She took a breath and took the phone, holding it up and looking out at the room. She could definitely help them find fixtures and flooring and a bar top and shelves like this.
Ellie stepped up on the little footstool she kept behind the bar because she was too short to reach across the top. She leaned onto her elbows. Leo propped an elbow on the bar and also focused on Caroline fully.
“Okay, well, we could…” But she couldn’t even finish the sentence. She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don’t think you should do this."
Ellie and Leo both looked at her in surprise.
"You don't think we should do what?" Leo asked.
"I don't think you should redecorate. At least, not this drastically. I understand that you want to put that wall back together, but the way you have it decorated is…you. And I think that the spaces where people spend a lot of their time should reflect who they are. Whether it's their home or their business. People should have a space that makes them feel happy and comfortable and like it's where they belong. I know this isn't your house, but this place almost seems more like a home to you and your family than anywhere else."
Ellie was looking at her with a soft smile. "So what do you think we should do?"
"Well, you could paint that wall. It would be nice in a little brighter color. Maybe a lighter tan or even a cream color. But something simple. It's just a backdrop. What I think is important is what you put on it. These are the things that are important to you,” Caroline said, indicating the posters, banners, and photos. “The things that make up your life. I don't think you should change it."
"But other bars and restaurants have a theme to their decor. Like sports bars have sports teams. Other bars might have a more local theme like a railroad or a music theme," Leo said. "We talked about maybe putting up a bayou theme in here. Boats and fishing gear and things like that."
Caroline nodded. "I understand that. The bayou is a huge part of your life and the local lifestyle. And people might come in here because of the bayou, but they don't fall in love with it and come back because of that. They fall in love and come back because they feel like a part of the family. Because they feel welcome and accepted here. That's what all of this represents." She gestured to encompass all of the photographs they had hanging on the wall. "I think these photographs are key. The posters and sports banners are great, but these photographs need to stay for sure."
"So just repaint the wall and stick this all back up?" Leo said. "That seems easy enough."
Caroline was studying the wall and an idea occurred to her. She slid off her stool and crossed to the wall. She pulled one of the photographs down. One that she'd been looking at for a couple of days and that she really liked for some reason. She carried it back over to Leo. "Tell me about this photo."
Leo smiled as he looked at it. "Well, that's me and Danny Allain.” He pointed to the two men standing on the airboat in the background. “Danny was Cora's husband. My best friend. We started Boys of the Bayou way back in the day. And these boys on the dock are Josh, Owen, Sawyer, Mitch, Fletcher, Zeke, and Zander." He pointed to each one as he named them.
Caroline nodded. "And what do you think about when you see this photo?"
"Same thing I thought about every time we had those boys down on that dock when they were kids. How they reminded us that even though we had to worry about bills, and deadlines and due dates, and things like illnesses and repairs, there was always another day with a bright blue sky and a big warm sun, and more laughter and smiles to come."
Caroline swallowed hard. "See, that's the feeling you give all the people who come down here. Like I said, they come for the bayou, but they leave with that feeling. If we were to put a frame around this photo in any color, what color do you think it should be?"
"Sky blue," Leo said. "For sure. That's the color I think of when I look at that photo."
Caroline nodded, feeling strangely emotional.
She turned and looked at the wall again. Then back to Leo and Ellie. "One of the things I love best about this room is all of the mismatched furniture. All the different styles and colors in the furniture is just like all the different kinds of people who come in here and sit down and eat and drink and laugh. It’s also like all the different people and personalities in your family who all come together and make one big crazy group. I think you should leave that exactly as it is. And I think we should frame each of these photos in a different colored frame and hang them back up on this wall."
Leo and Ellie stared at her for a long moment. Then they looked at each other, then back to Caroline. Finally Ellie said, "Damn, girl, we were just trying to make conversation with you. But that's amazing."
Caroline felt her cheeks heat. "My God, you don't have to do any of that.” She’d gotten carried away. She pressed her hands to her face. "It was really fun just brainstorming. A lot of times people I work for don't get involved in the ideas. They just tell me to go do whatever I want and throw money at it. I never get to actually talk with them about what's important or what they care about. It's never this personal. But you don’t have to listen to me at all. No hard feelings.”
Leo shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. We’re definitely gonna do all of that."
Caroline pressed her lips together and regarded these two people who were loving and outgoing and completely accepting and had made her feel welcome and taken care of in her time here. "Can I tell you a secret?" she finally asked.
Leo nodded. "Lots of people do."
"I'm not really an interior designer. I didn't study for that in school. It's really just a hobby. I don't actually know what I'm doing."
"Well, can I tell you a secret?"
"Of course."
"I had no intention of painting any walls when you walked in here, but you’ve convinced me. Now I can’t wait." Leo slid off his stool with a chuckle.
"Well, if you're serious, I think this is the first time I've ever actually designed something legitimate. Something that would actually matter to the person I’m doing it for."
"I’d say this is about as legitimate as it can get. You took something that was really meaningful to us and made it even more special."
Caroline grinned, feeling warmth spread through her chest.
"I'm heading up to get paint, you okay with a cream color?" Leo asked Ellie.
"Yep. And I'm gonna call Beau and see if he can make us some custom frames. He's one of the best woodworkers around and he's right here in town," Ellie explained to Caroline. "He's also practically family. His mom is the sister of one of our daughters-in-law."
Caroline shook her head. It seemed everybody in town was connected to the Landrys in some way or another.
"Leo?" Caroline asked. "Can I…”
"What?"
"Can I help you paint?"
He shook his head. "You don't have to do that."
She nodded. "Yeah, I know. But I want to. I never actually do any of this. I never get my hands dirty. I order stuff from furniture companies and art galleries. We hire painters and people to put in the new flooring and fixtures. I never actually do any of it or feel a part of it. I think this would be really fun."