Apples Green. That will be it. Not the dining table, but the stairs I’m going to paint. When the children are on the road with Jochem for a few days next week, because it is May holidays, I can enjoy myself in the house. Painting the stairs is a hassle, but if I make sure I don’t have to go upstairs, it’s doable. I’ll probably be able to spend the night with Miranda. Or two.
I take a picture of two color samples, both very green, but also slightly different, and send it to Miranda. Which one for the stairs? I ask. Meanwhile, I fill my cart with masking tape, sandpaper, rollers, block brushes and containers.
Ping!
A burst of laughter emoji, from Miranda.
Mean itI send back, with a smiley smiley.
She types and stops. And types and stops.
“Then not,” I think to myself. And in the end I opt for grass green instead of apple green.
I drive home with my trunk full. Mats and Nine are both still behind the tablet, just as I expected. “Would you like to come and help me?” I ask. But they both just sigh. “Guys!” I shout fiercely, and only now do they both look up from their screens. It’s not even that I’m too bad to walk twice myself, it’s about the principle.
“Are we going to do that now?” Mats asks enthusiastically when he sees the paint cans.
“Can,” I say. He’s already picking at the lid. “In order to paint, you have to sand first. Then clean and then you can paint.”
“I already want to paint,” says Mats.
“Start sanding”, I laugh.
That turns out to be a bad move in smooth motherhood, because I’m not at all prepared for this scene myself. The hall is still full of coats and shoes and in no time everything is covered in dust.
Nine also helps and after some quick masking, the three of us are sanding the steps. Delicious without screens.
“It’s nice, the three of us”, says Nine and I laugh.
“Well!” she says exasperated.
“That’s right sweetie, I like it too. I just have to laugh because you sound so grown up all of a sudden.”
“Oh.”
“And that’s fun,” I add. “It just surprises me for a moment.”
“Do you like it too Mats?”
“I already have three steps down”, he shouts proudly.
“Well say!” I call. “If we keep going like this, we’ll be ready in an hour.”
“I hope the three of us will be together for a long time to come,” says Nine.
“Forever sweetheart,” I say. “We will stay together forever.”
When the children are finally in bed at half past nine, I call Miranda.
“How’s it going today?” I ask. Her voice sounds cool and brittle. “Not so great”, she agrees with my feeling. “I’m still so tired. So tired. So I also want to propose to our get together move with the children to King’s Day. Good?”
“Sure,” I say. Although I do regret it. “Can I do something for you?”
“No, it’s okay. What did you do today?”
So I tell about the tour to the hardware store and the sanding of the stairs.
“It sounds like I can never live in the same house with you”, Miranda laughs.
Her comment goes straight to my heart. ouch.
“That greenery, you’re tired of that after six months, haven’t you?”
“No,” I say. “If not, I’ll paint it over again.”
A moment later in bed, Miranda’s words still echo. What touches me so much? It’s not a problem that she doesn’t like green, right? Then why do I feel hurt?