Page 4 of Glass & Groundwork
Jasper lifted his glass of iced tea. “Cheers to that.”
The clink of their glasses was like music to my ears. After a rough start, Jasper seemed to fit right in with my crew, and I was more grateful than ever for the way they all managed to come together despite their differences.
“Jasper is gay. That’s interesting. Isn’t that interesting, Papa?” Yahir grinned wickedly as he passed the phone back.
I shot the twenty-year old a look, reminded of the comment he made earlier about banging someone. “I would say someone’s sexuality isn’t the most interesting thing about a person.”
Jasper slid a glance between us, but I waved it off, and pointed to his phone. “Do you mind if I take a look, too?”
One side of his mouth tilted up as he passed it to me. “No! Not at all. I’d love for you to see some of what I’ve done. I've been dealing with a bit of impostor syndrome, like I don't have anything to show and people won't believe I'm an artist.”
“You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You are an artist if you create, no matter what anyone says.”
“Thank you. That's not really the message I get at home, so it's nice to hear.” A flash of pain appeared in his expression before he quickly pushed it away. I understood it, as would most around this table. My support system didn't come from within, I had to seek it out, and as I grew older I strove to be what and who I needed when I was younger.
Allowing Jasper a moment to work through whatever emotion bubbled up, I skimmed through the photos, lingering on each one longer than I expected. The glasswork was truly impressive with rich colors, beautiful blends, and patterns. I could picture several of them in a museum or as centerpieces in homes far nicer than my own. When I came to the octopus, I stared at it, taking in the beautiful and delicate mix of blues and teals, and the way the tentacles twisted and flowed. It looked like it was actually moving in the water.
“Wow! Incredible. You really made all of these?”
Jasper's eyes glowed with pride and delight. “Yes. I studied under some very talented glassblowers in Venice. Now, I'm ready to open my own shop—Kiss My Glass.”
I chuckled at the name. I’d heard it before when he first came to Heartcraft all hyped up at finding a place where he might fit in. He’d been a ball of energy and excitement that I’d found really endearing.
Snickers sounded around the table, and Yahir exclaimed, “Hell, yeah!”
Jasper looked pleased to have the approval of his shop’s name, but his smile fell slightly. “Yeah, the name was the easy part. Now, it’s just trying to bring it to life. I have everything I need to get started except…”
“Except what?” I asked.
His lips pursed in thought like he was trying to decide how much to share. “Well… I have everything I need for the shop except for the shop itself. I didn't anticipate how challenging itwould be to find a place that would allow a furnace. I get it, sort of, no one wants the risk of a fire, but I don't really know what the next step is if I can't find a place. Which is what I was thinking about tonight when I called.”
“I understand and I'm glad you called. I'm happy to be an ear if you just want someone to listen, or maybe we can talk out some ideas. Hell, if I had a shop in my back pocket, I'd be happy to give it to you.”
Eduardo, who had been watching the exchange between us, made us jump when he slapped a hand on the table. “Actually, you might.”
I arched my brow as I tried to puzzle out what he meant. “I might what?”
He turned to face Jasper and asked, “What does your shop need to have?”
“Good ventilation, gas or electric, and access to water.”
“I think it could work.” Eduardo announced, looking rather pleased with himself, except I wasn’t exactly sure what he was pleased about.
“What are you thinking, exactly?”
Eduardo smiled wide and said, “The barn.”
“Ohhh!” “The barn!” “Yes!” Agreement rang out around the table.
The barn. It had been sitting empty since before I took over caring for the farm. We went in every now and then to clean it out and make sure it wasn’t falling apart, but that was about it. “That’s not a bad idea, Eduardo.”
Jasper’s head was on a swivel as he looked between us. “What? What’s the barn? What idea?”
Folding my napkin and setting it on the table, I asked him, “Would you like to go for a walk?
“A walk? Now?” Jasper asked, his brows furled in confusion.
I stood up and held my hand out to him. “Yes. It’s not far, but I think you might find it interesting.”
