The past is the past was one of the worst platitudes ever uttered by a fool trying to sound like a sage. Even if this overused cliche was not worn out, the advice in it was useless. People would use this saying to try to push an issue under the rug. Not treating the past with respect was just ignoring your life to move on. In fact, following those so-called words of wisdom had a high probability of damaging someone. An insightful person would know the best way to follow the path of Confucius was to study the past if they wanted to divine the future.

Fred was an insightful person so Lori coming down so early for breakfast was like an artist and drew his attention. Lori starting her day this early was out of character for her. She loved to sleep in some when on vacation. Her reasoning was sound, a vacation was supposed to be relaxing. There was also another reason Lori becoming an early riser was odd. Last night was a late one. Everyone knew that teenagers loved sleep almost as much as being connected to social media via their smartphone.

Fred’s concern started to build when she mentioned her intentions of joining him and Luke going to the beach. Lori’s dad almost said no. There was no way he was going to let Lori anywhere near Luke and his friends. Her wanting to be around them had to be so she could somehow put Luke down. Instead of going with his instincts, Fred asked Lori why. He had to give Lori the benefit of the doubt, she was making so much progress in growing as a person.

One of the great parenting side benefits of being a disciplinarian instead of a punisher was that your child would be more open with you. In this case, Lori did not know her dad was suspicious so between spoonfuls of her cereal Lori said. “I want to go get some shells for Ming.”

Then during the rest of the meal, Lori’s face brightens as much as the morning sun when talking about her plans and her hopes for the outcome. The girl who was turning over a new leaf was going to take her tablet so she could label the shells. She also wanted to see why Luke made a big deal about seeing the sunrise. This inquisitive reason was a sign Lori was beginning to feel empathy for Luke. She wanted to better understand her brother. Lori wanting to understand walking in Luke’s shoes made Fred happy. His approach to fixing the issue was working. Both of his children were growing as people. Luke was finding his confidence to go along with his empathy and Lori was losing her arrogance and starting to have more empathy.

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Some hobbies can be defined as using expertise, and knowledge to produce something productive without getting paid. The feeling of pride which came from creation was a great payoff. Greg K.'s pastime was woodworking. He got the love of craftsmanship from his father, Robbie Kite. His dad was an artisan furniture maker and had a workshop in their home. Some of Greg K.'s best memories growing up had the smell of mahogany, oak, and walnut wood tied in with them. Sitting in the workshop the younger Kite saw how much his father loved working with wood. That love of working with wood paled in comparison with Robbie’s love for his son. The elder Kite shared his love of creating high-quality work with the boy to make a connection. This sharing became a joiner to father and son.

Greg K. finding leisure came into play when he saw Lori, on her own, collecting certain seashells by the seashore. At that moment he did not know he was going to make a connection with Lori. All Greg K. wanted was to go talk with Lori to make her feel more welcomed. Yes, she made a bad decision in telling Luke’s secret, but that girl started to make amends. Her giving those VIP tickets to Eck and Lil made it so Greg K. could give her another chance. People needed to be rewarded when they do the right thing.

Lori eased her way into talking to Greg K. The shame she was feeling made her. She felt unworthy of Greg K.’s time. Then after explaining what and who the collection was for, Greg became more open. To him, she had to be a lot like Eck if she was going to all this trouble in collecting seashells for a friend. Her being like her brother deep down meant she had to have what it took to be part of Cove Crew.

Greg K. had to help the good parts of Lori’s personality come to the surface. He knew a great way, make a display case with driftwood. This was not entirely out of the goodness of Greg K’s kind heart. Yes, he would be helping Lori in her journey on becoming a better person, but also he would have a reason to do his hobby. Plus, with how the project was pressed for time Greg K.’s dad would help.

Lori was touched. Greg K.’s kindness was amazing. It was also coming off as a strength to her. The boy talking with her was coming off more confident. Still, Lori politely turned down the offer, she did not feel like she deserved the offer. Her denial only made Greg K. become more assertive. He gave his reasons, making sure to put a strong emphasis on how making the display case benefited him.

When Lori saw that Greg K. was acting in a win-win manner she happily relented. Her brother’s friend doing something he loved could not be denied. That this display case was going to be a labor of love, also made Ming’s gift feel special. Her friend deserved something as unique as a driftwood display case filled with seashells. Lori wanted the gift to be as important to Ming as his love of nature.

Lori did insist on one thing, that she came to the workshop and help out however she could. Assisting would be a sign of genuine appreciation and that Lori was not taking advantage of the act of kindness. Being Greg K. and his dad’s helper would also add to the personal touch of the gift. This souvenir was like the shirt she was getting her boyfriend Blake. To Lori that was an obligation, something a girlfriend on vacation did. This memento was freely given and a way for Ming to remember their shared love of nature.

On the way back home to start the project, Greg K. called Shy over. The woodworker had a vision of the display case of his friend that could help. Shy wanted to be a graphic artist and she could come up with a fitting way to design the name cards. Shy also would want to help in bringing out the best in Lori. Lastly, Greg K. was sweet on Shy and just wanted to spend time with her.

Shy was more than happy to work on the project. Lori doing this for a friend raised Shy’s opinion of her. This would be a good way for those two to be on better terms. Working on the project would be fun. Shy already had an idea for the back of the display case. She could put a Bob Ross style painting of the cove on it. This was of course if Lori would agree. Lastly, she was sweet on Greg K. and just wanted to spend time with him.

Lori was touched once again by how quickly Shy said yes. This time she did not fight it. Why say no when she knew that answer would not be taken. After hearing Shy’s plan for the back of the display case, Lori eagerly said yes. She thanked both of them, and was so happy that what started as a little gift to Ming was turning out to be as amazing as her friend. Then it dawned on her, the gift was going to be amazing because amazing people were helping her. She was happy that Luke was surrounded by his friends and wished she could find friends like these back at home.

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Robbie Kite was enjoying his workday, how could he not? He had pride in his work. Making a high-quality product makes one feel good about who they are. The smell of the wood was pleasant. The sun shining through the skylights added warmth to his workplace. The biggest reason this was a great work day was that Robbie found a way to make a passion of his into a successful business. Also, he was ahead of where he wanted to be on his orders, so he could take his time.

Most small business owners would be freaking out if there was a 9 month waiting period for an order to be fulfilled. Not Robbie. He knew it fit his business model. The pieces he created were not only high quality, they were a status symbol and a conversation piece. A work of art done by an expert artisan craftsman should have a wait. The delay between the order and delivery of the product was needed. The best way to stay in high demand was to have a high demand. His furniture workshop was a high-end boutique.

The good work day got better when Robbie’s son walked into the studio with Shy and a new girl. The master carpenter was able to see directly the fruit of his labor. He worked hard to provide a good life for his family. The reason why his son was here also raised the quality of the day. Greg K. was going to work on a project. This would be like a grindstone and sharpen his son’s skills.

As Greg K. was filling in his dad on the display case, Shy gave Lori an informal tour of the workshop. The tour had a long stop at the pile of driftwood twigs and branches. Robbie and his son would collect them on the beach. The driftwood was used whenever it fit with the client’s vision of the commissioned work.

Robbie went over to talk with Lori and Shy. He wanted to get his new client’s take on what the display case and a feel of who she was. This was going to be a work from Kite Studio so it had to not only be of the highest quality, but also, represent the client’s personality.

The conversation changed the project. The information gathered made the display case become a miniature curio cabinet. The new direction of what to make came from how personal Lori wanted the gift and how she was captivated by the branches of driftwood. A miniature curio cabinet added a personal touch by having knobs to open it. The visual sign was an invitation to more closely inspect what the curio was holding. The branches of driftwood could easily be incorporated into a curio cabinet. They could be used to make the broader part of the doors and the knots of woods could be used as the knobs.

The conversation made the creation of Ming’s gift a truly cooperative one. Ideas were more than welcomed, they were encouraged. The feedback about the changes was always positive, even when the changes were not accepted. Lori also felt in charge so she let her creative juices run. She wanted to glue a picture of the cove onto the back panel.

Shy loved the idea, but had a better one. Paint the back panel instead. That would fit the aesthetics of driftwood knobs and panels better than a picture. Painting the back panel would not take long, she would use the Bob Ross Technique. When giving her suggestion, Shy made sure not to come off as her forceful self. She did not want Lori to feel coerced into accepting.

Lori’s action and not her mouth gave the answer. The hug Shy received was as unexpected as the feeling of true appreciation which was conveyed. Then the answer was finally confirmed by Lori. “That would be great. Thank you Shy for offering and thank you for being Luke’s friend.”

Shy wanted to encourage the positive changes in Lori. She also wanted to get to know which Lori was the real one. The one in front of her now or the Brat Princess which she first met. Even if the former was the real one Shy knew that persona could be used for good. Shy being upfront could be taken as her being a bitch or confident. How people did so depended on how and when was being who she was. “Lori you are welcome. I am going to go to my place and get ready to paint. How about you come over after laying out the door panel design?”

Robbie quickly gave his blessing. Lori was doing more than enough to help with the project. Also, the client leaving would give him time to spend with his son. Having the time to bond with Greg K. was all the payment he needed.

***********

Alice and her sister, Bridget, were starting the brick charcoal BBQ as Fred and Maurice were finishing up the little bit of landscaping those two were doing. The ladies were more than happy to be in charge of the grill. Having the responsibility of cooking gave them time to chat more and their husbands would also help out by doing the rest of the prep work. Them being the grillmasters would also dispel the outdated sexist notion that men cook the BBQ to the guests that were coming. They invited Shy, Greg K, and Lil to have dinner with them.

As Alice and Bridget were waiting for the charcoal chunk to heat up, one of the guests, Shy, arrived early with a surprising companion, Lori. The general good feeling between those two was also unexpected. Just two days ago Lori was also on the wrong side of Shy’s fists. The painted canvas which Lori was carefully carrying was also unforeseen. They knew whatever was on it was important to Lori from the proud tone in her voice when she exclaimed “Mom, Aunt Bridget come see what Shy helped me make for Luke.”

IOn the canvas was a painting Lori made for Luke. After Shy was done painting the curio cabinet back panel she offered to help Lori make a painting. Suggesting an impromptu class was natural to Shy. The artist knew her new friend was intrigued and wanted to foster Lori’s interest in painting. Showing Lori how to paint would be sharing her love of art and Shy loved to share. Lori made a landscape of the Cove and the quality of the novice artist’s painting was impressive. The only thing which impressed Shy even more when Lori declared the painting was going to be a gift to Luke.

Seeing her daughter unabridged gleefulness made Alice deeply concerned. The only other times in all of her memories concerning her children’s relationship where Lori was being this happy concerning Luke, was always bad news for Luke. She called for Fred to come out right away to see what Lori made for Luke. Alice was still in the long process of learning from her mistake and did not want to take a step back.

Lori was too happy with the painting to realize that her mom calling of her dad was to monitor Lori’s shenanigans. Her parents not trusting her intention were good never crossed Lori’s mind. A person would never think they are being checked up on, if they do not see how what they were doing was wrong. Also Lori was thinking about how

Calling her dad was a great idea to Lori. She did wish she thought of it also. Before Lori would have wanted her dad to see the painting so he praised her growing as a person. Now Lori wanted her dad to see the painting to see if he agreed with her about it. That her brother would like it. This painting meant a lot to Lori.

Making this work of art was part of Lori’s journey into quitting seeing Luke as her nemesis and as her ally. The painting was a peace offering from her. The gift was a physical manifestation of the Treaty of the Cove, the ending of the War of the Twins. This gesture was the beginning toward the normalization of the relationship between her and her brother.

Another factor in the importance of this painting to Lori was her newfound friendship with Shy. They might have only spent an afternoon together, but that time made them close. The time together alone and just being themselves helped the two girls see who each other was. Shy saw Lori was trying to live up to unrealistic expectations placed on her by her mother. The Brat Princess was just a character to earn the love and praise of her mom. Lori saw that Shy’s brashness came from her need to be upfront for any attention from her parents. Shy’s mom and dad were too worried about their careers and social life to freely give Shy their precious time and attention. Shy had to demand any meaningful interactions with her parents.

Fred's uneasy feeling about Lori's happiness went away by being greeted by Shy who was standing next to Lori. Lori’s new friend had a huge smile on her face. There was no way that Shy would show approval of anything bad happening to Luke. He knew enough about Lori’s new friend that his daughter would not be able to deceive her.

Lori then unveiled her masterpiece. The small gallery of onlookers were in awe. Alice wanted to rush to give high praise to her daughter but waited. She had a bias towards Lori and wanted to make sure her initial reaction was correct. Fred then confirmed his wife’s opinion by saying “Lori, that painting is beautiful. I know Luke will love it.”

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After a long day at the beach surfing, Luke and Mary were looking forward to the cookout. Spending time with Luke’s family and two of their closest friends as they were getting some grub were going to be some good food with great people. Hamburger, hotdogs, corn on the cob, coleslaw and banana pudding would tastefully satisfy their hunger. The people around will be a spice to enhance the time spent together. Even Lori being there was not going to bring them down. Those two would just treat her like a vegetable tray, go nowhere near her.

The presenting of Lori's gift was not going to be till after the meal. The waiting was getting to Lori. She so wanted Luke to like the painting. Luke was staying away from her. Anytime she made an effort to move towards him Luke positioned more obstacles in her way. Lori wanted to start talking to her brother now. She needed her brother to know how much him getting that VIP treatment to Boyz+1 meant to her. She also wanted to hear about his day. Luke was so good on that surfboard and getting more stories would be more to share. Thinking of sharing the stories then brought Lori off of her feel-good wave. Who could she tell the tales of her curly haired brother being king of waves with. Her boyfriend and her friends still saw Luke as Luka.

Fred kept an eye on Lori. Tonight was vital to his daughter’s growth as a person. In a perfect world, Luke would openly accept the gift no questions asked. Sadly we do not live in a perfect world and the past is not the past. It has an effect on the present. The probability of Luke questioning his sister’s intent was well-founded. Luke had the right to think that Lori was going to pull a Lucy and yank that football away as he was going to kick it.

Seeing Lori’s frustration growing was a sign for Fred to talk to her now. Frustration being met led to bad outcomes without the right support system in place. He wanted Lori to get in the mindset to hope for the best but expect the worse. The important part is she is trying and that will open Luke up more to her. That at this moment her brother might not accept Lori as much as she wished. The biggest way to ensure getting the desired results was not to make the gift-giving about her.

Hearing those words soothed Lori. The desire to be in her brother’s spotlight was gone. She was also happy that other people were giving him more attention than she was getting. Luke’s smile on his face was brighter than Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe. The shine from that smile became the only spotlight that was important to Lori.

After everyone was done talking Fred gave Alice a look. Those two were married long enough that simple face gestures between them could be an entire detailed conversation. Alice got up and fulfilled her husband’s silent request. “Luke, Lori has something she wants to give you. Lori go get that painting.”

As the aspiring artist got her gift, Luke just sat there. He was processing the situation. His mom and Lori had to be up to something. Looking for guidance, Luke made eye contact with his dad. Fred knew the uncertainty of the situation meant he had to speak. Not being sure always clouded non-verbal communication. “Come here son, I know you will like it.”

Luke saw the painting and it proved his dad wrong. Luke did not like it, he loved it. The painting was that of a sunrise at the Cove. Lori was able to capture the beauty of the place where Luke spent his days. The yellow underneath the sun perfectly blended into the bright sky blue above. The support beams, the most important part of the boardwalk, were emphasized. The witness of the wave wash helped bring out the warmth of the light brown sand. There was the little detail of the firepit in the lower left-hand corner with makeshift chairs surrounding it and the orange and red USC bleach blanket. The only flaw was the two black specks in the ocean.

Luke kept on looking at the picture as his sister was explaining it. Lori was so looking for approval, not for herself but the gift. Luke could not pay that much attention as he was touched by the gift. The indifference on Luke’s face made Lori give more details, if she was to reach him. Lori brought up the flaw. Luke was ready to say how much he loved the painting even with that imperfection.

Lori's voice gained strength from seeing a smile on her brother's face. She made progress in connecting with her brother. More importantly, her brother approved of the progress. The smile, that spotlight was on him and she was shining it on him. She then said. “Those silhouettes out in the ocean, those are you and Lil looking for the next wave to ride together.”

Lori knew people well enough to know the hug Luke gave was as sincere as undying love. She also knew that the hug might have been a small gesture but it was a huge breakthrough. She also knew it is not the grandness of the show of affection which is the most important, but how heartfelt it is. A flower given to a mom from her child was a bigger act of caring than a greenhouse from a billionaire.

After the hug, Lori was not treated like a vegetable tray by Luke and his friends. She became the banana pudding. Even with being a wanted part of the group, Lori made sure that this night, the conversation was about her brother. That was how it should be.