My Dad always hated my Mom\u2019s painting obsession, believing she was only fit to cook and clean. After their divorce, I stepped into her new home and discovered something that took my breath away. I never thought I\u2019d be grateful for my parents\u2019 divorce, but life has a way of surprising you. I\u2019m Iva, 25 years old. What I found in my Mom\u2019s new home after the split completely changed my perspective on what true love really looks like and it made me cry\u2026 Growing up, our house was filled with the smell of oil paints and the sweet scent of turpentine. My Mom, Florence, would always create something beautiful. But for my Dad, Benjamin, it was just noise and mess.\u201cFlorence! When are you gonna be done with that damn painting?\u201d\n
Dad\u2019s voice would boom from the kitchen. \u201cThis place is a pigsty, and dinner\u2019s not even started!\u201d Mom\u2019s shoulders would tense, but her brush wouldn\u2019t stop moving. \u201cJust a few more minutes, Ben. I\u2019m almost finished with this section.\u201dDad would stomp into her workspace, his face red. \u201cYou and your silly hobby! When are you gonna grow up and act like a REAL WIFE?\u201dI\u2019d watch from the doorway, my heart pounding. Mom\u2019s eyes would meet mine, filled with a sadness I couldn\u2019t comprehend as a ten-year-old. \u201cIva, honey, why don\u2019t you go set the table?\u201d she\u2019d say softly.\n
I\u2019d nod and scurry away, the sound of their argument following me down the hall. Years passed, and the arguments only got worse. When I was fourteen, they finally called it quits. Dad got custody, and I only saw Mom on weekends. The first time I visited her new apartment, my heart sank. It was tiny, with barely enough room for a bed and a small easel in the corner. \u201cOh, sweetie, don\u2019t look so sad,\u201d Mom said, pulling me into a hug. \u201cThis place may be small, but it\u2019s full of possibilities.\u201d I tried to smile, but it felt forced. \u201cDo you miss us, Mom?\u201d Her eyes glistened. \u201cEvery day, Iva. But sometimes, we have to make hard choices to find happiness.\u201d As I left that day, I heard her humming as she unpacked her paints. It was a sound I hadn\u2019t heard in years.\u201cI\u2019ll see you next weekend, okay?\u201d Mom called out as I reached the door. I turned back, forcing a smile. \u201cYeah, Mom. Next weekend.\u201d Dad wasted no time moving on. His new wife, Karen, was everything he wanted Mom to be \u2014 organized, practical, and completely unartistic. \u201cSee, Iva? This is how a real household should run,\u201d Dad said one evening, gesturing around the spotless kitchen.\n
I nodded absently, my eyes drawn to the near-bare walls where Mom\u2019s paintings used to hang. \u201cIt\u2019s\u2026 nice, Dad.\u201d Karen beamed. \u201cI\u2019ve been teaching Iva some great cleaning tips, haven\u2019t I, dear?\u201d I forced a smile, thinking of the weekends spent with Mom, hands covered in paint, creating worlds on canvas. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s\u2026 really useful. Thanks, Karen.\u201d Dad clapped his hands together. \u201cThat\u2019s my girl. Now, who wants to watch some TV?\u201d As we settled in the living room, I couldn\u2019t help but feel a pang of longing for the messy, colorful evenings of my childhood.The years rolled by, and I grew used to the new normal. Weekdays with Dad and Karen in their immaculate house and weekends with Mom in her cramped apartment. But something was always missing. One Friday evening, as I was packing for my weekend visit, Dad knocked on my door.\n
\u201cIva, honey, can we talk?\u201d I looked up, surprised. \u201cSure, Dad. What\u2019s up?\u201d He sat on the edge of my bed, looking uncomfortable. \u201cYour Mom called. She\u2026 she\u2019s getting married again.\u201d My heart skipped a beat. \u201cMarried? To who?\u201d \u201cSome guy named John. They\u2019ve been dating for a while, apparently.\u201d I sat down hard, my mind reeling. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t she tell me?\u201d Dad shrugged. \u201cYou know your mother. Always living in her own little world.\u201d I bristled at his tone but said nothing. As he left the room, I stared at my half-packed bag, wondering what this would mean for our weekends together.Fast forward to last weekend. I hadn\u2019t seen Mom in months, busy with college and work. But now, here I was, pulling up to her new house, my stomach churning with nerves. What if this John guy was just another version of Dad? Mom greeted me at the door, practically glowing. \u201cIva! Oh, I\u2019ve missed you!\u201d She hugged me tight, smelling of lavender and linseed oil, a scent that instantly brought me back to childhood. John appeared behind her, a warm smile on his face. \u201cSo this is the famous Iva! Your Mom\u2019s told me so much about you.\u201dWe chatted for a while, and I couldn\u2019t help but notice how Mom seemed to stand taller and laugh easier. There was a spark in her eyes I hadn\u2019t seen in years. \u201cHow\u2019s college going?\u201d Mom asked, pouring me a cup of tea. \u201cIt\u2019s good. Busy, but good,\u201d I replied, watching her closely.\n
\u201cMom, why didn\u2019t you tell me about John earlier?\u201d She looked down, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. \u201cOh, honey. I wanted to, but\u2026 I guess I was scared.\u201d\u201cScared? Of what?\u201d \u201cThat you wouldn\u2019t approve. That you\u2019d think I was replacing your father.\u201d I reached out and took her hand. \u201cMom, all I want is for you to be happy.\u201d She squeezed my hand, her eyes shining. \u201cI am, Iva. I really am.\u201d \u201cIva,\u201d John said suddenly, \u201cthere\u2019s something I\u2019d like to show you. Follow me.\u201d Curious, I followed John down a hallway. He stopped at a closed door, his hand on the knob. \u201cYour Mom\u2019s been working on something special,\u201d he said, grinning. \u201cReady?\u201d He swung the door open, and as I stepped inside, my jaw dropped. The room was a gallery. Mom\u2019s gallery. Her paintings covered every wall, beautifully framed and lit. Easels displayed works in progress, and there were even a few sculptures of porcelain dolls scattered around. \u201cJohn converted this room for me,\u201d Mom said softly from behind me. \u201cHe calls it my \u2018creativity hub\u2019.\u201dI turned to her, speechless. She looked\u2026 radiant. John wrapped an arm around her waist. \u201cI organize shows here sometimes. Invite friends, family, and local art lovers. Florence\u2019s work deserves to be seen.\u201dMom blushed. \u201cJohn even set up a website to sell my paintings. He handles all the business stuff so I can focus on painting and sculpting.\u201dI felt tears prick my eyes.\n
\u201cMom, this is\u2026 amazing.\u201d \u201cYour Mom\u2019s talent is extraordinary,\u201d John said, his voice full of pride. \u201cI just wanted to give her a space where she could really shine.\u201d I walked around the room, taking in each piece. There were landscapes I recognized from our old neighborhood, portraits of people I\u2019d never met, and abstract pieces that seemed to pulse with emotion. \u201cDo you remember this one?\u201d Mom asked, pointing to a small canvas in the corner. I leaned in, my breath catching. It was a painting of me as a little girl, sitting at our old kitchen table, coloring. The details were perfect \u2014 my messy pigtails, the crayon smudges on my cheeks, the look of intense concentration on my face. \u201cYou painted this?\u201d I whispered. Mom nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favorites. I painted it right after\u2026 well, after the divorce. It reminded me of happier times.\u201d I hugged her then and there, overcome with emotion.\n
\u201cI\u2019m so proud of you, Mom.\u201dAs we stood there, surrounded by my Mom\u2019s art, memories flooded back. Dad\u2019s angry voice, Mom\u2019s quiet sighs, the tension that had filled our house for so long. And now, this. A room filled with light and color\u2026 and love. \u201cYou know,\u201d John said, his voice gentle, \u201cwhen I first met your Mom, she was so hesitant to show me her work. Can you believe that?\u201d Mom laughed softly. \u201cI was scared you\u2019d think it was silly.\u201d \u201cSilly?\u201d John looked at her like she\u2019d hung the moon. \u201cFlo, your art is what made me fall in love with you. It\u2019s a part of who you are.\u201d I watched them, the way they looked at each other, the easy affection between them. This was what love was supposed to look like.\n
\u201cI\u2019m so happy for you, Mom,\u201d I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. Mom pulled me into a hug, her arms strong and sure. \u201cOh, sweetie. I\u2019m happy too. Happier than I\u2019ve been in a long, long time.\u201d As we stood there, surrounded by canvases bursting with color and life, I realized something profound. Mom\u2019s art, once stifled and undervalued, was now flourishing, and so was she. And I knew, without a doubt, that she had found her true love.As we stood there, surrounded by my Mom\u2019s art, memories flooded back. Dad\u2019s angry voice, Mom\u2019s quiet sighs, the tension that had filled our house for so long. And now, this. A room filled with light and color\u2026 and love. \u201cYou know,\u201d John said, his voice gentle, \u201cwhen I first met your Mom, she was so hesitant to show me her work. Can you believe that?\u201d Mom laughed softly. \u201cI was scared you\u2019d think it was silly.\u201d \u201cSilly?\u201d John looked at her like she\u2019d hung the moon. \u201cFlo, your art is what made me fall in love with you. It\u2019s a part of who you are.\u201d I watched them, the way they looked at each other, the easy affection between them. This was what love was supposed to look like.\n
\u201cI\u2019m so happy for you, Mom,\u201d I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. Mom pulled me into a hug, her arms strong and sure. \u201cOh, sweetie. I\u2019m happy too. Happier than I\u2019ve been in a long, long time.\u201d As we stood there, surrounded by canvases bursting with color and life, I realized something profound. Mom\u2019s art, once stifled and undervalued, was now flourishing, and so was she. And I knew, without a doubt, that she had found her true love.\u201cSo,\u201d John said, clapping his hands together. \u201cWho\u2019s hungry? I was thinking we could grill out on the patio.\u201d Mom\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cOh, that sounds wonderful! Iva, will you stay for dinner?\u201d I looked at them both, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. \u201cI\u2019d love to,\u201d I said, smiling. \u201cI\u2019d really love to.\u201d As we walked out of the gallery, I took one last look around. The room was more than just a showcase for Mom\u2019s talent. It was a testament to the power of love\u2026 real love\u2026 to nurture and uplift. And as I followed Mom and John to the kitchen, laughing at some joke he\u2019d made, I felt truly at home for the first time in years.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Father Got Mad When Mom Painted Instead of Doing Chores \u2013 What I Saw in Her House after the Divorce Made Me Gasp My Dad always hated my Mom\u2019s painting obsession, believing she was only fit to cook and clean. After their divorce, I stepped into her new home and discovered something that took my\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":84805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[855],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-84779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-story"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/160.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}