Chapter 3
Jasper
Iwasn’t sure what to expect when Gio led me away from the table.
Though, this evening had gone so differently than anything I could have expected so far.
Gio's family was a diverse bunch with a variety of body types, skin tones, hair color. None of them looked like Gio, so it was hard to know how they were all related, but the few times I heard the others call Gio, Papa, it stirred something inside me. There was clear affection and adoration on both sides of the table, and they all talked and teased, with the exception of the quiet Noah. The easy camaraderie was enviable; a far cry from any dinner I’d ever attended with my family.
Walking beyond the house, Gio led me through a large flower field.
“It’s just over here, about a hundred yards from the main house.
With the sun setting, we shouldn’t see any bees at this point, but if you do, just remember to stay calm and don’t panic.
They really don’t want anything to do with you, though they might be attracted to the bright colors of your clothing. ”
“Right, probably not the best outfit to wear to a beekeeper’s house.”
“I think you look great.” Gio's dark brown eyes flicked to mine before darting away. He coughed lightly and pressed on. “The barn is right over here.”
I thought I caught a glimpse of color on his cheeks, but with the setting sun, I couldn't be sure.
His kids seemed to have an opinion about us, though, which was charming, and I certainly wouldn't be opposed to anything.
Gio had short trimmed gray and black hair, more gray than black.
He wore it parted on the side and combed neatly.
The hair paired with the adorable silver-framed glasses gave him Daddy vibes for sure. Or… Papa. “So they're your kids, huh?”
“Well, yes, but not officially. We're family by choice, even if there's no paperwork to show it. My door has always been open to anyone who needs it, and these kids… they found me in different ways, but were all needing some sort of support. Some came looking for work, others needed an ear, a refuge, or a place to land. Whether they stay for good or only for a while, they all know my door is open anytime.”
I stared at him in awe. The dynamic he presented was so vastly different from what I'd known growing up where playdates were arranged and everything had to be scheduled. There was no dropping in unannounced, even now, as an adult.
“Anyway, here we are.” Gio brought me to a large wooden barn, which was exactly that: a barn.
He lifted the latch that secured the two big doors and swung one open.
It was dark inside, and in any other situation, approaching a dark barn in the middle of nowhere would feel like a scene from a horror movie.
With Gio's calm demeanor and comforting presence, my curiosity won out over my flight response.
He reached inside, hand sliding along the wall until I heard him turn a dial, and a long fluorescent bar light illuminated the space. Aside from a few tools leaning against the wall, and some old stalls that might have been used for animals, the space was empty.
Gio spread his arms out and turned to face me. “Well, what do you think?”
“It's pretty cool, I suppose, but I guess I'm a little confused why you're showing it to me.”
“There's no plumbing, but there's a water pump outside, and as you can see, it has electricity. As far as ventilation, there aren't any windows, but there are vent screens near the roof and the doors open.” Gio quirked his mouth to the side and scanned the area. “I'm not sure about gas, though.”
I walked further into the structure, trying to see what he was looking at. “I'm sorry, but I'm not sure we're on the same page. Can you break it down for me?”
Gio gave me a crooked smile and a slight nod as he stepped closer to me. His arm hooked over my shoulder and he held the other hand out toward the empty space. “Your shop, Jasper. Will it work?”
“My shop?” It took a moment for his meaning to hit me and I whirled towards him. “My shop! You can't be serious. Are you serious?”
The man chuckled and his eyes glimmered behind his glasses.
“Yes, I'm serious. It's been sitting vacant for a long time.
I never really knew what to do with the space except to use it for storage.
Even then, most of the equipment I need for processing the honey and byproducts are used frequently, so I keep them more accessible in the temperature-controlled garage-turned-factory.
There's no A/C out here and it gets wickedly hot.”
“Oh, heat isn't a problem. I'm used to standing in front of a blazing glory hole.”
Gio coughed and sputtered in surprise. “A what?”
I let out a laugh. Okay, I could admit I loved the term and it was fun to say, especially around non-glass people. “Glory hole. It's part of the burner unit, like a furnace with an opening that lets you work your piece in the fire.”
“Ah. I see. Would your, um, glory hole work here?”
Hearing the phrase from this sweet man’s lips had me wanting to giggle, until the reality of what he was offering set in.
I walked the space, imagining all of my equipment here.
It was a big building and was bare enough to be a blank canvas, which, unless I'd been able to find a shop no longer in use, I would have had to start from scratch anyway. My head bobbed slowly.
“Yeah, I think it could. This is a great space. Almost perfect, actually. I mean, it's going to take a little makeover to turn it into a functioning hot shop, but, yeah… it could definitely work.”
Staring at the space, I imagined it would cost tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, to create a shop that fit my vision exactly.
Which, honestly, was cheap in the long run.
Once it was set and ready, my only costs would be rent, upkeep, and of course, paying for the materials.
Glass was an expensive venture, but the pay-off made it all worth it.
Gio clapped his hands together, pulling my attention away from the shop I could practically picture. “Well, it's settled then.”
I turned to find him watching me with a look of admiration. “It is?”
“Yup. The place is yours if you want it.”
Overwhelmed by the suddenness of my dream potentially becoming a reality, I leapt toward him, and threw my arms around him.
With my eyes welling with tears, I word-vomitted all over his black shirt.
“Holy shit! Gio, I don't even know what to say.
This is huge, and so unexpected. You have no idea what this means to me.
Why are you even doing this? Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm looking and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Shit, I'm so flabbergasted I can't even keep my idioms straight.”
Gio chuckled and held me, his arms folding around me.
His head leaned against mine briefly, making the hug feel more intimate than the moment necessarily called for, but fuck, I was totally okay with that.
I was damn near ready to kiss the man. Instead, I managed some composure and pulled away, wiping the corners of my eyes.
“Sorry about that. You're really sure, though? I can pay. Whatever you deem appropriate, I’ll pay it.
Money isn't really an object, but real estate has been.
I don't want you to feel obligated or anything, though.
We hardly know each other yet, but I'd really like to, and I would hate for something like this to ruin the friendship we might be able to build. No shop is worth that.”
Gio smiled and nodded. “I'm sure, Jasper.
The barn has been sitting empty for a long time, it would be nice to know it's being put to use.
You're welcome to do whatever you need to in order to make it fit your needs.
I don't need your money, Jasper, that's not what I'm doing this for, but… friendship? I’ll definitely take you up on that.”
“Damn, Gio. Just… wow. You're blowing my mind right now. At least let me pay for the utilities, okay? The building might just be sitting here, but bills can add up, especially with the usage I might require. I won't take no for an answer.”
His smile grew slightly. “All right. It's a deal.”
The burden and stress I'd been carrying suddenly lifted and I was a giant step closer to making my glassblowing career come to fruition. I felt light and giddy and immediately started making a to-do list in my head.”Would it be okay if I brought in a contractor to help me make a plan?”
“Sure, whatever you need. Just give me a heads up so I know when to expect someone coming on the property, and make sure you warn them about the bees.”
“Your bees! Oh my God, I forgot. Are they going to be okay with the smoke and fumes?”
“The apiary, where they have their hives, is about a mile away, near a copse of trees at the edge of the property.
The trees provide needed shade, but they spend a lot of time closer to the house, where the flower fields are.
I think there's enough distance between the barn and the flowers that it should be fine.
In more urban apiaries bees regularly navigate the smells and sounds of city life.
They're pretty smart and they always find a way.”
“Okay, good. I would hate to think that my presence would upset them. If that were the case, it wouldn't be worth the risk, and I would continue my search elsewhere.”
Gio shook his head. “No need for that. You're staying. And I don't think anything could be upset by your presence.”
My heart leapt in my chest. One evening with this man and his family and I felt more welcome than I had with the people who raised me. “Oh, you're a sweet-talker. You better be careful, Gio, or you're not going to be able to get rid of me.”
He shrugged. “I don't get rid of people.”
I couldn't help but smile at his casual statement, like it was the simplest concept in the world, and to him, it probably was. “No, you don't. You collect them.”
Gio ran a hand through his hair. “I suppose so.”
I'd never wanted to be a part of a collection so badly.
There was a reason those kids kept coming back and I was starting to see it already.
The same reason I had chanced a call to him in the first place with no idea of how it would turn out.
Gio felt safe and welcoming, even from the first moment I met him at Heartcraft.
“We'd better head back in before their imaginations get the best of them,” Gio stated.
“Can't have that.” With a chuckle, I hooked my arm through his and let him lead me back to the house. As we walked away from the barn, I looked over my shoulder, letting out a sigh, as the weight sloughed off of me. A shop. I would have an actual fucking shop. It didn't seem real.
After fielding a series of questions upon our return, the group was overwhelmingly pleased to hear that I would be setting up shop in the barn.
It felt amazing to not only have good news, but to have a group to share it with.
As much as I would love to show my family that I was pushing forward with this plan, I didn't have the same urge to run and tell them.
I couldn't do it without something tangible to show them or it would be a waste of breath and energy.
Instead, I got to share my plans with a group of young adults and teens that I hadn't known before today, and it had been incredible.
Gio was mostly quiet through the rest of the dinner as I rambled on like a duck all hyped up on frozen peas.
I caught him watching me a few times, though.
He wore a look of awed admiration that made warmth bloom through my entire body.
Perhaps it was because he just handed me the keys to unlock my dream, or maybe because it was nice to have such devoted attention from an attractive and kind man.
I would have liked to hang onto that feeling a bit longer, but I was no longer fully present.
With so much on my mind, I knew I would have a late night, or early morning, or perhaps both.
I doubted I would get any sleep with the plans brewing and my mental to-do list growing.
As much as I loved the energy and congeniality of Gio and his kids, I was ready to head home and get my plans on paper.
“Thank you all for a wonderful evening. Gio, you especially. I think I should head home and start getting my affairs in order. I have a lot of work to do to get the barn ready.”
As I stood, everyone else did, too, and soon I found myself being hugged by the five young people. Eduardo hugged me last and whispered in my ear. “I like you, Jasper. I think you're going to be good for Papa Gio.”
It was a sweet sentiment, one that made my leaping heart do another jump. Not sure how to respond, I simply said, “Thanks.”
Gio placed his hand under my elbow and guided me to the front door away from the lurking crew. When we were out of earshot, he said softly, “I'm glad you called today.”
“Shit, me too. You know I would have been content with just dinner, right? You didn't have to go and give me a barn.”
“And yet, I did.” He smirked slightly.
I was still in disbelief over the whole thing, it didn't feel real. “Not that I'm not ridiculously grateful, but I still don't understand why.”
Gio adjusted his glasses and glanced back at his kids before saying, “I had someone very important to me who taught me that the things you have only hold value when you share it with others. What good is a house or a pot or a barn if they're empty?”
When everything had a monetary value for my family and worth was measured by the number of zeroes in your paycheck, it was a completely foreign and utterly refreshing concept that had me in awe. “Sounds like a wonderful person.”
Gio smiled wistfully. “Yes, he was.”
I stepped into Gio and his arms wrapped around me, drawing me in tight. I let myself relax against him for a moment before breaking apart. “Thank you, again, truly. This means the world to me. I'll probably be by soon with someone to walk the barn and get an estimate, but I'll let you know.”
“No problem. Have a good night.”
I smiled wide. “You, too, Gio.”
My feet barely touched the ground with how light I felt on my way to the Jeep. Just as I reached it, Gio called out, “Jasper?”
Facing him, I replied, “Yeah?”
“Dinner is at six-thirty every night. You're welcome to join us whether you're already here or not. You don't need to call ahead for that, just show up.”
“Thank you.” The words didn't feel big enough for the gesture or how much it meant to me.
His sincere and generous offer cracked something open in me.
I'd never had a friend whose house I could show up at whenever I wanted, and it gave me the feeling of home in a way I wasn't used to.
How had I been lucky enough to find such a genuine and caring individual?