Blake sat in his lush garden on a summer Sunday evening, ten weeks after he and Tyson had their surgery. Everything was going well and both of them had recovered very well. He was reading a business magazine while still watching Tyson and Jayce play football.
His schedule for summer had changed this year because of Tyson.
Blake spent his daytime on workdays overseeing the family business during weekdays, while his evenings and weekends were devoted to spending quality time with his boys. He had used every period he had to bond with his newfound son, and it was very rewarding.
He watched them with a mixture of pride and wonder. Their laughter filled the air as they chased after the ball. Tyson was a natural leader and being a professional footballer in his own right had been teaching his brother different tactics. Both of them were a bundle of energy.
The boys had grown to love each other in the little time they had been together. No one would believe that they were half-brothers. Jayce had called Tasha Mom the moment she and Tyson arrived.
As the boys played, they would sometimes glance over at their father once in a while. He couldn’t help but feel grateful for the simple moments they have shared during the summer, knowing each other and making beautiful memories together as brothers.
“Guys,” Blake called, standing up. “I will see you later.”
“Daddy,” Jayce called. “Are you going in already?”
“Yes, Punky,” he looked back and smiled. “Daddy needs to go to the club.”
“Daddy,” Tyson called. “When are you going to come back?”
He smiled, “dynamo, I am not sure. But I will try to come back early.”
“Okay Dad,” both boys said at the same time and returned to playing the ball.
Blake came downstairs later, showered, and dressed for his outing.
Standing in the kitchen doorway he said, “Tasha I need to go to the club, I have to meet with someone for some business discussion.”
Tasha had to fight for her breath when she looked away from the spaghetti sauce she was stirring on the stove. Looking at him every time now always took her breath away.
“You are going to the club?” Tasha asked.
“Yes,” he nodded, trying to adjust the collar of his shirt. “I’m meeting someone at the club for a short meeting.”
“Oh.” She gave him a once over, feeling a pang of jealousy sliced through her heart. He looked dapper in his geometry cotton shirt and navy blue khaki pants to go with it. “You won’t be having dinner with us then, right?”
“No,” he replied. “I will see you later. He said and let himself out through the kitchen door.
The house staff had been on summer break for a week now, and they still had one more week before they would return to work. Instead of Blake hiring a stand-in housekeeper and chef, Tasha had insisted she could do it. He only hired a cleaner who came in three times a week.
Tasha called the boys to go and wash up and she continued with her cooking. By the time they got downstairs, dinner was ready.
“Dinner is ready, boys,” she said from the dining table as she set the table. “I made your favorite, spaghetti with salmon.”
Interestingly, both boys enjoyed the same meals. Cooking for them was so easy.
“Yes, yes,” the boys shouted joyfully, and raced down from the stairs to the dining table.
“When is Granny’s driver coming for us tomorrow?” Tyson asked after he sat down, watching as his mom dished food out on Jayce’s plate.
His grandparents had fallen head over heels in love with him right from the moment they saw him. They wanted him to spend his last week in New York with them before he leaves with his mom the following week. So both boys were going to be with their grandparents from the next day, Monday, till Sunday night.
“Grandma said we should expect him before noon.”
“Okay,” Tyson nodded. And they concentrated on their food.
After eating, she allowed them to play video games before she sent them upstairs to their room.
“Once upon a time, in a land where stars were made of candy and clouds tasted like cotton candy,” Tasha started reading to the boys later. “There lived a little firefly named Flicker. Flicker loved to play hide-and-seek with the moon, but he was always the first to be found. His light was so bright, it lit up the entire night sky!
One night, Flicker was feeling sad. He wished he could be as good at hiding as his friends, the little owls. He flew to the wise old owl, Hoot, and asked for advice. Hoot chuckled and said, “Flicker, your light is your strength, not your weakness. Use it to your advantage!”
Flicker thought about Hoot’s words. He flew to a dark corner of the forest and used his light to create shadows, hiding himself behind them. The moon couldn’t find him! He was finally a good hider!
From that day on, Flicker learned to use his light to his advantage. He became the best hide-and-seek player in the entire land, and he never forgot Hoot’s wise words.”
Tasha smiled to herself when she heard the soft snoring of the boys. She stopped reading and looked at them. Her heart overflowed with love for both of them. They were her world, her reason, her everything. She had gained another son this season in Jayce. The boy was just so loveable, like his brother. Her heart skipped when she remembered she and Tyson had only one week before they left for Berkeley.
She had toyed with the idea of getting an apartment and staying back in New York city, so Tyson could be closer to his father and brother, but she hadn’t been able to make any concrete decision. Apart from wanting to stay back because of Tyson, she had also fallen in love with Blake all over again. She wasn’t sure how he felt about her, so she didn’t want to make any decisions in haste.
She rose carefully from where she sat, trying not to wake the boys up. Tasha deemed the lights and let herself out of the room. She went to the kitchen to tidy it up.