A week had passed since Harrington Senior returned home from the hospital.
The Harrington estate, though quieter than usual, carried a certain kind of tension that hung in the air like a cloud refusing to rain.
Mason had also decided to stay with his grandfather for the time being, and the two spent their days together talking, drinking coffee, and slowly trying to piece together fragments of the past that continued to elude Mason.
They sat that morning in the living room, sunlight pouring gently through the windows. Mason held his coffee mug between both palms, watching the steam rise.
"Grandpa," he said suddenly, turning toward the old man. "Can you tell me what our family is really like?"
Harrington Senior raised an eyebrow, caught slightly off guard by the question. "What do you mean by that, my dear boy?"
"I mean… do we love each other? Or do we just pretend?" Mason asked, eyes searching his grandfather's face. "And do we keep secrets?"
