While the rain starts slowing down outside, Athena's eyes begin to close. She says something inaudible to Carson's ears and adjusts her body on the couch, getting comfortable and settling her mind. Athena falls asleep shortly after Carson finishes sharing his story and stops talking. He looks down at Athena, watching her chest rise and fall in a calming rhythm.
A sense of calm engulfs the living room as the last raindrop dances outside. Carson doses off into dreamland because the house is quiet, Athena is safe, and the rain has stopped. A flock of yellow finches chirps in harmony, adding warmth to the already peaceful atmosphere.
One-and-a-half hours later, Athena wakes up while Carson continues to sleep. She moves her head from Carson's lap, slowly sits up on the sofa, and stretches her body. Once all the kinks and knots are out her joints, Athena makes her way to the kitchen to fix up some food. It is overcast and dry outside, and soup for lunch sounds good to Athena.
Athena steps into the kitchen and flips on the lights. She grabs a few items from the refrigerator and pantry: a large carrot, two stocks of celery, one shallot, a yellow bell pepper, vegetable broth, and an assortment of spices. Placing the ingredients on the counter sends a small 'thunk' sound into the living room. Athena looks over her left shoulder and notices Carson starting to stir. He does not get up and instead, stretches his body out on the sofa. She lets out a sigh of relief and gets to work on creating lunch.
Sadness hits Athena like a rock as she washes the vegetables and sets them on a chopping board. She grabs her phone from the kitchen counter, finds headphones in a random drawer, connects her phone to the headphones, and listens to a series of Boys to Men songs. Their melodic ballads about love, romance, and heartache help Athena process her feeling. When the song "End of the Road" comes on and the shallot starts being chopped, a few tears run down Athena's face. She mouths the words to herself and lives in her emotions. Once the broth, vegetables, and seasonings are in a pot, Athena turns her attention to waking Carson up.
Pre-ground Pike Place coffee, ice-cold water, and time are all it takes to get Carson's attention. The second Athena pushes the button turning on the coffee pot, Carson turns his head towards the kitchen and appears half awake. He gets up and stumbles towards the origin of his favorite scent, a strong batch of coffee. Athena is still listening to her music and smiles at Carson.
After the coffee finishes brewing, Carson pours himself a mug of the beverage and is served a bowl of soup. Athena takes her headphones out and places both bowls of soup on the kitchen counter, she takes a seat and invites Carson to sit down as well. She starts talking with Carson after he grabs a seat.
"How was your nap sleepy head?" She giggles and takes a sip of broth.
"I should be asking you the same question At. I slept pretty well actually, my power nap was one of the best periods of sleep I have had in months. Maybe I should take the day off from school more often too." Carson laughs to himself after stating he should take more days off from school. His ego and drive will not allow him to take unnecessary days off from Law School, there is too much work to be done and he has worked hard to get to where he is today.
While Carson gulps coffee, Athena starts talking again. "It is not like you to take days off from work or school unless necessary. Taking today off from school to accompany me to my appointment counts as necessary." She takes another bite of soup, swallows, and continues her train of thought.
"While cooking lunch, I listened to some songs to help me cry. I wanted to release the emotions that lingered around after my crying fit by the front door." She peers at Carson with solemn eyes and an absent smile. In Athena's mind, bottling her emotions will not serve her well and will make it difficult to connect with Carson. She is practicing vulnerability and seeing how Carson responds to her efforts.
Carson focuses on Athena with a non-judgmental gaze: he is not able to pinpoint Athena's motivation and asks her for more information. "Athena, I have my assumptions on why you listened to somber music, but, I would appreciate you expanding further on your actions." Athena smiles at Carson and explains herself.
"I am practicing opening up to people and being honest with my emotions. Since I have been feeling happy, sad, depressed, and every emotion in-between since I was diagnosed, I want to feel safe expressing my feelings. Plus, being able to emotionally connect with you and the rest of the family will make communication easier for all parties." A sense of relief washes over Athena like a wave. She really listened to Carson while he explained how Luis and Hector navigated Hector's battle with brain cancer.
From the story, Athena gathered the following information: leaning on others for support is not something to be ashamed of, emotions will run high and low, and setting boundaries will aid in communication. Carson, Luis, and Hector have made it clear they are willing and able to support Athena. Athena has made it clear it is not easy for her to ask for help. By sharing her feelings from today and dropping her defense mechanisms, Athena has taken steps in learning to ask for help.
Carson extends his left hand towards Athena, inviting her to take it. Athena accepts Carson's invitation and squeezes his hand out of love. The two young adults enjoy the rest of their meal in silence; maintaining the hand-holding until the last drop of soup is slurped up and the last bit of coffee disappears from its mug.