Carson allows himself to feel his emotions: sadness, frustration, and anger. There are tears streaming down his face and he is ok with this. Both his parents have taught him the value of feeling one's emotions. According to Hector, bottling up one's emotions can lead to an eruption when it is not welcome.
Once his feelings are released, Carson gets out of the car and into Athena's house. He can smell the popcorn being cooked in the kitchen. He walks into the kitchen and sees Athena cooking over the stove, she gives him a smile.
"It smells good in here At, and you have changed into something comfortable."
"Yep, I took a quick shower, put on some aloe vera, and slipped into a sweatshirt-sweat pants combination. Since I am not going anyplace tonight, I figured why not."
She turns around and initiates a hug with Carson. He accepts without fussing. She makes a comment regarding his mental state.
"Have you been crying, Carson? Your eyes are glistening and your checks are slightly flushed."
"I had a little crying session after you left the car. Father also called me and the two of us chatted."
"Mind telling me what is on your mind? You listened to me, now it is my time to listen to you."
"Feeling a bit sad in seeing you sick and having to deal with cancer; frustrated in feeling like I can't do anything to help you right now, and general anger. I am not sure what my anger is aimed at. Rest assured, I am not angry with you."
Athena figures Carson is not mad with her but would like to help him process the anger. Now is not the time since Carson is not able to pinpoint why he is angry: it is not necessary to force her partner to process a feeling he is not completely in tune with.
"I appreciate you being vulnerable with me, Carson. I am also here for you and I don't want you to feel pressured to bottle up your feelings for my sake. We are a team."
Athena continues hugging Carson and has neglected the popcorn that is on the stove.
"Athena, the popcorn smells like it is burning."
"Oh crud, not again. I swore to myself I would not burn our snack."
Carson starts laughing at Athena's overreaction. He goes to the pantry, grabs the jar of popcorn kernels, granulated garlic, and olive oil. Athena takes the burnt popcorn and puts it in a bag (she will use it as feed for the birds). She grabs a new pot and waits for Carson to reach the stove.
The dynamic duo gets to work on making Carson's infamous garlic-infused poped surprise: popcorn cooked in olive oil and finished off with two tablespoons of granulated garlic. A chef kiss delight in Athena's eyes.
"Would you like more or less garlic, Athena?"
"Two tablespoons of garlic is plenty for me, Carson. And how about we add some sea salt for an added bonus?"
Carson laughs to himself while Athena dresses the popcorn in some sea salt. The two of them grab a glass of water and a frozen treat from the freezer. A cherry-flavored Otter Pop for Carson and a lemon-flavored Otter Pop for Athena.
They settle on the couch and put the movie into the DVD player. Tonight's showing is "Cinder Ella with a Twist." A psychological thriller where happily every after takes on a new meaning. Athena's cats, Waffle and Syrup join the movie night too.
Back at Luis and Hector's house, the older couple has settled on a game night. The two men are sitting at the dining room table, a pot of tea and homemade brownies sit between them. Luis shuffles the deck of cards and sets up a new round of Concentration.
"What did you and Carson discuss, Luis?"
"Not much, I asked Carson how he is holding up with Athena and school. He is feeling pressured and asked about our experience when you fell sick."
"I see, what wise words did you bestow upon our child?"
"I reassured Carson he is not going insane, that the feeling of being caught off guard is normal and the steps I took when you were diagnosed."
Hector is looking at the cards and Luis is looking at Hector. Hector can feel Luis's eyes on him and makes eye contact with his husband. The gleam in Luis's eyes and the smile on his face makes Hector happy.
"Yes, I remember how adamant you became in finding the right doctor to fit both of our needs. One who was a seasoned professional in treating brain tumors, with bedside manner and under the age of sixty."
Luis gives Hector a questionable look when he mentions finding a doctor under the age of sixty. Hector clarifies what he meant.
"The under the age of sixty is a joke, honey. My point is, you did your research and found someone who would give us direct answers and express patience."
"Finding a considerate doctor was on the top of my list. Seeing as I am prone to keeping my emotions bottled up and you have the tendency to ask a lot of questions when you are nervous, we needed someone who could balance both extremes."
"And you did a phenomenal job finding someone who worked for both of us. I also appreciate how you would check in with me to see how I felt as we interviewed doctors."
"Of course Hector, you underwent treatment. I love you to bits and would not change our handling of your cancer journey."
"I love you to pieces Luis. Try not to kick my butt too much tonight."
Back in Athena's house, the movie has ended and all snacks are gone. Athena has fallen asleep on Carson's right shoulder. He gives her a kiss on the head, lays her head on a pillow, pulls a blanket over her body, and gets up from the couch.
Carson takes the popcorn bowl and trash into the kitchen. On his way out the door, he turns off the house lights and locks the door. He whispers "I love you" once inside the car.