A/N: Yay, finally, a cute one! I'm not sure if I wrote his mom well, so drop me a line to let me know. Also, who totally LOVES Mozzie even more than they already did after the last couple episodes? *grin*
Neal looked at the driveway, peered through the window, and breathed a sigh of relief. The TV was off and the junky car was gone, and so was his father. He opened the door with a smile.
"I'm home, Mom!" He declared to the nearly silent house.
"I'm back here," the response echoed from the back room. Neal smiled slightly and removed his shoes, walking toward his mother's room quietly.
"Hi, sweetheart," Nicole Caffrey said, opening her arms. Neal set down his backpack next to the wall and jetted toward her, slowing rapidly just before he touched her. He wrapped his arms around her gently and felt contentment flood through him as she wove her warm, slightly shaky hand through his hair.
They remained that way silently for a moment before Nicole pulled back and looked at him with a gentle smile, one hand on his shoulder.
"How was your day?" She asked.
"It was great!" Neal said with a smile, not quite being honest but not wanting to worry her. "I passed my math test and my handwriting test."
"Good job, honey," Nicole said, affection shining in her eyes. "I'm proud of you." Neal flushed slightly, beaming at her.
"Thanks," he said. He moved to sit next to her on the bed and she smiled down at him.
"Well, that works out perfectly. I had a special treat for you. Now it can double as a reward, too."
Neal looked up at her, a mixture of curiosity and excitement filling him. "Really?" He felt hesitant. He didn't want her getting tired from doing too much. "You didn't have to do that, though, Mom."
"But I wanted to," Nicole said pointedly, smiling. "It's out on the porch, I figured we could spend some time outside since it's so nice."
"Alright," Neal agreed, returning her smile. She stood with effort, and he grabbed her hand to help support her. They walked toward the porch.
"Close your eyes," Nicole directed Neal, hands on his shoulders. Neal did as he was told. He felt her hands still trembling slightly and a twinge of worry shot through him. He shook it off as they went through the doorway, warm sunlight touching their skin. They stopped, and Neal waited silently.
"Okay, you can open them," Nicole said with a smile in her voice. Neal's eyes flew open and his face broke into a grin.
"Oh, thanks, Mom!" He exclaimed. He touched the two easels and paints and other art supplies with near reverence. He'd never been able to use much more than crayons and paper scraps outside of art class in school. "Where did you get these?"
"They were all from my college art class," Nicole said, watching him with a soft smile. "I found them in the basement when I was cleaning."
Neal bit back a stream of protests he knew she didn't want to hear. He turned toward her and his expression was eager and questioning. "Can we use them?"
"Of course," Nicole said, nodding. Neal waited for her to step forward. They both pulled on old college-monogrammed t-shirts over their clothing and Nicole tied her dark hair back.
"What do you want to paint?" Neal asked, scooting over a stool so he could reach better.
"You choose," Nicole said. Neal thought deeply for a moment, then he smiled.
"How 'bout we both paint the yard, and we compare them. My teacher said that shows different per-spectives." Neal waited anxiously to see if his idea would be accepted.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Nicole said with a smile. Neal felt that same rush of contentment as he dipped his paintbrush into some dark green and swirled it on the canvas, reveling in the quiet, peaceful atmosphere and the smell of paint.
"That looks nice," Nicole murmured over his shoulder. Neal looked at her with a slight, mock-exasperated smile, stopping the process of mixing shades.
"Mom! We can't peek at each others'. We have to wait 'till the end."
"Oh, right," Nicole said with a hint of sheepishness. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Neal said easily, slipping back into the quiet world which held only him and his breathing and the paint and scene. At least an hour passed this way, in peaceful silence with a few brief comments.
"Alright," Nicole whispered finally, looking over at Neal. Neal looked back at his mother, smiling at the blue and gray paint smudges on her face. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Neal said with a smile. "Okay, on three, then."
"One, two, three." Nicole turned hers toward Neal and Neal turned his toward her. A short gasp came from Nicole as she surveyed Neal's. Neal looked at his mother's with great affection. It reflected her personality, all warmth and serenity in spite of the rather dreary actuality of the yard.
"Neal, this is amazing," Nicole said, beaming at him. "I mean, I knew you were a good artist, but this is fantastic." Neal looked at the painting with a critical eye, feeling warmth spread through his cheeks. He wasn't sure if he'd done well or not.
He'd added in some flower bushes or animals where he thought it looked too gray. Along with that, he'd also modified the fence's pattern slightly to look prettier and more inviting. The shading was off, he could see that, and the shades themselves weren't mixed to his satisfaction.
"I don't know," Neal said with a hesitant shrug, his cheeks still warm.
"It's great, Neal," Nicole said firmly. "Perfect."
"Thanks, Mom," Neal whispered, ashamed of the tightening in his chest and throat. His mother sat down on the bench and pulled him into her lap, paint and all.
"You're welcome, sweetheart," Nicole said. They leaned against one another in the warm sunlight, contentedly listening and watching.