Sunday

Athen wakes up at 6:30 am the next morning: it is Sunday and she has the day off from clinical. After realizing she fell asleep on the couch, Athena lets out a small laugh. Waffle, Athena's brown-spotted tabby cat, climbs onto her owner's lap and purrs.

"Good morning Waffle. Where is your younger brother?"

"Meow"

Syrup is not the friendliest cat but, he has his moments. Today he is standing in the space between the kitchen and front room. He walks over to the couch and rubs against Athena's legs when he hears his name.

"Since I am off from clinical rotation until Wednesday, I am going to treat myself today. Going on a short run, going to read, and cook a special breakfast. Better get changed before my body starts acting up again."

She gets up from the couch, walks upstairs, brushes her teeth, and puts on running attire. In ten minutes, Athena is out the door, running away from her house. Her destination, Seattle University: a good eight-mile run round trip.

Carson wakes up at 8:30 am. He is slowly turning into a morning person but sleeps in on the weekends. He has an open schedule and no solid plans as of yet. Carson notices his pillow is slightly wet: he had shed a few tears while sleeping.

"I should call Luis back in case he starts worrying about me again. Or, maybe I will go to the house instead. A surprise visit never hurt anyone."

After stretching his arms and rubbing his face, Carson walks into the bathroom to get ready for the day. He brushed his teeth and washes his face within five minutes. Carson fixes his bed, throws on a pair of jeans with an oversized t-shirt, and heads out the door. A quick morning walk will elevate his mood.

Luis has been up since 5:45 am: he left a sleeping Hector in their bed and fixed himself a morning cup of coffee. He is sitting on the couch looking out into the front yard. Rupert, Hector and Luis's grey British Shorthair cat, stares at Luis from the kitchen.

"I acknowledge your presence Rupert and ask that you leave me alone."

Rupert lets out a small 'meow' and walks in the opposite direction of Luis. Luis returns his gaze to the front yard. He visualizes a younger version of himself: chasing a three-year-old Carson around the yard while Hector captures the moment on film. A smile dances across Luis's face.

"A lot of fun memories have been made inside this house and in the front yard. Now to hear back from..."

Before Luis can finish his sentence, his phone starts ringing. He picks the phone up, notices who is calling, and answers.

"Good morning Carson, you are up early for a Sunday."

"I am adjusting to being a morning person, so go easy on the comments. What are you doing today?"

Luis smiles to himself, takes a sip from his coffee, and answers Carson's question.

"At the moment I am reminiscing about your childhood and all the fun we had in the front yard. I am not sure what the rest of today has in store."

"I would like to come up for the day and continue our conversation in person. Will this work with you?"

"I will make it work, should we include Hector or not? You know he enjoys talking with both of you kids and keeping in touch. I already told him about our conversation from yesterday."

"If you would not mind, I want to talk with and only you. Hector and Athena have each other to talk with. What time works best for you?"

"Come on up when you are ready. The house has an open-door policy. If Hector and I are out of the house when you arrive, you will find a house key under the rose bush. Now if you will excuse me, Hector is getting up."

"Hahaha, I will see you later. I love you."

"I love you to Carson."

This time, Luis disconnects from the line first.

Athen makes it to Seattle University and back to her house by 8:30 am: not bad considering she walked a few times and has not been consistent with her training for two weeks. She takes a shower and puts on a comfortable outfit. Once she is in the kitchen, Athena starts building a breakfast menu in her head.

Eggs are a go-to staple, cinnamon rolls sound good, and a quick vegetarian soup is what Athena comes up with. She starts by mixing flour, sugar, vanilla, water, and yeast: the cinnamon rolls need to rise while she cooks the soup. A text message from Carson pops onto Athena's phone: she reads it.

Carson's text: "Good morning Athena, I hope you slept well last night. I am meeting up with Luis today to grab a coffee and a chat. Take care."

Athena's response: "Enjoy your time with Luis, I love you."

Athena continues making her breakfast and is feeling great. Her movie night with Carson, having a frank conversation regarding her's and Carson's feelings surrounding the recent diagnosis, and being able to comfort her fiance during a vulnerable moment, have recharged Athena's batteries.

Carson heads out to his parents' house at 10 am. He figures Luis and Hector are up by now and need not worry about disturbing anyone's sleep. On the way to Tacoma, Carson stops at a bakery for treats. While Hector is a phenomenal chef, his baking skills are no match for the Pain au Chocolate from Lucy Q's Bakery. He grabs himself a coffee and a special treat for Athena too.

Luis and Hector are out on a walk. Hector felt the need to get into nature for a few hours: there is a hiking trail down the road from where they live. It is lined with redwood trees, oak, and fern bushes. The couple is holding hands and enjoying a beautiful Sunday together.