[ WP ] The running faucet

5:00 rolls around, which means it's clean-up time in the daycare. Clapping my hands, I sing out in my fake, high pitched voice, `` Alright kiddos, mommy and daddy will be here soon so lets finish up our drawings and put everything back where it belongs!'' 
 
 Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a tuft of wispy blonde hair accelerating towards me. `` Your hair's sticking up again, Tim'' I say, bending down to make contact with his blue and innocent eyes. He grins and presents to me his latest masterpiece, which looks like a blur of red, green, and blue, hastily done in watercolor on a piece of A4 letter paper. 
 
 `` Look what I drew mister!'' he says proudly. 
 
 `` Its beautiful,'' I reply, as we walk to the bulletin board. `` Is that a rainbow?'' His eyes light up. 
 
 `` Yup!'' 
 
 *Nailed it. * I triumphantly push the thumbtacks in, positioning the painting next to the firetruck which I could have sworn was a house. `` Why do n't you go rinse off the paintbrushes? I'll help you put them away on the shelves when you're done.'' 
 
 He scampers off, and I take a minute to appreciate the fine artwork laid out on in front of me. A flower. A sunset. His dog Patches. I hear a startled yelp, and look over to the sink, where the cold water is blasts out of the faucet, spraying onto Timothy's shirt. 
 
 `` That's a lot of water!'' he says, between giggles. `` Think of all the painting I could do. I could paint forever!'' 
 
 As I turn down the faucet, I think about my own bulletin board, now empty, save for to-do notes and deadlines when bills are due. I think about how I had to take this job to help pay those bills, even though I'm not particularly fond of children. I think about my own paintings, noticed by no one, and collecting dust in the back of my closet. 
 
 The water stops and I dry off the paintbrushes before boxing them up and returning them to the shelf. I ruffle Timothy's hair, and it sticks up more than before. 
 
 `` That's right,'' I say. `` As long as there's water, you can keep painting. Show me what you draw tomorrow too okay?''
