The cabin was cozy, Katherine could certainly admit that. There were contrasting energies that seemed to meld into one another, a simplicity and functionality that must have been Eivind's paired with Blue's almost chaotic bouts of brightness and color. Though the living room was clean and pleasantly uncomplicated, the rest of the downstairs area showed evidence of Blue's creative presence. A small painting spot had been set up in the far corner of the main room, with a half-finished canvas on an easel over a tarp covering the wooden floor. A stack of sketchbooks sat beneath the coffee table in front of her and her daughters, next to a tin of tinted graphite pencils. Katherine had remembered Blue begging for the set once, unable to convince his father that such a purchase was necessary. Louis had claimed it was "ridiculous" to spend $75 on a box of pencils, and Katherine had silently agreed. Though the cabin didn't exude any sense of opulence--quite the opposite, in fact--the quality of the furniture and the various art supplies Katherine could spot around the home gave the impression that whatever money Eivind had, he wasn't opposed to spending it on her son.<br/><br/>Katherine and the girls said their hellos, making customary polite small talk. "Oh, it was all right," Katherine replied, noting the limp in Eivind's walk as he approached. "Your directions were incredibly helpful. Once we got on the correct road, it was an easy trip all the way down. I admit, I didn't expect you to live so far out. Doesn't that make your contracting job difficult?"<br/><br/>Blue laughed awkwardly, biting his lower lip as he helped his lover settle down next to him on the loveseat while the women reclined on the long couch. "Well, Eivind doesn't actually do all of the physical stuff himself. He's the owner, so there are employees who go out into the city and work on the contracts. He does do some, and helps with the lumbering part. Eivind is extremely skilled, though. He built this cabin."<br/><br/>"Holy shit, that's awesome!" Chrys spat out, a wide grin on her face. "Blue, you nabbed yourself a mountain man. I didn't know that was your type."<br/><br/>"Chrysanthemum," Katherine lightly scolded, though Chrys was too busy giggling with her older sister.<br/><br/>"Is that your banister?" Little Bird asked, directing her family's attention in the direction of her pointing finger. Blue nodded, and the women stood to go look and admire Blue's work, oohing and ahhing where appropriate as they ran their hands along the painted and glazed wood.<br/><br/>"I suppose not all of your story about how you two met was untrue?" Katherine uttered, more playful than bitter. Blue's face turned scarlet as he stood back watching.<br/><br/>"Well, Eivind didn't really hire me to paint the banister. He sort of just... gave me a bunch of paint and told me to do whatever I wanted. That's what I came up with."<br/><br/>"It's beautiful, Stormy."<br/><br/>"Thanks, Mom." A hint of a smile passed across Blue's face, a tiny sign of happiness before the family was ushered to the relatively unused dining table. Tableware was set out and Blue used a large ladle to serve heaping portions of beef stew into bowls while a plate with freshly baked biscuits was set in the middle of the table. Blue now understood why Eivind had suggested making extra large portions for dinner that night under the guise of having "leftovers." Blue's family was similar to him in their eating habits for the most part, with Katherine and Little Bird eating in small portions. Chrysanthemum, on the other hand, would do well with the larger serving.<br/><br/>As everyone began to dig in, Katherine turned her attention squarely on Eivind. Part of the reason why she wanted to accept Eivind's dinner invitation was to check in on how Blue was doing, but also to get more information about Eivind now that all pretenses had pretty much been destroyed. Eivind and Blue had come clean about how they had met (as far as Katherine knew, anyway), and figuring out the lies from the truth was important to her in regards to coming to terms with their relationship. Blue looked healthy. His skin was bright and clear and his body, while still skinny and lean, looked fuller than Katherine could remember seeing in years.<br/><br/>"Eivind, you have a charming home here. It's covered with Blue's art, all of his supplies. That must have been an odd transition. Most couples get to know one another before they move in and expose one another to all their habits, hobbies, and idiosyncrasies."