let people who whisper about you ruin it. You're a good son. A good brother. A good person. And not one damn person in this town will convince me otherwise. Not even you. The next few months will be the hardest, but I’m here for you, man. I promise you that.”
I appreciate Tyler so damn much and get emotional just thinking how I’d get through this without him. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I hadn’t really known what to expect.
Just as Tyler and I finish our conversation, Gemma arrives. Immediately, she spots the box of goodies and makes a beeline toward the counter with a smile on her face. Leaning over, she peeks inside, then turns to us.
“Who's responsible for my sugar rush today?”
Tyler lifts his hands. “It wasn't me.”
Gemma smirks, then grabs a chocolate-filled one. “Thanks, bro. You know exactly what I like.”
I look at the donut, then back at her. “I thought you liked the blueberry ones.”
“Oh, I love all donuts. I’m not picky!” She nearly devours it in three big bites, then goes for another. When I give her a look and laugh, she glares at me.
“Hey, I'm eating for two here.” She points at her little bump.
Tyler playfully rolls his eyes. “Don't blame it on the baby. You would’ve gone for seconds regardless.”
She shrugs, taking another. “Don't judge me, or I just might take this whole box,” she says, then walks away laughing.
Gemma has a way of lightening my mood. There's no way I can tell her what happened today. She's already concerned I’ll move away even though I wouldn’t leave when she’s expecting.
Every person I’ve ever loved is here. I want to be in my niece’s or nephew’s life. It's important for me to make up for all the lost time. Plus, my dad's not getting any younger. Though now that he's busy most days with his girlfriend, I still want to be around for him.
After Tyler and I snag a donut for ourselves, I look over today’s list of tasks. The building’s old, and it's gonna take a lot of manpower to get it where it needs to be on time. I'm happy there’s a lot to do. If I was sitting at home doing nothing, I’d probably go crazy.
Thankfully, most of the walls are prepped since Smith had started before I was released. The drywall is hung, and all the nail holes have been spackled. This week, I’ll be painting.
I grab my supplies as Smith walks me through the list of things that still need to be done. He’s experienced in this stuff, and I’m happy he’s taken me under his wing. Learning from him has been a nice advantage of working here.
Based on his list, he suspects the grand opening will be in three to four months.
I've made a silent commitment to bust my ass and help make that happen sooner.
I’ll work extra hours and put in as much time as I possibly can to make sure they open ahead of schedule. There’s still a lot to do, like the plumbing and some electrical. Tyler wants to install a juice bar, which I think will do great since the gym is downtown. There’ll also be a boxing ring and a yoga studio. We still have to lay the flooring, hang all the mirrors, create an office space, and put together the workout equipment once it’s delivered. When the walls are painted, we can start tackling the larger items, so I spend most of my day on that.
I climb up and down the ladder with my brush and listen to music to clear my head. Eventually, we break for lunch, then afterward, I pick up where I left off. It takes me nearly all day to apply the first coat on the long wall from the front doors to the back. Once I’m done, I stand on the other side and review my work.
Tyler walks up. “Wow. You did a good job.”
I nod with a proud smile. “Thank you. Means a lot.”
“Yeah, man. Keep it up,” he says, patting my shoulder before taking off.
After I wash up, I tell Tyler I’m heading out and will see him in the morning. He thanks me again, and I walk out beaming—a much different feeling than I had when I arrived this morning.
I get in my truck and exhale all the tension I’d been holding in my shoulders. For the first time in a decade, someone appreciates me, and I’m making a