TW: suicide attempt (not detailed) 

I finish the pouring the last of the batter onto the sizzling pan and scrape the sides, shaking the spoon into the gooey circle shape. I set the bowl in the sink and run some water over it, rinsing all of the leftover batter down the drain. I flip the pancake over when I hear heavy footsteps coming down the hallway. I smile at her, dark hair tossed into a messy bun on top of her head, my t shirt stopping mid-thigh. If I didn't think she was sore from last night, I'd suggest a round three. 

"Good morning." she yawns, pulling out a high-top chair and scooting in towards the breakfast bar. "Whatcha making?"

"Happy Birthday." I say, placing a heaping stack of steaming pancakes infront of her complete with extra crispy bacon, a runny sunny-side up egg, and cut up strawberries on the side. 

She smiles, lighting up her whole face before squealing then clapping her hands. "Are these blueberry and chocolate chip!" 

"Yeah they're your favorite." I laugh, pushing the syrup and whip cream towards her. "So I have an afternoon game today but I'm not in the lineup. Off day."

She pours a healthy dose of syrup over the stack then squirts whip cream on top before taking a bite. "Is that why you're up and dressed already?" 

I nod. "Yeah one reason. I have a few errands to do after we have breakfast though. So I called Gia and Kaylee and the three of you are going shopping then meeting up with your parents for lunch." 

"Shopping?" she asks, finishing off the bacon strips. I guess I should've ate one before putting them all on her plate. 

"Yeah for tonight."

Her eyebrows shoot up and she gives me a pointed look. "Mason I said I didn't want a party."

"It's not a party." I say, picking at my eggs trying to think of an excuse because it is definitely a party. "Think of it more as a celebration."

"Mason." she says, a hint of warning in her voice. 

"It'll be fun, I promise." I say, finishing up my own breakfast and starting the dishes. "Make sure you buy something nice."

She snorts and drops her fork, a clanking sound ringing through the kitchen. "And by something nice, you mean short and tight."

"You know me." I say, shooting her a wink that earns me a blush. "Just put your plate in the sink when you're done. I'll get it when we come home." 

Her eyes gleam while a soft smile replaces her laughter. She stares at me, an electric current heating the space between us. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask, my feet glued to the floor by her gaze. 

"You said when we come home. I didn't know this was my home too." she says, hopping out of her chair. 

I cross the room until I'm inches from her, a safe enough distance incase this is overwhelming for her. "It doesn't matter where we are, you're my home. Every time I look at you, I'm home. You are my home no matter where that is." 

Her eyes well up, her chin wobbling. "You can't say stuff like that to me." 

"Don't be scared baby." I whisper, pressing my forehead to hers. When we're apart, I can literally feel every single mile between me and her. But having her here now allows me to not waste a second we're together. 

"What time do you have to leave?" she asks. 

I pull back to glance at my watch. 9:15am blinks back at me. "About 20 minutes, why?"

She smiles, mischievous grin in place, before running her hands up my stomach. "That's enough time if I remember correctly." 

Without hesitating, I throw her over my shoulder and head for the bedroom. 

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"Thanks for meeting me." I say, sticking out my hand to shake Mr. Olson's. He shakes my hand then sets his golf bag in the cart. 

"What's this about son?" he asks. 

Instead of answering him, I climb into the cart, offering him the passenger side. He climbs in after me and we head for the first hole. I survey the area around us making sure we're completely alone before pulling out the black square box. I hand him the box, looking over at him to try and read his expression, and I'm pretty sure he stopped breathing. 

"I know I said I would take you to lunch but I figured out here was more private." I explain. "I don't want anyone to eavesdrop, and I certainly don't want the press to find out before I can even ask her." 

Mr. Olson continues to stare at the box, making no effort to open it. My palms starting sweating as my heartrate increases. Is he going to look at it? This is not how I pictured this going in my head. I imagined him opening it, saying what a great job I did and that of course I have his blessing to marry his youngest daughter. But instead, I have a silent man next to me in a golf cart who hasn't taken a breath in at least a few minutes. 

"Sir." I say, rubbing a hand through my hair, my nerves spilling to the surface. "I love Alexis more than anything in the world and I would do anything, be anything for her. I would give up my career in a second to have a shot at being her husband."

He lets out a breath, keeping his eyes on the box. Time goes by painfully slow as I wait for him to say something, anything, but radio silence is all I'm getting.

"I would like your blessing to propose to her. I'm planning on asking her in the offseason when she comes to visit my cabin in Lake Tahoe." I plead, still waiting for any type of response. 

Finally, he opens the box to reveal the gleaming two-carat diamond. He lets out a low whistle while a few tears slid down his cheeks. "Son, I would give you my blessing, but I think you two have some more things to talk about first." 

My shoulders slump, crushed at his words. "What do you mean?" 

"It's a beautiful ring Mason and my daughter would say yes to you, I know my baby would, but I suspect you two haven't opened up to each other about your time apart." 

I frown, my eyebrows scrunching together. "We've talked a little bit about it."

He shuts the box and hands it back to me before turning to face me. "Does she know you want to use her story to launch your app?" 

I tuck it back into my pocket, the box feeling heavier than it did earlier. "No, I was going to ask her after her birthday. Honestly... I don't know how to bring it up and ask her. I know it's traumatic for her, but I think her story would help get the app the desperate attention it needs."

He sighs and shakes his head. "It's not me you need to convince Mason. It's her. Has she told you about what happened after she started going to therapy? Like the first few months?"

"No she hasn't." I admit. What could he possibly be getting at here? Sure we don't bare our souls about the time we spent apart but I'm pretty sure we both want to forget those years. 

He drags a hand over his face, his age showing in forms of wrinkles and stress lines. "She was struggling more than any of us knew. With diving back into her assault, your breakup, and being alone out in Los Angeles. She hid it so well, it's always the ones who appear strong. Until we got a call from the hospital."

I suck in a breath, my mind racing. "What happened?" my voice shaking, hoping he doesn't confirm what I'm already suspecting. 

He looks at me, his own voice cracking on every word. "She tried to kill herself."