed. He brushed her hair away from her face and looked her in the eyes and said, "As beautiful as that picture is, you're more beautiful in person," and he leaned down and kissed Kirsten on the lips. Kirsten kissed him back and smiled to herself.

Let me know what you think. Would you like another chapter with Kirsten telling Caleb? Your suggestions and reviews are important to me and I appreciate your feedback.