A Big Year for Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Mary Ann Kinsinger Page A

wore rose-colored glasses with Aaron Yoder.
    â€œThat’s not all bad, Lily. Hannah is just believing the best about a person.”
    Just as Lily opened her mouth to explain that where Aaron Yoder was concerned, it was best to assume the worst about him, a horrible crash came from upstairs. A second later, a wailing sound floated down the stairs.
    â€œWhere is Paul?” Mama asked.
    â€œHe had been playing with his toys in the living room.”
    Paul’s cries grew louder. Mama went upstairs and Lily followed. The door to Lily’s bedroom was open and there was Paul sitting on the floor. His mouth and hands were covered with melted chocolate. Beside him was Lily’s little apple dish, broken.
    Mama checked Paul to make sure he wasn’t hurt after tumbling off the desk. Then she took him downstairs to clean him up. Lily sat on her bed with the broken pieces of her candy dish. Tears pricked her eyes. What a disappointment. Her very first day with her new desk had not gone well.
    During supper, Lily told Papa about her broken candy dish. He asked to see the pieces, so she ran upstairs to get them.
    â€œThis shouldn’t be too hard to glue back together,” Papa said, examining the pieces. “It’s a clean break.”
    After dinner, Papa glued Lily’s apple dish. By bedtime, it was back on her desk. It amazed her—Papa could fix anything. But from now on, she was going to keep her door shut tight. Too many nosy little brothers.

15 Lily, the Famous Artist
    O n a Saturday afternoon in October, a whiskered man drove up to Whispering Pines to talk to Papa. Last summer, Papa and Uncle Jacob had built a mini barn for that man and still hadn’t been paid for the work. Lily knew that because she had overheard Papa and Mama talking about it. Now the man was telling Papa that he had lost his job and couldn’t pay him. “I hoped you might accept a barter deal,” the man said to Papa. “I’ve got some things you and your children might like.”
    In the back of the man’s trunk was a box filled with paints, paintbrushes, and books about painting. Lily wanted Papa to take the things. They looked so much more interesting than money. There were also tools and a lawn mower. “Please take the stuff, Papa,” Lily whispered under her breath. “Please take the stuff.”
    Papa stroked his short curly beard, a sign that he was thinkingit over. He took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair. “I hadn’t been planning on buying any of these things.”
    The man shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. “I don’t know when I can pay you.” He looked embarrassed.
    Lily felt sorry for him. Take the stuff, Papa!
    Papa put his hat back on. “Let me go talk to my wife about it.”
    Lily blew air out of her mouth. Mama didn’t like to buy things they didn’t need. Like the goats. Papa had bought the goats from a man in a truck whose wife was mad at him. Mama had not been happy about those goats. They were always causing trouble.
    Papa walked to the house, so Lily and Joseph went to play on the swing. Lily wanted to go inside and help Papa persuade Mama to keep all of that wonderful stuff in the man’s truck. But she knew that wouldn’t do. Papa and Mama liked to make these decisions without her excellent suggestions, she had been told. Once or twice.
    Lily squeezed her eyes tight. Please Mama, don’t say no! She was already imagining what she would paint with those fancy paintbrushes. She was sure if she followed the instructions in those books she would become a great artist.
    Amazingly, when Papa came back outside, he had a big grin on his face. Papa and the man unloaded everything from the back of the truck.
    Later that evening, as soon as the supper dishes were finished, Lily asked Mama if she could start painting.
    Mama smiled. “I’ll help you get started.” She selected a few pieces of