Sunflower

“I would say ‘how nice it is for you to drop by,’ but we both know that would be a lie because you have never dropped by.”

“You haven’t been accepting my calls,” Genevieve said as she slowly slid her designer brand sunglasses from her face. Thea entered the room, drawn in by the conversation, and she fixed an icy glare on Thea. She took note of the half-buttoned dress shirt that was obviously Mason’s as understanding dawned on her. “And now I know why.” Genevieve carefully folded her sunglasses and stowed them away in her purse, the unspoken accusation lingering in the air.

Mason felt a heavy fatigue in her presence, a thick cloud of exhaustion that he could almost taste on his tongue. “I’m having the perfect morning,” he said with a weary sigh. “Please don’t ruin it.”

“I can see that,” Genevieve’s eyes were fixed on Thea. Her gaze was cold and calculating. “You have your hooks pretty deep in my son,” she said as she opened her purse, and the quiet clatter of items inside broke the silence of the room, “But it’s nothing I can’t fix.” Her hands delved deep into the bag, and after a few moments, she pulled out her checkbook. Her hands gripped it tightly as she raised her chin to look Thea in the eye. “How much will it take for you to leave my family alone?”

Mason’s eyes widened, and he lunged forward, snatching the book from her hands with surprising strength. He heaved it across the room, sending it crashing against the wall with a resounding thud, and glared at her with a ferocity she had never seen before. “Don’t...don’t ever talk to her like that again.”

Genevieve studied her son’s face intently, noting the tension around his mouth and how his eyebrows had come together in an angry scowl. He appeared mad, but she could see in his eyes that something had changed, “Oh, I’m too late. You love her.”

Mason’s eyes widened as he gazed at his mother and then at Thea, realizing that this woman had single-handedly shaken up the complacency of his life. He felt an intense love for her, such as he had never experienced before. Without looking away from her, he finally said what had been in his heart for a long time, “Yes, I love Thea.” He then shifted to face his mother incredulously, his voice dropping low in disbelief as he muttered, “You’re a psychopath.”

“Mason!” Genevieve’s mouth dropped open in shock. Her dark eyebrows furrowed, and her breathing quickened as she felt her cheeks flush with rage. Mason had never spoken to her with such disrespect before.

Mason’s voice was steady and even as he said, “No. Instead of being happy for me, like a normal person, you try to ruin any happiness I have,” he paused, glancing over at Thea before he went on. “Thea was my therapist.”

Genevieve’s heavy eyebrows arched up towards her forehead, and she rolled her gaze toward Thea, her voice cutting with sarcasm. “Way to stay professional, honey.” Mason jumped in front of his mother, using his body to shield Thea from her icy stare. “You don’t need therapy,” she said, her mouth contorting into a sickly sweet smile and her hands outstretched toward him in an almost pleading gesture.

Mason stepped back and squared his shoulders. His voice was heavy with emotion as he yelled, “I needed it because of you!” His voice echoed off the walls, and he felt a chill run down his spine. His eyes narrowed as his gaze met his mother’s, and he could see her recoil, her bravado wavering for the first time since he could remember. “You control everything in my life. My image, my work, and any possible direction I might take. But if I ever tried to step outside of your control or make a decision for myself,” he sighed and shook his head sadly as he felt the heavy weight of his father’s expectations pressing down on him, “you pull me back with the guilt of my father.” His voice grew softer as a wave of sorrow swept over him, “I will never live up to Dad or be enough for you.” He crossed his arms and looked down to the floor, tears brimming in his eyes. “Deep down, I’ve known that since I was a child. And you wonder why I need therapy?”

Genevieve’s mouth opened in shock as the realization of his feelings towards her struck hard. She felt the tightness of a lump in her throat and was suddenly aware of the racing of her heart underneath her hand. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she shook her head, a single tear rolling down her cheek, “That wasn’t my intention,” she whispered.

Mason’s face was stern, and his gaze was intense. He crossed his arms and spoke firmly, “It doesn’t matter what your intention was. Just leave.”

She slowly nodded, her gaze lingering on Mason and Thea for a few moments before she took a step back. Her steps were heavy like lead as she made her way to the elevator, her expression blank. She pressed the call button with a swift press of her thumb, and the doors opened with a faint ping. As the elevator doors shut behind her, she vanished from sight, leaving Mason and Thea alone in the quiet.

Thea watched Mason as he stared at the elevator, his expression pained. She noticed the tension in his stance and the wrinkles on his forehead, and her heart ached for him. “How was your mother’s relationship with your father?” she asked quietly.

He slowly spun around on his heel, and his face went expressionless as he met her eyes with a warning. “That’s your therapist voice. Don’t, Thea,” he said firmly. He took a step in her direction and continued, “I know you want to see the good in everyone, but there’s nothing redeeming about...Genevieve.” The word tasted like acid on his tongue as he refused to call the woman his mother.

Thea saw the glistening tears threatening to spill from Mason’s eyes, making her heart hurt. “It’s okay to mourn your relationship with your mom, Mason,” she said soothingly. She was aware of how close he was with his mother and of how much he was hurting now. “It’s going to take some time. Even though she controlled your life, you still talked every day, and now that suddenly stopped. It’s a big adjustment, and it’s going to be hard, but I know you’ll get through it.” Reaching out, she laced her fingers with his, guiding his gaze away from the windows and towards her. With a tender smile, she whispered, “Sunflower,” before pulling him into an embrace.

Mason’s eyes grew glassy, and a few tears escaped. He let his body relax as he allowed all of his pent-up emotions to come out. He gently wrapped his arms around her as if trying to draw strength from her body. His head sunk into her shoulder, and he released a soft sigh of relief as he surrendered himself to her care. His tears flowed freely as he released all his pain and sorrow, trusting Thea to take the reins and show him the way forward.