Chapter 16 #2
He met my gaze and we shared a smile. Seeing me sitting in a different spot than usual, I gave a slight indication toward Noah, and Jasper nodded with understanding. When he sat next to Frankie, they reached out and played with the edge of his silky shirt sleeve.
“I want to play in your closet.”
“Sure, kid. Maybe we can do a whole fashion show montage.”
“Really? That sounds so fun!”
“Oh, I want in on that, too.” Nicky exclaimed. “But only after I get to see you do the glass thing. I’m so bummed I missed it earlier.”
“I’d like to see it, too,” Eduardo chimed in.
“Of course! But like I told Yahir, I need you all to promise not to go in and touch anything if I’m not there. You can’t play around when it comes to fire and glass, the risk is too high, and I would hate it if any of you got hurt.”
Everyone mumbled their agreement, and I was just captivated at how easily Jasper had taken to them.
My heart felt so full it could burst. I’d been happy working the farm and getting to be papa, but now, I didn’t have to do it alone.
I had a partner, and it was looking like Jasper was going to be a great parent, too.
For a moment, I envisioned him as a dad.
He was already finding his way as a dad to our kids, but the idea of him holding a child with his same curly hair made my eyes well up.
I blinked hard to force the tears back and chastised myself.
We’d only just agreed to not pretend anymore and already I was picturing our family growing. Ridiculous.
The rest of the evening was full of laughter and conversation, fueling me up with endorphins, and bringing me a sense of tranquility and rightness.
Everything that happened in my life brought me to this moment, right here.
To my husband. My husband. It sounded good before, but even more so now that it wasn’t simply platonic.
When we ended up in bed again that evening, a part of me was anticipating the possibility of more naked fun with Jasper, but his face fell as soon as we were alone. I scooped him into my arms and spent the rest of the night holding him, trying to infuse as much comfort as I could through touch.
It had been a rough night. I was growing used to how much Jasper moved around in his sleep, but it was different this time.
He still crawled all over me and entangled his limbs with mine, but he seemed more agitated.
In the morning, I woke before my alarm and hurried to shut it, not wanting to wake him.
It didn’t seem to matter, because he stirred anyway, letting out a groan.
I kissed his head and murmured, “Sorry if I woke you.”
Jasper yawned. “No. You didn’t, not really. I had a hard time sleeping.”
“Are you thinking about the trust?”
He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the tangles. “Sort of. It’s more my parents. I know I need to do this, but I’m dreading it, too. I don’t know, my head is loud right now.”
A loud head was something I was very familiar with. “I think it’s time you meet Queen Beeatrix.”
Jasper cocked his head, his brows pinched together. “Now?”
I nodded. “Yes. I think it might help.”
He seemed a little uncertain, which was understandable given the turmoil I could see in his eyes. “Okay. I’ve been wanting to see the apiary, I suppose today is as good as any.”
I cupped his cheek and gave him a soft kiss. “Trust me, beautiful, it’ll be good for you.”
“I do trust you.” Jasper leaned against me, and I threw an arm over his shoulder, squeezing him to my side. It meant so much to me that Jasper had such simple and sure belief in me.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. I need to shower, alone, sorry, I don’t think you’re in the right head space and I don’t want to take advantage. We’ll get dressed, eat, and then head out to the apiary. It’s cooler today, so we should get out there as soon as possible.”
“I thought you said it was better to wait until it warmed up enough for the workers to leave the hive.”
I smiled as I stood up and held out my hand to pull him up. “That’s true, but we want to get there before they leave.”
Jasper’s brows arched. “We do?”
“Yes. Now, go get ready. Long sleeves, jeans are a good idea, try not to wear anything too bright. I love color on you, but the bees love it, too.”
“Yes, Daddy.” Jasper pushed up on his toes and gave me a kiss.
After we were both dressed and had a quick breakfast, I took Jasper to the garage where we kept all of the gear.
I had a variety of veils, helmets, gloves, and full suits.
Looking over the options, I decided I wanted to give him as much protection as possible, despite having Jasper cover up with his clothing.
“I don’t usually wear the coverall suit, because it can get hot, and I’ve spent enough time with the bees to read their temperament.
But it would make me feel better knowing you had an extra layer, especially since we don’t know how you’ll react yet, so you get to wear this.
Go ahead and put it on over your clothes, but you can leave the veil off until we get closer. ”
Jasper nodded and took the white beekeeper suit from me. He stepped into it and zipped it up. It wasn’t an attractive outfit, it was made for safety not aesthetics, but seeing him in it made my heart swell. I was finally getting to show him my world, and it was really exciting and meaningful.
I found myself smiling as I took him in and gave him a quick peck, “You look adorable.”
I showed him how I tucked my pants into my socks, my shirt was tucked into my waist, and I pulled on gloves that went over my shirt sleeves, tightening the velcro straps that circled my wrists to ensure there were no gaps where bees could crawl beneath my clothing.
They could sting through it if they were mad enough, but I tried not to upset them, though every beekeeper has been stung, it came with the territory.
Grabbing a veil, I collected a few tools and placed them in the ATV.
The door to the garage opened, and Eduardo popped out. “Hey, are you heading out?”
“Yup, just about to leave.”
Eduardo’s gaze shifted to the ATV and back to me. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here to help much lately, but I’ve been picking up extra shifts at work, and it’s been going really well.”
I crossed the room and pulled him into a hug. Having adult kids was challenging in trying to find the line of wanting them around and wanting them to live their own lives. “Don’t be sorry, Eddie. I’m happy to hear it’s going well for you.”
He leaned in against me. “Thanks, Papa. The work’s been good, it’s nice to know I’ve accomplished something on my own, you know?”
“I do. I’m so proud of you.”
Eduardo pulled away and straightened. “Thank you. I do miss helping you, though. It’s funny how you start to miss the sound, the buzzing. Sometimes, I’ll be at work and it just seems so quiet.”
“I know what you mean. Listen, I’m happy to have your help whenever I can get it, but…” I slid a glance to Jasper in the bee suit before returning my attention. “Maybe not today. I think Jasper needs it.”
Eduardo looked between us and nodded with understanding. “I got you. I’ll work on a batch of lip balm then. I noticed you were running low and you have Heartcraft coming up.”
I squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks, kiddo, I haven’t been checking my stock like I normally do.”
Eduardo smirked. “No, I’d say you’ve had other things to focus on. Oh, Jasper?”
“Yes?”
“You should totally take some of your bees and bring them to Heartcraft, people would flip over them.”
A smile stretched my lips as I turned to my husband. “That’s a great idea! I would be happy to have your glass pieces at our booth, at least until you get your own.”
“Really? They’re just trinkets, nothing like the big pieces I plan to do when Kiss My Glass is up and running.”
“People love trinkets. The market wouldn’t exist without trinkets, and besides, they are pieces of art no matter the size.”
Jasper gleamed with that look I loved on him so much. The hope and excitement that brought stars into his golden eyes. “I would love that, actually.”
“You always have the best ideas, Eduardo.” I winked at my kid.
He’d been the one to suggest the barn for Jasper’s shop which started this whole thing.
I would forever be grateful for the role he played in getting us here, and his unending support even without understanding why it all happened so quickly.
“Jasper, I gotta say, while I don’t plan on taking Yahir’s self-proclaimed apprenticeship, it’s been really inspiring to see how hard you’ve worked to follow your passion. It’s got me thinking about a lot of stuff lately.”
“Oh, yeah? What have you been thinking about?” Jasper asked.
I watched with interest as Eduardo bit his lip, looking sheepish.
“I don’t know. I feel like there’s gotta be more than just work.
Papa has his bees and the farm, which you know I love, too, but I don’t feel the same way about it like you or like Jasper with his glass.
I think maybe it’s time I try to find something I like just for me. ”
I met Eduardo’s gaze so he could see my sincerity.
“I never expected that my passion would become yours or anyone else’s.
Please don’t worry about that. There will always be people looking for seasonal work to help out.
Nothing would make me prouder than to see you embrace something that brings you joy.
It’s all I want for you, for all my kids. ”
Eduardo, my sweet Eduardo. He’d grown up into this kind and compassionate man, and here he was still trying to please a parent. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“You could never. Never. You hear me?” With a squeeze on his shoulder, I made sure he could see how deeply I meant it.
He nodded with misty eyes. “Yes, Papa.”
“So what are you thinking of doing?”