Page 52 of The Baby Dragon Bakery
He was unhappy, and she knew how difficult it was for him to take big steps. Maybe he needed a little push.
“If you’re still feeling bleugh about the Rolling Pin, maybe it’s time to do something,” she suggested. “Saphira mentioned needing a business assistant the other day at dinner—have you thought about that further as a possibility?”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “November and Decemberare our busiest months after the summer season,” he said. “I couldn’t leave.”
Though he sounded like he really wanted to.
“Do you want to?” she asked.
Slowly, he nodded. “Honestly? Yeah.” He groaned, falling silent, but she could almost hear the thoughts whirring around his head.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” she said. She was always interested in every single one of his thoughts.
“Would I even be good as a business assistant?” he asked, nibbling on his lower lip.
“I’m sure you would be,” she replied without hesitation. “You’re smart and hard-working; I think you’d succeed at anything you set your mind to.”
He looked at her like she was being idealistic. “Come on.”
“I mean it!” she protested. She really did.
He made a thoughtful sound, and she could tell that he didn’t really believe what she was saying. He never believed her when she told him how wonderful he was. Sometimes, like now, it seemed like hewantedto believe her—but he just couldn’t.
His parents had really messed him up. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for him to grow up in that environment. She saw it firsthand when he split his knee open when they were kids, and she thought maybe his parents would ease up as Theo got older, but they never did.
Even now, they were just as harsh and disappointed.
The thought devastated Lavinia. She wished there was some way to shield him from all that hurt. She wanted him to be happy.
She and her family had always done all they could to make him feel loved, but of course, they could only do so much. There were limitations—even now.
She couldn’t love him fully, the way she wanted to, wholeheartedly, and being unable to do that hurt, too.
“You do have a degree,” she reminded him.
He looked like he wanted to argue but then conceded the point. “What am I going to do? Make a career change at this age?”
“This age?” she repeated, gobsmacked. “As if we’re fifty! Please. Anyway, you can make a career change whenever you want if you’re not happy with what you’re doing. There’s nothing wrong with focusing on different things in different phases of your life.”
He blew out his cheeks. “I’m not happy,” he admitted. “I keep trying to convince myself that I am, that this feeling will go away, but it won’t.”
He furrowed his brows, his expression growing dark. For some reason, she had a sense that she didn’t fully understand the meaning of what he was saying.
“Maybe you can talk to Saphira,” Lavinia suggested. “I think you’d be perfect for what she’s looking for.”
Theo looked unsure. “But she’s our friend,” he said. “If I ask, she’d feel bad saying no to me, and then she would be stuck.”
Lavinia genuinely did not think Saphira would say no; actually, she thought Saphira would jump at the opportunity. It would solve both of their problems! But she knew Theo; he couldn’t see the value in himself, so he thought that merit didn’t exist.
Resolve bounded through her. Lavinia would talk to Saphira tomorrow herself.
Theo needed a little boost of confidence.
The next day, around midday, Lavinia was in the office at the Animal Hospital. Dr. Quan was out with a patient, and Lavinia was meant to be writing up the notes from her last patient’s visit, but instead, she pulled out her phone, dialing Saphira.
“Lavinia, hey,” Saphira said, picking up. “What’s up? Aren’t you at your internship?”
“Hi! Yes, but shh, don’t tell,” Lavinia said, keeping her voice lower than usual. “I had an idea, and I wanted to discuss it with you.”
