Silence occupies the Minister of Defence's office as General Patrick Cortez struggles for words to say. Whenever Jessica Rhodes talks about her past with that sad smile, his mind always goes blank. It has been years but... he still does not know a way to make her stop thinking of those events and move on.
"Many years have passed," he finally says in a low yet assuring voice. "Besides, I never expect you to repay me. I only did what I should." He forces a little smile as he adds, "Just consider it as a part of my duty."
Even after hearing out the General, Jessica Rhodes says nothing for a moment. Then she finally breaks her silence by saying, "You remind me of Mason again. Why are you two becoming more and more similar?"
Despite her casual tone, she deliberately changes the topic, and General Patrick does not fail to sense this. Still, he forces a smile once again and feigns ignorance. "You know how much effort I put in to mold him into the kind of soldier he is today. It would be a miracle if we weren't similar." He briefly pauses and asks, "Has he come to visit you yet?"
"He came home for dinner last night," Jessica Rhodes promptly responds with a genuine smile. "You know what? He even spent the night and returned to the camp this morning. We had breakfast together for the first time in months."
The Minister emphasized the word 'months', earning a chuckle from the amused General. However, surprisement is also still evident in his face. "He really did that on his own will?" He sounds quite suspicious, making the Defence Minister sigh.
"What do you take me for?" She clears her throat before she explains, "I indeed asked him to come home for dinner but I never asked him to stay. Do you even know how surprised I was when he suddenly said he would stay the night?"
The Minister's words remind General Patrick of something but he does not say it right away. Instead, he ends up thinking about it over and over again until he is interrupted by the Colonel's mother.
"Is something bothering you?"
Shifting his attention back to the Minister whom he considers a very close friend, General Patrick thinks twice and finally asks, "Do you think there is something strange with Mason these days?"
"Really?" Unlike the General, the Minister cannot recall many things as she rarely has the chance to see her son. After all, Mason always spends all his time in the camp. Not to mention that he is very sensitive about keeping their relationship a secret for them to even meet elsewhere, apart from their residence!
Even in the morning, she barely managed to convince him to come and see her in her office. After all, he would never allow her to come to the camp to see him.
General Patrick Cortez nods his head. "We are both busy and I also didn't get to see him that often these days but I think he changed a bit. Not in a negative way though."
Pondering the General's words, Jessica Rhodes is eventually reminded of what her son told her the other night. She then mutters, "He indeed told me that there is someone he likes."
All at once, the General's eyes grow wide in shock!
Mason likes someone? For real?!
"Are you sure?" He even inquires as it is too hard for him to believe it.
As far as he can remember, all Mason does after joining the army is work and work and work! How did he even get the chance to meet a woman, let alone fall in love?!
The questions in his mind lead the General to an assumption but Jessica Rhodes quickly speaks up as if she were able to read his mind.
"He says she is not a soldier," she says and adds, "You know Mason mostly keeps things to himself but he never lies to me."
Patrick Cortez nods his head as he is aware of the fact that Mason Kent always refuses to lie to his mother. However, he is also in awe as the Minister perfectly succeeded in reading his mind earlier. Still, it is not impossible considering their long history.
"I hope you can trust in him," he says after a brief thought as he is also aware of the plans Jessica Rhodes has for her only son. "We both know that Mason is never the type to easily give up once he starts something. I don't know who this woman is but I do know that he will be firm, like always."
"That's what bothers me," Jessica Rhodes admits and hesitantly continues, "He said it is one-sided. What if it remains one-sided but he is still stubborn about it?"
The Minister's concern makes the General chuckle once again. "Have you forgotten how persistent and patient your son is, Jessica? With such patience, I doubt your concern would come true."
"That means -"
"That means you should also try to understand him this time," General Patrick interrupts and they both know it is a rare occurrence. Despite their close friendship, he is an army General while she is the Minister of Defence.
Putting aside the past, she is currently the one with a higher standing and he always respects it. So, no matter what, he always tries to not cross the line too much further, especially while he is at work and in his uniform.
"I know you have many plans for him," General Patrick continues in a calm voice which is more than similar to the tone Mason usually uses. "But Mason is not a child anymore. He even has someone he likes now."
As Jessica Rhodes knows very well that General Patrick is the only one who can bring up such matters to her, she slowly narrows her eyes, recalling the argument she had with her son from the other day in that same office where she is currently sitting.
That time, she brought up the marriage plans she always had for him but like always, Mason was not entertained by it. Maybe she went too far, pushing him to meet Laura Collins even just once, Mason even told her to never call him to her office again before storming out of her office.
Staring at his friend who seems to be thinking of something, many things enter the General's mind too. He is someone who knows the relationship between Mason and his mother the best.
If he were to describe the relationship, he would say that it is a mixture of loving yet toxic, considerate but also exhausting at the same time. Not to mention that most of the time, it is Mason Kent who has to deal with all these traits rooted deep inside his mother.
The mother can be very considerate and loving but also toxic and exhausting at times.
Who would have thought that the seemingly perfect Colonel grew up, trying his best to adjust himself just for his mother's sake?
Still, the General believes that Mason does a good job in handling all these from a young age. At times, he is amazed by how well Mason grows up considering the atmosphere he was raised.
A hard-to-handle mother with many different traits and... a father who was even worse.
General Patrick often hears about how Colonel Mason's patience becomes a hot topic among the senior and junior soldiers alike. However, he is the only one in the army who knows that what the soldiers call 'the limitless patience of Colonel Mason Kent' comes from having to deal with and adjust himself to his mother's whim from the time when he was just a young boy.
This was the root of Mason Kent's patience which might probably remain a secret to all those curious soldiers.....