Little Gift, Little Help

Ellen stood in front of Mason's bedroom door, her heart pounding in her chest. She clutched a small paper bag, her fingers gripping it tightly. Inside was a tie she had bought earlier that day.

Helga had asked her to go shopping together, and Ellen, with nothing else to do, had agreed. Seeing Helga buy something for Jax had made Ellen want to do the same for Mason. Up until now, she hadn't really given Mason anything, and she thought it might be a good way to show she cared about him.

The tie was a deep navy blue with subtle silver diagonal stripes, stylish but not too flashy. She hoped Mason would like it and, even better, that he would wear it. Ellen raised her hand to knock but hesitated. She took a deep breath and tried to practice a few lines.

"Hi, Mason, I got you something." No, that sounded too formal.

"Hey, I thought you might like this." Too casual.

"I wanted to grab something that makes you look even cooler." Ugh, that was terrible.