A misplaced stroke of white paint

Cynthia let out a grunt as her trembling hands ruined her painting of an ash tree. Her once perfectly painted ash tree now had a misplaced stroke of white paint in the trunk of the ash tree. She examined her painting once again, contemplating on whether to continue or to disregard it. A tall Ash tree stood in the middle, with its ever so green leaves covering its branches. Cynthia then remembers how Ash trees looked like this during the summer. The Ash tree had only one straight trunk and a misplaced stroke of white paint.

"why did you stop Nana?" Cynthia slowly turned to her right, there stood her granddaughter with a confused face. "Caroline, Nana's too old to be painting , and now my trunk has a white smudge!"

Caroline giggled and assured her nana , " your painting is splendid nana, and don't worry that's just a teeny accident." She then took her Nana's paintbrush, dabbed it on the white paint and continued the misplaced stroke of white paint. "Caroline darling please don't do tha- "

"done!" Caroline exclaimed as she pointed on the not so perfect heart she made. 

Cynthia who was a perfectionist would have vex at the certain someone if one was to do that to her painting, but the moment she saw the heart, her own heart melted with happiness. She now loved every bit of her painting thanks to her Caroline. With trembling legs, Cynthia stood up and pushed back her stool. She gazed at the scenery, blue sky and an empty earth.

" Why don't we plant that tree there, huh Caroline ?"

~ 

They did plant an Ash tree , but unfortunately Cynthia passed away, even before the Ash tree could show her how its leaves covered its branches, or even before she could know if it grew similar to her painting. 

Caroline grew to become a beautiful teenager, she shared the same passion as her grandmother. She loved painting, but discontinued it as she grew in the reality of the teenage world. She now loved clubbing with her gals and going to concerts of all sorts. Like every other Teenagers, she met a boy, who she thought would be the love of her life. 

Caroline and Ben would sit under the shade of the Ash tree, cigars on their lips. They would spend the time there smoking, snogging or simply talking about stuff. Like every other Teenager, Caroline fell deeply in love with Ben, She carved out a heart on the trunk of the Ash tree and carved out " C+ B" , Their initials , inside the heart. How romantic right? Unfortunately not everyone ends up with their High School Lover. 

Ben passed away at an early age of 19 because of a car accident. No matter how big the hole was engraved on Caroline's heart, life must continue and she must go on. By the time she was in her mid 20's Caroline married and started a family with her husband Brian. They loved each other dearly. Brian was the husband who would cook for everyone on Sunday mornings, and cared a lot about the Ash tree too! He loved the carved "C+B " initials on the tree, thinking it meant Caroline + Brian, However Brian was a workaholic, would come home at midnight and leave for work at 5 am. Caroline on the other hand, was a House wife but helped Brian by selling her paintings. 

She continued to paint until she grew old, but she never had the strength to paint the Ash tree, as she would remember her Nana and her Ben.

~

Caroline's Daughter, Cindy, strolled around the house one last time. Cindy had to sell the house to the Smiths, because she was now frail and in old age , and a widow with no children nor grandchildren to take care of her. She bitterly chuckled as she realized she was set up for "home for the aged" after all.

Cindy shared the same passion with her Great Grandmother and Mother, they all loved painting. 

Cindy went to art school, and was a professional painter. However, She tried to paint the Ash tree numerous times, but she just cant quite get it right. Her art style was so much more different than her great grandmother's , Cindy loved bright colors and her paintings were always abstract, but Cynthia's paintings were simple, dreamy and had always used the right pastel colors. If the sky was blue, Cynthia simply used the light blue color in one similar stroke but but Cindy would rather used all the kinds of blues she had and paint on the canvas with different stroke each color.

She stared at the Ash tree planted at the back of their lonely country house. She remembered the story her mother had told her a thousand times before about the Ash tree she was staring at right now. It started when, Her great grandmothe-

"MS. CINDY!!"

her train of thoughts was interrupted by a voice, she then looked behind her to see Mrs. Smith. Cindy then gasped , as she had forgotten that the Smiths were coming today. Mrs. Smith came running with a young girl in her hand.

" we are so sorry for breaking in, ms cynthia-" Mrs. Smith panted.

"we came knockin', really we did , but there was no answer" She continued.

"oh silly me, these old ears eh?" Cindy joked, and the Two adults laughed. 

Mrs. Smith Left her daughter with Cindy, as she ran back inside the house to help her husband in matters of the house. Cindy Looked at The young girl who sat on the grass and opened her pink little bag, which happened to have a sketchbook and a watercolor set. Cindy studied the young girl, envious of her soft young hands, until she noticed her drawing...

"what a lovely drawing you got there.." Cindy smiled as she looked at the young girl's drawing of their Ash Tree.

"your tree is very big and the branches look like they're shy " She giggled ash she pointed at the leaves that covers its branches.

The young girl continued to color her drawing using her watercolor. She painted the leaves green, the trunk and branches brown, and she didn't forget the 'little white heart' as she called it.

"what is your name young girl? I love your painting."

"Cynthia"

~ 

alas Cynthia had seen how the leaves covered its branches and how a misplaced stroke of white paint had become the little white heart .