Jared woke up first and saw that Tyler was on his own side of the bed. He dressed in his room and worked for a while before he called for room service.
Tyler woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. Moaning, he remembered the events of the past evening and night. Lying on his back, he figured out that the best way to deal with the situation was to thank Jared and not talk about it anymore. In a dressing gown from the hotel, he carefully walked into the living room. Without making eye contact, he poured coffee.
"Are you all right?", asked Jared.
Tyler nodded. "Jared?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"Let's not mention it anymore, okay?"
"Okay," Tyler nodded with relief. Approvingly he let his hands slide along the service trolley. "What's on the agenda for today?"
Jared replied without looking up from his laptop. "The jet is on standby. As soon as you've had your breakfast and got dressed, we'll leave for home."
"Home!", he repeated longingly and quickly gathered his breakfast together. Less than half an hour later, they got into a waiting car.
Tyler didn't expect Eric on this return flight, so he wasn't surprised that it was just the two of them. However, he felt it necessary to inquire about the well-being of Aisha, Mira, Joy and also, Eric.
"Shocked, but okay," was Jared's short reply.
Tyler sincerely felt that they needed to reaffirm their working relationship. His weakness last night was unfortunate, but had to be overcome now, otherwise Jared would make him his lapdog. A well-known fire of resistance specifically aimed at his dominant boss began to rekindle in him. A fragile flame that he had to cherish carefully. For now, he kept his head down and performed his tasks silently. More than work-related conversations were not conducted during the flight back.
"You're free tomorrow," Jared said as they walked from the jet to the waiting cars. A cab was waiting for Tyler and for Jared an SUV.
"Friday, at nine o'clock sharp I expect you at the practice."
"The ruler had reclaimed his rightful place," Tyler thought on the way home, breathing a sigh of relief. 'Jared was probably just as keen as he was to put the situation behind him. He had shown a weak side of himself that he was probably ashamed of now.'
Because Tyler came home late at night, he was as careful as possible. Despite this, his mother was at the top of the stairs. "Welcome home, son." She gave him a firm hug. Much to his horror, he felt the tears burning in his eyes. He sniffed them back.
"Sorry," he said quickly. "I caught a slight cold. Luckily I'll have time off tomorrow."
"Rest well. I'll let you sleep in, okay?"
After a last hug, he walked to his bedroom. Naomi was sleeping in his bed with three toy bears. Nobody was as good at driving out bad spirits as Naomi. Tired of everything, he kicked his shoes off and crawled next to her. With his brave sister in his arms, all spirits were defeated and he slept peacefully.
The morning ran into the afternoon before he appeared downstairs. When unpacking his bag, he realized that he had completely forgotten to buy souvenirs for everyone. He couldn't and wouldn't tell anyone the reason for that.
Naomi was playing with a friend and his mother was running errands, he read on the note she left for him. Walking around aimlessly had never been his hobby, so after a quick breakfast he grabbed his bike and drove towards the beach.
A few hours of surfing took restored the inner balance he needed. He had also thought about Lindsey. She was supposed to start College next week. It was time to talk to her seriously about the future.
Not for the first time, she seemed to know exactly what he wanted to talk about before he said anything. "How do you do that?" he wondered.
"Oh, Tyler. You are so easily readable to the people who know you well."
She hugged him and held him tightly. "You've wanted to talk to me about this before, but I wasn't ready. Now I am."
Sitting at the kitchen table with her parents in the living room, they spoke openly about the future. "First love is very important. It lays the groundwork for the relationships you'll have for the rest of your life. I'm really glad you were my first love, Tyler. I hope we will always be friends." Despite her thoughtful and down-to-earth words, she broke down in tears.
"Thank you, Lindsey. I love you too," Tyler said, holding her in his arms. So they said goodbye to their time as lovers and continued as friends.
"Oh, I almost forgot to say. Thank you for your wonderful gift. You really didn't have to." They walked through the living room. On top of a pile of boxes was a hand-woven plaid that Tyler recognized. It was similar to the one that Princess Jasmine had used. "I really did. You're the best, Lindsey."
With Lindsey's farewell, Tyler felt he was ending a period of his life. There were new challenges on the horizon.
When he got home, he found two happy ladies. "Tyler, what a beautiful gift and so expensive," his mother exclaimed with delight. She held a plaid pressed against her chest.
"Now I'm like a real princess," Naomi said with her hand-woven shawl covering her hair. In her arms lay the beautiful porcelain doll that Jared had brought for her.
"Here's a letter addressed to you," his mother said, meanwhile admiring Naomi.
"Tyler," it read on the closed envelope.
"Dear Tyler,
It was a pleasure to meet you. I enjoyed your spontaneity and youthful enthusiasm. You gave an old lady a beautiful day. My thanks for that. Congratulations on your birthday. My gift to you comes from my father's legacy. This allows you to always be honest with me, Tyler, as I so greatly appreciated. For your family, there are gifts to celebrate our commitment.
Princess Jasmine.
Tyler read the note a few times. "Mom? Was there something for me?"
"In the kitchen."
On the corner of the counter, there was a small velvet bag with string closure. Gently, he opened the bag and pulled out a chain. The cord was made of thin, braided leather. On the cord was a pendant that took his breath away. A medallion, one inch in diameter, with artfully engraved silver on one side and a blue stone on the other. This must have been old if it had belonged to her father.
"What a beautiful pendant," his mother exclaimed. "Come on, I'll put in on you."
It fell right under the dimple of his collarbone.
"Tyler," sighed his mother admiringly. "It fits your eyes perfectly. They look even bluer now."
"Get ready for dinner. Miranda cooks for us."
Tyler hesitated. "Mom, I already see Jared too much."
"Jared is not here," she nonchalantly shook her head.
"Oh? Okay then."
Miranda was thoughtful as ever, and yet Tyler tasted something in the air. As soon as she found him alone, she asked the question clearly burning on her lips.
"How was Jared's grandmother? Jared has travelled directly to Bolivia, so tell me, before I explode."
Tyler hesitated. "What do you know about Princess Jasmine recently?" he asked, scanning her.
"You're referring to her stroke?"
Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, exactly. It made her think about what's really important. She talked about how much effort it took her to accept you as her son's partner." He looked at her from under his eyelashes. "Her view has changed because of her illness. She is very keen to carry out her father's wish. Strengthening family ties and self-determination are now at the forefront."
To his horror, Miranda's eyes filled with tears.
"Did she really say that?", she asked sobbing.
"Yes," Tyler nodded to her. The movement caused his blouse to open and reveal his medallion.
"My goodness!" she exclaimed, and put her hand in front of her mouth. "Oh, Tyler, you must have really impressed her."
"The card said it came from her father's inheritance."
Miranda nodded. "I've heard Joao, Jared's father talk about this. He told me about a medallion given to someone who was a friend of the family." She studied his face. "This is truly a unique gift."
Tyler, who was afraid that her intelligent eyes would see too much, changed the subject. "What's going on in Bolivia?"
"A new group of volunteers has started, to replace Fleur and Marcus. There were some problems with the papers and permits. Jared knows from experience that you can achieve more by being there than trying to solve it over the phone. And how's the renovation going?", she asked interested.
"It's entering its final phase. If all goes well, we'll meet our deadline."
"When is that?"
"In a week and a half."
Upon entering Friday morning at 9:00 a.m, Tyler was able to confirm that they were starting the final phase. As promised, his mother and Lindsey helped with the massive job of painting.
"Don't you have anything else to do, like pack?," Tyler asked Lindsey, worriedly.
"Well, no, not really. My mother's already done that. And I can't be twiddling my thumbs for two days, can I now? I'd rather help you."
They worked so fast that Sunday night at eight o'clock every inch of the place had received a fresh coat of paint. With a Chinees takeaway and a few beers, they successfully ended their work.
Knowing that Jared would return tomorrow, he reread Princess Jasmine's note. After much deliberation, he decided not to wear the medallion in the presence of Jared. Miranda's emotional reaction had shocked him enough. This piece of jewelry was part of his legacy, his family. Taunting him by wearing it openly, went too far for Tyler.
In his attempt to slide the leather cord into the bag, the velvet fabric slipped out of his hands. As a result, a previously unseen long silver chain fell to the ground. Attached to it was a small note.
"Dear Tyler," it said in familiar handwriting. 'If you don't want to show the world what you mean to me and my family, wear it on your heart. Princess Jasmine.
The length of the chain would ensure that the medallion would hang exactly in the dimple under his sternum. That way he could wear the medallion without Jared finding out. He made Miranda and his mother promise they wouldn't say anything.
On Monday morning, he was busy working in his newly painted office. Easily three times bigger than the previous space, he now had enough room for the papers he processed. The entrance, with lots of sunlight and fresh colors, looked professional and also inviting. The three work rooms, one for each vet, were finished to perfection together with the three treatment rooms. Especially for the workrooms, Tyler had taken the extra effort to speak in person with the other two vets. So the rooms were delivered to their specification.
The kitchen was still opposite the hallway of Tyler's office and was one of the few rooms to have lost space. The still spacious kitchen was completely renovated and gave room to a regular dining table with benches. The kitchen where the food was prepared for the animals was to the left of the ordinary kitchen and had an open corridor to the back door.
The car park on the side and all the animal enclosures behind and above were ready. On the first floor was a simple bedroom with bathroom that could be used by the staff on the night shift. The wait was now on the final inspection and then the arrival of the staff.
Now that most of the work was done, the practice felt empty because there were only a few people at work. The new staff was supposed to arrive tomorrow. Jared was to visit with his two colleagues today to attend the inspection, which was due to take place around 3 p.m.
Tyler was busy in his office. The large backlog he had dreaded at in the beginning was largely eliminated. At two o'clock the last acts were performed on the new telephone extensions and they were ready. Less than five minutes later, Jared came in with his company. Tyler's mouth fell open. This would be the most popular veterinary practice in the area!
Marcus Brady had a gentle and attractive face. The young girls would line up to have their pet examined by him, sick or not. Fleur Al-Din was without a doubt beautiful. Standing next to Jared, they formed a dazzling couple.
"Tyler, come. I'll introduce you," said Jared, visibly recording his expression.
"Dr. Al-Din, Dr. Brady," Tyler greeted them shaking hands.
"Hello, Tyler," Marcus saluted.
"I've spoken to them on a regular basis in the last week," Tyler explained.
"I don't know anything about that," Jared frowned.
"You're busy enough, Jared," Tyler said dismissively. "I don't bother you with every little detail."
"We agreed that you would just call us by first name, remember?", Fleur said amused.
Tyler laughed sheepishly. "Well yes, but on the phone you weren't like... so..."
Fleur laughed spontaneously and put an arm around him. "Jared, you didn't tell me what a charmer Tyler is. He's so cute!"
Jared glared at him. Oh, if looks could kill, he'd be a goner. "Well, that seems to be what every woman who comes across him is thinking."
"I don't know," Marcus put in his two cents. "I think he's pretty cute, too." Teasingly, he squeezed Tyler's cheek.
"Of course you do," Jared said looking like he just at a lemon.
Shamelessly, the company laughed at his sour expression.
"You earn your keep and make coffee, then I'll show them around the practice," Jared said to Tyler.
In the kitchen, they met again. Tyler poured the freshly brewed coffee.
"Everything looks great," Fleur sighed.
"Yes," Marcus nodded. "You worked really hard to get everything done on time." Appreciatively, he patted on Tyler's shoulders.
As expected, the inspection went smoothly. Tyler returned to his office. He wanted to finish something before he went home.
"Tyler?", he heard from Jared's office. "Where are the most recent protocols? You promised them to me."
"On your desk," he shouted back. "Left pile."
"No, that's where I've been looking."
With a sigh, he pushed himself away from his desk, got up, walked into Jared's office, plucked the protocols out of the left pile without any problems and held them under his nose. "Maybe it's time for a pair of glasses, old man?", he cheekily suggested.
"Well, aren't you outspoken," he heard behind him.
Startled, he turned around. Fleur was on the couch. "I didn't know anyone else was here."
"That's okay. I like that. Jared could use some contradiction," she winked at him. "This keeps his ego within limits."
"Please, Fleur," Jared surly said. "Don't encourage the boy. His manners are shocking enough." Black eyes full of disapproval turned their full attention to him. "Your time for today is over. See you tomorrow."
Not taken aback by the gruff dismissal, he nodded in agreement. "See you tomorrow."
After extensive preselection and multiple interviews, their team was composed as follows:
"Lucy Bowman as head assistant. Agnes Pierce, Brenda Giliam, Nancy Beckham each as a part-time assistant and Regan Miles as a receptionist. They were women with experience and that's why they were selected. Setting up a new practice required enthusiasm, creativity and perseverance. Under Lucy's inspiring guidance, each one quickly found their own place.
With much fanfare they opened and as Tyler had predicted, the practice was a success in no time.