We joined the group, each of us was handed a paintbrush. Standing in front of the canvas, I felt decidedly out of my element. Emma, on the other hand, seemed right at home.

She dipped her brush in the paint and made a bold stroke on the canvas. “See? Easy,” she said, glancing at me with a playful challenge in her eyes.

I took a deep breath and made a tentative mark next to hers. “I’m more of a numbers guy,” I confessed. “Art was never my strong suit.”

Emma ...