Page 8 of Glass & Groundwork
She leaned over to rest her head on my shoulder. “Thanks, Papa Gio.”
I put my arm around her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. “What are you working on? Is that a new mold?”
Nicky sat up, her expression brightening. “Yes! Noah helped me make it. It's a sunflower with a bee on the disc florets in the center.”
“That's fantastic. You two are quite the duo. I can't wait to see how it turns out.” Noah had just graduated a few months ago and was now taking classes at the community college. He had originally been planning to go out of state for school in an effort to get away from his strict parents, but once Nicky had shared her truth with him, he stayed to look after her, knowing how their parents were likely to respond. The siblings were as close as could be and while I hated that he’d had to give up the opportunity of going to a university, I admired him for his devotion to his sister.
Letting my eyes drift over to Nicky, I was hit with a mix of emotions. She was such a beautiful person, inside and out. I hated that her parents couldn’t see that. She was strong in the face of everything, stronger than she should have to be, but I was grateful that she had her brother to lean on, too. Her strength and resilience were admirable, but I loved knowing she felt safe enough here to simply be the kid she was. I understood what it was like to have to grow up faster than your peers. Watching her cares fall away and being able to find joy in the moment as she made candles warmed my heart.
My phone buzzed, drawing my attention away from her, and I pulled it out to see a message from Jasper. My mouth tilted up at the sight.
“What? What is it?” Nicky asked, as she tried to peer over the side of my phone.
I pulled it closer to me, blocking her view. “It's nothing, just Jasper.”
Jasper: Hey, Gio. Good morning. Sorry if it's early, but I was wondering if I could come over with a contractor in a little while to take a look at the barn.
Me: Sure, not a problem. Thanks for the heads up. I might be at the apiary when you get here, but feel free to drive around to the back.
I looked up to find Nicky staring at me with far too much interest in her expression. “What did he say?”
“He'll be coming over soon.”
“Ha!” She pointed at me with a gleam in her eyes.
“What?”
“Yousmiled,” she said with a tease.
“So what. I smile. It happens sometimes.” I intentionally curled my lips up as wide as they could go.
She shook her head with a mischievous look. “Not like that, you don't. A mere mention of his name and you get a goofy look.”
I adjusted my glasses for something to do. “I don't get a goofy look. I'm just happy I could help a friend.”
“Uh-huh. Afriend.” She grinned before turning back to finish pouring the wax into the mold before it cooled. “You know, it's okay if it's more than that. Eddie says he's never seen you bring a guy home.”
“I think Eddie talks too much,” I said without any heat. Eduardo had a good heart. I knew he was just trying to look out for mine, too.
“Maybe it's time to consider dating. We're all old enough to take care of ourselves. You're allowed to do something that’s just for you. If anyone deserves it, you do.”
“Thank you, I appreciate the sentiment, but again, Jasper is a friend. I'm not really interested in dating right now.” Or ever. Dating wasn't something I felt a pull toward. Hooking up, even less so. Sure, I had done some exploration as a young adult, but I found I was content in my life and didn't need a partner for fulfillment. Like Tom. Tom radiated peace and I had been drawn to it. Especially after growing up watching my parents use each other and themselves, always chasing their next fix, and never satisfied. More than anything I wanted to provide the kind of peace I needed when I was younger to my kids and anyone else that might come along.
Nicky looked like she wanted to continue the conversation, but the door to the garage opened, and Noah popped his head around the corner. “Hey sis, you about ready?”
I said a silent thanks for the interruption saving me from further interrogation. It wasn’t that I minded talking candidly with them, I tried to keep an open line of communication. Although, the thing with Jasper, I didn’t really understand it myself, so I wasn’t ready to put it into words.
“Yeah, just let me finish this last one,” Nicky replied.
“Okay. I'll be waiting in the car.” Noah had set his class schedule so he could drive Nicky to and from school. It meant he couldn't get all the classes he wanted, but his sister came first. I hadn’t connected as well with him as I had with Nicky, he was a little stand-offish with everyone, and I just hadn’t found the rightinwith him yet. In the meantime, I made sure he felt included with everything we did, while trying to give him as much space and time as he needed. It wasn’t about me and my wish to connect with him. It was about him and his sister feeling safe and loved without conditions.
When Nicky was done, she leaned in for a long hug, squeezing tightly against me, before heading off to school. I always hugged her for as long as she needed, and hoped that it would carry with her throughout her day.
After watching the siblings drive away, I saw I still had a little bit of time before I would need to head out to harvest, so I worked in the garage for a little while longer. It was quiet. One of the few parts of my day that was. I loved the noise, I loved having my home full of laughter and conversation, but sometimes it was nice to have a moment to myself.
Except for maybe this time, when the insinuations about Jasper were rolling around in my head, which I shook trying to clear it. What I really needed was to be around the bees, where the drone of their buzzing drowned everything else out. If I got to the apiary before the bees left the hive, I could spend some time among them.
With new urgency, I hurried and got ready, tucking my pants into my socks, and my long-sleeved shirt into my waistband, and grabbed my veil and gloves. My tools were already loaded into the flatbed of the ATV. I opted to use the smaller vehicle to drive across the property because it left less of a footprint on the land, and it didn’t agitate the bees as much.
