Tyler throws his head back, laughing. “Maybe so, Jay, maybe so.”
While Jay rips, Abby slowly peels the tape, not messing up any of the gift wrap. Her face lights up when she finally pulls back the paper. I crane my neck to see the newest version of AirPods. Abby looks up, the biggest smile stretched across her face.
“Thank you, Tyler.”
Tyler’s eyes—twins to Abby’s—go tender. “You’re welcome, Abs.”
Abs.
The familiarity with which he uses her nickname hits me in the solar plexus. Meanwhile, Abby doesn’t seem to notice it, she just smiles and grabs the next gift in the pile. Jay opens some packages of basketball trading cards, and Abby’s thrilled when she opens a pair of earrings from a trendy brand all the girls her age wear.
Tyler leans to whisper in my ear. “Penny actually had to helpwith that one. I don’t know a thing about buying a gift for a teen girl.”
Imagining him going to Penny for help with this gift makes me smile. This man truly is so thoughtful and kind. When Abby and Jay open their last gifts, it’s not only them who gasps, but I do too, my eyes going impossibly wide. For Abby, Tyler has gifted a beautiful open-hole Gemeinhardt flute, and for Jay, a signed basketball by none other than Stephan Curry.
The room goes dead silent, the three of us looking at Tyler. One hand goes to the back of his neck in the cutest gesture.
“Too much?” he asks weakly.
Before I can respond, both kids clamber up at once, throwing their arms around his waist, catching Tyler off guard. Tears prick the backs of my eyes at the sight. After thanking him at least ten times each, they finally release him and Tyler turns to me.
“Can’t leave your mom out, though, can I?”
He goes out to his car, returning a minute later holding three gift bags. Tyler places them on my lap, taking a seat beside me, one leg bouncing while he watches on.
With narrowed eyes, I pick up the first bag, removing tissue paper until my hand brushes two boxes. I lift out the first to reveal a box set of high-quality watercolor brushes. The second box is a set of professional grade watercolors. This man has bought me not only a set of very expensive brushes, but watercolors I’ve never dreamed of owning, because I know for a fact this set runs close to a thousand dollars.
“Tyler, this is too much.” My eyes fly up to meet his.
“No it’s not,” he says, then nods at the next bag. “There’s more.”
My mouth falls open when I see that Tyler has bought me an iPad and Apple Pencil.
“I was researching things an artist might need and read about this app called Procreate. You can do all kinds of things on it. Thought you needed this.” Tyler pauses. “And one more,” he adds, nodding at the smaller bag on my lap.
Eyes on him, I reach in and hear a crinkling sound at my touch. Without even looking, I know what it is. My nose starts to sting and a surge of gratefulness swells, but I will myself not to cry when I feel my chin wobble.
“You got me orange slices.”
Tyler’s smile is tender when he repeats my words. “I got you orange slices.”
“Seriously, this is too much.”
“Mom, you’ve already said that. Now tell him thank you.” Jay prods, and Tyler, Abby, and I all laugh.
“Thank you, Tyler,” I say softly. “Thank you so much for all of this. You spent entirely too much money, but thank you.”
“You don’t think working for Austin was volunteer work, do you? I love the guy, but he’s a lot. I can assure you, he pays me well.”
His words make me laugh, but honestly, Tyler’s financial status hasn’t crossed my mind. Obviously, he has some money in the bank because Austin James is well-known around the country and Tyler has been his manager from the beginning.
“I’ve also made some smart investments with my money. Don’t you worry about all this. I wanted to treat you three.”
All I can do is grin over at him.
“Is Tyler your boyfriend or something?” Jay blurts out.
Good grief, that boy is definitely my son, saying whatever pops into his head.
