“Dad! Come on!” I shout.
I turn on the TV in the den and settle into my side of the couch with a bowl of cheese curls. I move the ottoman with my feet so it’s in just the right spot. Dinky accordion music plays, and the camera pans across a wall of canvases. The paintings show windows, crystal glasses, and chandeliers, all painted with starry highlights.
“Dad! It’s starting!”
Dad stands in the doorway with the newspaper while the Light-Teacher begins his introduction: “Even if you’ve never held a paintbrush. Even if you’ve never learned to draw. You can become a—”
“Billy! What are you watching this for?”
Dad blocks my view as he switches off the TV. Then he goes back to the living room to read.