Submerge

B R E A K F A S T

I watched him for a moment, unsure of what to do, unsure of what he needed from me. "Mason..." I started, my voice gentle, but he didn't respond. He just lay there, staring at the wall, silent.

I let out a slow breath, feeling a knot of frustration and helplessness twist in my chest. I hated this—hated feeling so powerless to help the person I cared about most. 

"Okay," I whispered, more to myself than to him, as I turned off the bedside lamp. The room was plunged into darkness, the only sound the quiet rustle of the sheets as I lay back down beside him.

I stayed still, listening to the faint sound of his breathing.

I didn't know how long we stayed like that—him staring at the wall, me lying there in the darkness, the silence stretching between us. All I wanted was for him to turn around, to look at me.

The early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room as I slowly blinked awake. For a moment, I lay still, the events of the night before replaying in my head. Mason had fallen asleep—if you could even call it that—still tense, still distant. He hadn't moved all night, his body curled away from me, a protective barrier between us.

I sat up carefully, glancing over at him. His back was to me, his breathing even but shallow. His shoulders were still hunched, even in sleep.

I padded out of the room and headed downstairs, following the smell of breakfast that was already filling the house.

When I reached the kitchen, I found my mom standing by the stove, flipping pancakes with one hand while stirring a pot of eggs with the other. She was still in her scrubs, clearly fresh from her night shift at the hospital, but somehow she always had the energy to cook. It was something she loved doing—her way of unwinding after a long night. 

"Hey, Mom," I greeted quietly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I leaned against the doorframe.

She glanced over her shoulder, giving me a tired but warm smile. "Morning, sweetheart. You're up early. I thought I'd have breakfast ready by the time you woke up."

I shrugged. "Couldn't really sleep."

Her eyes softened, and she turned back to the stove, flipping another pancake. "Everything okay?"

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about Mason upstairs, still curled up in bed, "Yeah... just a rough night."

"You hungry?" she asked, nodding toward the stack of pancakes on the counter.

"Yeah, I am," I replied, smiling slightly as I pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table. "But... um, I actually have someone here with me."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, and she turned off the burner before looking at me with curiosity. "Someone? You didn't tell me you were having company."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a little sheepish. "Yeah, sorry. I meant to tell you yesterday, but... things got a little complicated. Anyway, it's Mason."

My mom's expression softened even more at the mention of his name. She knew about Mason. "Mason's here?"

I nodded, glancing toward the stairs. "He's still asleep, but... I thought I could introduce you two over breakfast. If that's okay?"

"Of course, it is, honey," she said with a smile, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "I'd love to meet him properly. I've heard so much about him."

"Yeah," I said softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.