I was in the kitchen fixing up breakfast the next day. Kaden sat at the dining table, his eyes fixed on the newspaper in front of him, but I could feel his agitation from where I was.
 

I could practically see the frustration radiating off him as he tried in vain to focus, his attempts punctuated by the occasional slam of the paper onto the table followed by a grunt or a groan. Occasionally, I could feel his eyes on me but I didn't dare meet his gaze.
 
Instead, I focused on the task at hand and by the time I was done, I went over to the dining table to serve the meal. I poured the coffee into mugs and dished out the bacon and eggs; I knew better than to disturb him in such a state, so I moved with as much precision as I could muster.
 
With each clatter of utensils or clink of dishes, I winced, half-expecting Kaden's outburst to follow. But he said nothing.
 

I forced a smile. "Breakfast is served," I said softly, hoping to break the ice.
 
Kaden glanced up from his newspaper, his expression softening a bit as he met my gaze. "Thanks.," he murmured. He picked up his fork, taking a bite of the food before him.
 

I took a seat opposite him, pouring myself a cup of coffee and trying to ignore the weight of his gaze on me. We ate in silence for a while, the only sound was the clinking of cutlery against plates.
 
I was hoping he would maybe start up the topic and address the large elephant in the room, but it wasn't forthcoming. So, I decided to be the one to broach the topic.
 
"Kaden, we need to talk about yesterday," I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the nervous flutter in my stomach.
 
He looked up at me, his expression guarded. "What about yesterday?"
 
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction. "About what happened with your mother, doctor Brown and—”
 
"What about it?" He snapped, his jaw clenched, his grip on the newspaper tightening.
 
I hesitated, unsure of how to approach the topic delicately. "I... I think we need to consider the possibility that maybe... maybe your mother was just trying to help," I said, my words coming out in a rush.
 
His eyes narrowed, his temper flaring. "Help? Help?! Amelia, are you fucking serious right now?" he snapped, his voice rising with each word. "My mother had that doctor drugging Nadine to keep her unconscious! How is that helping?"
 
I flinched at his outburst, "I-I didn't mean..."
 
"You didn't mean what, exactly?" He cut me off, "To defend her? To justify her actions? Because that's exactly what it sounds like to me."
 
"No, Kaden, that's not what I meant," I protested, my voice trembling. "I just... I just thought maybe there was a reason, maybe she thought she was doing the right thing..."
 
He slammed his fist down on the table and the cutleries jumped — I also. "The right thing? Keeping a girl drugged and unconscious for who knows how long? How can you even suggest that, Amelia?"
 
Tears pricked at my eyes as I struggled to find the right words. "I-I didn't mean to upset you, Kaden. I just... I just want to understand..."
 
"Well, maybe you should try understanding how wrong what she did was!" He shouted, "And maybe you should stop making excuses for her!"
 
I recoiled at his words, feeling as though I'd been slapped across the face. "I'm not making excuses, Kaden," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
 
He didn't say another word after that. A somber silence settled and I could see the regret etched in the lines of his face as he stared at me. I stared back.
 
Neither of us spoke, the only sound was the soft hitch of my breath as I fought to hold back the tears threatening to spill over. I could see the realization on his face, of how his words had cut me to the core sinking in with each passing second.
 
I rose from my seat, the scrape of the chair against the floor echoing in the quiet room and without a word, I turned away. But as I reached the kitchen, ready to dump my untouched breakfast into the trash.
 
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to find Kaden standing there, his expression softened with remorse.
 
"Amelia, I'm sorry," he said, his voice gentle and sincere. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I know you were just trying to understand."
 
I met his gaze, seeing the rawness in his eyes. I could see that he was genuinely remorseful.
 
"It's okay, Kaden," I whispered, returning to face the bin and scraped my food into it.
 
His grip on my shoulder tightened slightly. “I mean it, Amelia. I'm sorry.," he said, "But I can't... I can't just brush this off. Not after what she did."
 
I nodded, yet remained silent.
 
"Come on, let me drop you off at school," He urged, "And I'll get you something to eat on the way. You can't have classes on an empty stomach."
 
I hesitated for a moment, wanting to act on the unresolved tension between us and decline. But ultimately, the grumble of my stomach won out, and I nodded in agreement.
 
"Okay," I said, forcing a small smile. "Let me grab my bag."
 
Without waiting for a response, I turned and hurried up the stairs to the bedroom, the sound of Kaden's footsteps following close behind.
 
 
-:-
 
As the professor's voice droned on, I struggled to focus on the lecture in front of me. My mind kept wandering to the events of the morning and the tension between Kaden and me. Try as I might, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over me.
 
“...And don’t forget to submit your assignments via email and also—”
 
Finally, mercifully, the class came to an end. It was only then that I realized just how little attention I had paid during the entire lecture. I stood up and gathered my books and belongings, cursing myself for my lack of focus.
 
As I made my way towards the door, I felt a familiar presence at my side. I turned to see Serena watching me with a concerned expression.
 
"What happened?" she asked, crossing her arms.
 
I shook my head, “Nothing, I’m fine.”
 
She rolled her eyes, “Don’t lie to me.” and then she frowned,  her brow furrowing with concern. "Is everything okay? You seem really out of it."
 
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to gather my thoughts. "I don't know, Serena. I just... couldn't concentrate today. My mind was somewhere else."
 
“Obviously.”
 
"It's Kaden," I admitted, "We had a fight this morning, and it's been weighing on me ever since."
 
Her expression softened, her hand reaching out to squeeze mine, "I'm sorry.  Do you want to talk about it?"
 
I took a moment to gather my thoughts before speaking. "Yes, It's about Nadine," I confessed, the words tumbling out in a rush. "She might wake up soon, and I... I don't know how to handle it."
 
I wasn’t going to delve into the nitty gritty of the matter, or about Kaden and I’s fight or what his mother did. I was still very much worried about Nadine waking up…it was almost scary.
 
Serena’s eyes widened in surprise, “Wow.” she breathed, “What’s Kaden doing about it?”
 
I sighed, “Well, he’s stressed but he wants her to wake up.”
 
Serena offered me a sympathetic smile. "Well, all you can do is wait. Its going to be excruciating, because your mind is going to be like a practical war-cage thinking about what will happen and what will not.” she paused, “But that's all you can do, love. Wait.”
 
I let out a shaky breath, "Thank you, Serena," I smiled.
 
“No problem.” she said, "Hey, do you want me to drop you off?"
 
"No, that's okay," I replied, offering her a small smile. "I have somewhere I need to go. But thank you for offering."
 
Serena nodded understandingly, "Okay, just remember that I'm here for you whenever you need to talk," she said.
 
With a final hug and a promise to catch up later, Serena waved goodbye as I made out to school and took a cab down to Clara’s house.
 
 
-:-
 
 
I sunk onto the soft cushions as Clara bustled around the kitchen, preparing our tea. Moments later, she returned with a steaming mug of tea, setting it down on the coffee table in front of me.
 
"Thank you, Clara," I said, wrapping my hands around the mug. "I really appreciate it."
 
Clara settled into the armchair opposite me, "Now, you were saying something about Kaden?" she asked.
 
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation ahead. "Yes, it's about Kaden," I began, “There’s a chance Nadine will wake up soon, and it seems like he's eager about it. But it's giving me mixed feelings."
 
Clara nodded, "I can imagine that it must be difficult to navigate," she said,"It's natural to feel conflicted when faced with such a complex situation."
 
I sighed,  "I just don't know how to feel," I admitted.
 
“I know it's not easy, but sometimes we have to trust the ones we love," she said. "Kaden cares deeply for you, and I truly believe that he won't hurt you”
 
I took a deep breath, her words sinking in as I considered her advice. After all, Serena said that all I could do was wait. "You're right, Clara," I said, "I'll make a good decision, and I'll trust Kaden."
 
She smiled warmly,”Good. Now, watch as everything will fall into place perfectly.” she said and I nodded, taking another sip from the mug.
 
Clara and I chatted for a while longer and then it was time for me to leave. As we got to the door, she enveloped me in a warm hug, her arms squeezing me gently as if to reassure me that everything would be alright.
 
And hopefully, it will be.
 
"Take care of yourself, dear," Clara said softly,  "And remember, no overthinking. Promise me that."
 
I nodded, returning her embrace with equal warmth. "I promise, Clara," I replied. "I won't overthink."
 
Most definitely not. Serena said my mind was going to be a war cage, and that was exactly what it would be,
 
With a final squeeze, Clara released me from her embrace. “Alright, get home safely.”
 
I smiled, “I will.” and with that, we waved our final goodbyes and I stepped out, the door shutting behind ,e.
 
Just then, my phone rang. I glanced down to see Kaden's name flashing on the screen and I answered the call.
 
"Hi.”
 
"Hey, Amelia,"he said. "I need to go to the hospital. There's something I need to check on. I'll be back within an hour."
 
I nodded, though he couldn't see me. "Sure, I'll see you soon."
 
With that, we exchanged brief goodbyes, and the call ended. Instantly, I began to contemplate my next move. With Kaden occupied at the hospital, it meant I had a window of opportunity to make one more stop before heading home…
 
-:-
 
I stood at the door of Kaden's mother's house. Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and knocked firmly. After a moment, the door swung open, revealing Kaden's mother standing on the other side, her expression guarded.
 
"What do you want?" she asked, her tone sharp. "Did Kaden send you?"
 
I shook my head, meeting her gaze head-on. "No, I came here on my own," I replied, "I need to talk to you."
 
For a moment, she seemed taken aback by my assertiveness. Then, after a brief pause, she stepped aside and gestured for me to enter. "Come in.”