The pancakes were perfectly soft, warm, and just the right amount of sweet. Each bite felt like comfort, like something familiar trying to settle the chaos that still hummed quietly beneath my skin. Jason had really tried, and I let myself enjoy it. It was not just about the food but also about the moment. The normalcy. This time, the silence between us felt easy rather than tense.
At some point, his phone rang, pulling him briefly out of the kitchen. I stayed at the table, slowly finishing my breakfast, the taste lingering as much as the feeling behind it. When he came back, his face was unreadable—calm, but there was something flickering behind his eyes.
"I'll take you to school," he said, like it was already decided.
I looked up from my plate, surprised. "I, um… Jake said he was going to take me," I replied, offering a small, careful smile.
Something shifted in his posture, just slightly. His jaw tightened before he nodded. "Right," he said quietly. "Okay."
