“Okay.”
He takes a breath, then nods once, firm and final. “I’ll be in touch about the paperwork.”
“Sounds good.”
David kneels in front of Mason again, pulling him into a hug that lingers just long enough to matter. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Mason replies, muffled against his shoulder.
David stands, gives me one last look that’s equal parts gratitude and regret, and walks toward the door. I walk him out, and Mason waves goodbye to his father. Then he drifts back to me slowly, pressing his side against my leg like he needs the contact.
We stand there for a moment, just breathing.
Then he looks up at me with serious eyes and asks the question I’ve been bracing for since David opened his mouth. “Is Daddy staying away because of me?”
My heart cracks straight down the middle.
I crouch immediately so I’m level with him, hands coming to his shoulders, steady and warm and absolutely certain. “No, baby,” I say without hesitation. “Never because of you. Not even a little.”
“Did I do something wrong?” he asks, voice wobbling just enough to make my throat burn.
“No,” I repeat, slower this time. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Your daddy loves you so much. He just… has a hard time showing it sometimes.”
Mason nods a little, thinking in that deep, serious way that always surprises people who don’t know him well. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t pull away. He just rests his head against my shoulder and breathes.
After a moment, he speaks again, softer now. “Aiden says some people aren’t good at emotional stuff.”
My eyes sting instantly. “He’s right about that.”
“I think Dad is one of those people,” Mason continues.
I swallow hard. “I think you’re right about that. It’s hard for him.”
He nods, apparently satisfied. Then his face brightens just a little, like he’s reached the end of a complicated thought. “It took me a few tries to be able to ride my bike.”
“That’s true,” I say, smiling faintly.
“And Aiden didn’t give up on me. He kept running next to me, even when I kept falling. So, I won’t give up on Dad,” Mason says simply.
Aiden appears then and crouches beside us without interrupting, one hand resting lightly on Mason’s back.
I look up at him, my voice thick. “You got him on his bike?”
Aiden smiles and nods. “Took a few tries. But he didn’t quit.”
Mason beams at that, the heaviness lifting just a little.
“We’re not quitters in this family,” Aiden says. “Even if it takes six years to get it right.”
AIDEN
Weeks pass in a way that feels unreal until I stop and take stock.
When I walk back into the firehouse on a Monday morning, I expect awkwardness, tension, maybe even resentment or a warning. But life is full of surprises.
“About damn time,” Theo says as I hang my jacket in its familiar place. “We were getting tired of carrying your weight.”
Lizzie grins from across the bay. “Don’t let it go to your head. We just missed having someone competent around.”
