Tasha was woken up by Tyson and Jayce seven weeks later in New York. It was her birthday. The boys climbed into the bed just as their dad walked in. They started singing a birthday song for her.
“Oh my God, boys,” she grinned at them. She was so happy about their gesture.
Tasha and Tyson had arrived in New York city seven weeks ago with the private jet Blake sent to bring them. They had the transplant two weeks later and both of them have recovered and are doing very great.
“Happy birthday mommy,” Jayce and Tyson said and hugged her. “Thank you for taking good care of us. We love you.”
“My babies,” Tasha smiled through her tears. “Thank you so much. I love you both so much.” He hugged both of them to her chest, feeling the warmth of a mother towards them.
“We have a birthday gift for you,” Jayce reached over and picked the shopping bag on the floor beside the bed and gave it to Tasha.
“My babies, this is so thoughtful of you,” she blinked back her tears.
“Open it,” Tyson urged her.
“Yes, I will,” Tasha opened the bag and brought out a small case. When she opened it, nestled in the box was a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace, inscribed on the pendant were the words, ‘mommy we love you’.
“Thank you,” she beamed at them and looked up into Blake’s eyes, knowing he was the one that paid for the gift. He was standing with his back against the wall and his arms folded in front of him.
“Do you like it?” Tyson asked.
“Yes, I do, I love it,” she curved her arms around their little bodies. “This is so sweet of you. Thank you very much. Mommy loves the two of you so much.” She gave them each a kiss on the cheek.
Their faces broke into a gleeful grin.
“Daddy, it’s your turn,” Jayce said, looking at their father.
“Yeah, daddy’s turn,” Blake said and picked up the shopping bag he had earlier set on the reading desk. He walked to the bedside and gave it to her. “Happy birthday, Tasha. I wish you many happy returns of the day.”
Though he wished with all his heart that he could hug her and give her the kiss he’d been dying to give her since the day he went to check on her at the hotel when she came to tell him about Tyson’s condition.
“Thank you,” she collected the bag and set it on the bed.
“Open it, open it,” the boys chorused.
She brought the two packages in the bag out and opened them with Tyson and Jayce’s help.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Blake had gifted her two of the most expensive things ever. A 2023 MacBook Pro m2 and iPhone 4S Elite Gold.
“My God, Blake, thank you,” she exclaimed happily. “These are so thoughtful of you. They are so going to help with my research work.”
“You are welcome Tasha.” shivers ran down his spine as he saw her happy and smiling. “You deserve these and much more.”
His phone rang in his pajama pants pocket and he brought it out.
It was his father calling. He asked her to come over to the office as quick as he could.
“Okay Dad,” he ran his hand through his hair, frustrated that he had to leave Tasha. “I will just get into the shower now.”
He returned the phone to his pocket. “Sorry guys,” he said. “I have to run. I will see you all later in the evening.”
He quickly dashed out of the room.
Not long after, Sonia knocked on the door to remind the boys that they needed to have their bath too, so they wouldn’t be late for their workshop.
They, along with Jolie’s kids, had been attending a kiddies workshop, learning some fun things for over two weeks now. They both kissed Tasha and went to their bedroom.
Tasha played back in bed happily and fell into a deep sleep for the next two hours. It was already after eleven when she woke up again. Knowing the kids would have left for the workshop, she slipped out of the bed and went straight to the bathroom.
She walked into the kitchen later dressed in a denim short, paired with a loose T-shirt.
“Good morning Ms. Tasha,” Norma, the chef, greeted as Tasha walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Norma,” she pushed out a chair to sit at the kitchen table.
“Happy birthday,” Norma placed a tortilla omelet wrap with a mug of cocoa drink in front of Tasha.
“Thank you,” It surprised Tasha. “How did you know?”
“Tyson told us last week,” she winked at Tasha. Just then, Paula, the housekeeper, walked into the kitchen with a wrapped gift in hand.
“Happy birthday, Prof.,” she placed the present on the ring hand side of Tasha on the table. “From all the house staff, we wish you many happy returns.”
“Oh,” Tasha covered her mouth with her hands. “This is so thoughtful of all of you. Thank you so much.”
She stood up and hugged the women, one after the other.
********
At around one in the afternoon, she got a text message from Blake asking her to get ready for dinner at 6 pm. She dialed his phone number immediately after she read the message.
“Hey birthday girl,” Blake said when he answered the call.
“Hi, I saw your message,” she said. “Can I have a rain check today…?”
“Why?” He asked.
“Hmmm,” she looked at her computer screen. “I already had plans to have dinner with a friend this evening.”
She heard him suck in his breath.
“I see, it’s fine.”
“But we can go tomorrow,” she remarked.
“Well…yes,” he coughed lightly. “It’s okay. Tomorrow is okay.”
“Thanks for your understanding, tomorrow,” she drawled and ended the call. She dropped her phone back on the desk and pressed the send button to send her paper to an academic journal.
She leaned back against the seat backrest, feeling bad that she had to ask Blake that they should postpone dinner. But she had no choice. Ellen Dunlop and her family were in Sleepy Hollow for the summer and she had called the day before that she would like to take her out for dinner.