54. Jasmine

54

JASMINE

O ut in the hallway, Jasmine pulled out her phone and typed out a text to Margo. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Ell-rom will be joining us at the penthouse tomorrow. Bridget is going to release him into my care, so he will be staying with me until further notice.

Margo called back almost immediately. "We should throw him a party, but I don't know whether it should be a Welcome Back to the Living party or Congratulations on getting Better . Any preferences?"

Jasmine laughed. "I don't know. Both sound off. What do you have in mind, though? Lunch?"

"Yeah. It'll be a good excuse to get the guys to leave the equipment alone and come for lunch in the penthouse. We should make it a surprise for Ell-rom. So, don't tell him."

Jasmine bit her lip, considering the suggestion. While she appreciated Margo's enthusiasm, she wasn't sure that a surprise party was the best idea. "I'm not sure about that. Ell-rom might be overwhelmed. He's not used to being around a lot of people, and that was true even before he got on the settler ship. He and his sister lived in isolation."

"That's so sad," Margo said. "Well, it's up to you whether to surprise him or tell him ahead of time so he can be ready. Either way, I think a little gathering would be good for him. It might help him get used to being around people. Besides, we need to be introduced. Out of the whole team that went to Tibet, he only knows you, Julian, and Aru."

"Oh, right. If we are having a party, we should invite Julian and probably Edgar too."

"Are you sure?" Margo sounded like she thought that was a bad idea.

Jasmine leaned against the wall, mulling over the options. On the one hand, she wanted to make Ell-rom feel welcome and celebrated, but on the other, she didn't want to cause him any unnecessary stress or discomfort.

As she was considering, Julian walked by and noticing her pensive expression, raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

Jasmine sighed. "Margo wants to throw a welcome party for Ell-rom tomorrow when we bring him to the penthouse. I'm just not sure if it's a good idea."

Julian considered this for a moment. "It's a kind thought, but you're right to be cautious. Ell-rom is still easily overwhelmed and gets tired quickly."

Jasmine nodded. "That's what I was thinking. But he needs to meet the people he will be living with."

"Then just keep everything mellow and quiet."

"Will do, doc." She saluted him. "You and Ella are invited."

He shook his head. "I can't. My mother is taking the day off tomorrow, so I am on duty the entire day."

"That's a shame."

He smiled. "It will make the gathering smaller."

It also meant that she didn't need to invite Edgar. For now, she didn't want her former and current boyfriends to meet. Men had a tendency to start showing off and being obnoxious in situations like that, and Ell-rom wasn't in any shape to engage in male posturing.

When Julian continued on his way, she returned her attention to Margo. "Sorry about that. Did you hear Julian?"

"Of course, I did. We will keep it quiet and simple. I'll order delivery from the Golden Dragon, and we will use the dining room for a change."

She doubted Ell-rom could eat any of the Golden Dragon's heavy dishes. She would probably need to bring him lunch from the vegan delivery service that Bridget had found.

"Great idea, but Ell-rom is on a restricted diet, so I'll bring his lunch from the clinic."

"Poor guy," Margo said. "So, I guess I will see you both tomorrow. Around noon?"

"More or less. I will call you tomorrow so we can coordinate. By the way, any news about the Lynda saga?"

Margo sighed. "She hasn't talked with her ex since the last time we spoke, so maybe it's over between them."

"Given everything you told me about her and what the cards foretold, I doubt it."

"I know. It's just that I don't want to step into that hornet's nest and unleash all this ugliness. Rob will be crushed, and even though it would be better for him in the long run, I'm still cringing when I think about it."

"I get it. Let me know if there is anything I can do."

"Thank you, but there isn't."

"If you think of something, don't hesitate to ask, just don't ask for a hex. I don't do those."

Margo laughed. "I would never wish anything bad to happen to Lynda. I wish her all the happiness in the world, just with someone who isn't my brother."

"You are a very good person, Margo. Better than me, for sure. Thank you for organizing a nice welcome for Ell-rom."

"My pleasure. Good night, Jasmine." She ended the call before Jasmine had a chance to say good night back.

As she turned back toward Morelle's room, Jasmine could still hear Ell-rom's soft voice, now interspersed with long pauses, and she wondered what he was saying to his sister. He couldn't talk about their shared past because he didn't remember it, so all he could tell her was what he had recently learned. There was a lot of it, and telling his sister was probably helping him absorb all that information and internalize it.

Jasmine leaned against the wall, content to wait as long as Ell-rom needed, when she remembered that she had promised to make tea and bring it to his room.

Rushing out, she headed to the kitchen.

As she waited for the water to boil, Jasmine hummed the melodies of the love songs she had sung earlier. She loved singing, and Julian's offer to introduce her to composers and lyricists was intriguing.

Maybe this new chapter in her life would bring unexpected opportunities in more ways than one.