Page 85 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
She pulled back, sniffing. “Sweetheart?”
“You are my sweetheart.” He gave her a shy smile. “You’re my sweetest.” Aiden kissed her cheek.
The veterinarian cleared his throat, and she gave him a sheepish smile, turning her attention back to Sparky.
“He’s all done,” the veterinarian told him. Lavinia reached into the cupboard and gave the baby dragon a lollipop, which he happily sucked on. “Sparky did great, he should just rest up today and tomorrow.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Aiden said, shaking his hand. Then the veterinarian took his leave, and after he was gone, Laviniasnuck a lollipop to Saphira, who really needed it. She undid the wrapper, sucking on it; it was spicy-sweet.
“You did great, bestie,” Lavinia said, giving Saphira a hug. “I’ll see you later.”
Saphira and Aiden both said goodbye to Lavinia, then turned to Sparky. “My little golu-molu,” Saphira cooed. She squished him, and he purred. “You did so well! I’m so proud of you!”
“Good boy,” Aiden said, scratching Sparky’s chin. Sparky closed his eyes, enjoying the contact.
“Ready to go?” Aiden asked. Saphira nodded. She picked Sparky up, and he cuddled close to her. They walked out of the patient room, passing the waiting room to head out.
As they did, Saphira felt like everyone was staring at her, even though they probably weren’t, and she was just projecting her insecurity, but even so …
She felt the urge to hide away.
Aiden walked her to the cafe. They stopped in front to say goodbye before she went in but, after a sweet kiss, Aiden pulled back to inspect her face. He furrowed his brows.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. She nibbled on her lower lip, and he frowned. “Hey. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Saphira released a long breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t quite find the words. Aiden tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek, patiently waiting while she collected her thoughts.
“It’s just—when we’re in our little bubble, I don’t feel as though I don’t belong,” Saphira finally said. “I feel like I have a right to Sparky, like he’s mine, too. But out in public sometimes, I just feel so out of place, and it makes me insecure.”
“You do have a right to Sparky,” Aiden reassured her. “He is yours, and you belong with him—withus. Okay?”
She sighed. She knew the opinion of random strangers didn’t matter; what mattered was how Aiden felt, how Sparky felt. And she knew that she belonged with them. Sometimes it was just hard—but Aiden’s words did make her feel better.
Saphira nodded, mustering a smile. “Okay,” she said.
Aiden gave her a small smile, kissing her cheek. They wouldn’t be training Sparky today or tomorrow while Sparky rested, and Aiden had some work to catch up on anyway.
“I’ll call you later?” he said.
She smiled, nodding. “Okay.”
With his free hand, he cupped her face, and she went on her tiptoes to kiss him, melting into his achingly tender touch. She savored the kiss, her body humming even after she had pulled away.
“Remember,” he said with a wink. “You’re my sweetest.”
Chapter 22
Saphira didn’t see Aiden for the next two days, and she missed him with an ache that was painful, even though they spoke on the phone multiple times throughout the day. He was busy with work, and she was busy at the cafe, while Sparky was resting after his shots.
Then, the next morning, Saphira woke up a bit earlier than usual because she heard some noise outside. Curious, she got out of bed, slipping on a robe and some shoes before heading downstairs.
The noise was coming from the back. Saphira opened the back door and headed outside. The moment she did, she saw Aiden’s profile, and the sight of him made her heart leap.
She watched him quietly for a moment while he worked. Everything was beautiful, a soft breeze in the air, birds chirping in the early morning. The sky was a pinkish blue. Along the building, she saw the bougainvillea were restored and in bloom, bursts of hot pink along the stone.
Beyond Aiden, the garden was … complete. Everything was neat and sectioned off, with hedges of various sizes for thedragons to play around. There were outdoor chairs and a few tables along the side for customers who wished to sit outside while their baby dragons played.
Along the perimeter of the entire garden, it looked as if he had planted white flowers in front of the fence. The plants were tall, about two to four feet high, and held pea-like flowers in clusters. They had velvety trifoliate leaves and towered above all the other plants.
