Page 167 of The Golden Hour

The thought has never drifted far from his mind. It was the first thing he thought about when he woke that morning, sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains of their bedroom.

He didn’t move for a good hour, Honey in his arms, sleeping peacefully. He buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply, pressing kisses against her temple, and simply feeling grateful.

That this is his reality. Not the one that still follows him into his now-sporadic nightmares, where he wakes up alone with no sound of Honey’s soft breathing beside him or Daisy’s giggles drifting from down the hallway.

His life is completely different from what it was a year ago.

And Mason is convinced he is the happiest man in the world.

Honey, as always, senses the shift inside him.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” she murmurs, smiling at him.

His chest unclenches.

She looks so sweet in her bright yellow sundress, her wavy hair pulled back with a clip and a few soft pieces framing her face. Her rings glitter on her finger when she reaches toward him.

“I’m perfect, baby,” he says, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m perfect.”

Honey beams at him before Daisy hums happily around another fistful of cake, making her laugh.

And Mason is perfect.

How could he not be?

He has the most beautiful, brilliant wife in the world. He has the smartest, most adorable one-year-old. They have the home he and Honey created together, complete with garden beds overflowing with her first vegetables.

Mason loves cooking with them, mostly because Honey looks so proud every time she carries another tomato or pepper into the kitchen. And he makes sure she knows how proud he is of her.

They host family dinners on the deck every Sunday. Mason grills while Daisy plays in the sandbox with her grandfathers, and Honey works in the garden beside their mothers.

It’s simple and peaceful.

Not that life is without its stressors.

Mason had been a nervous wreck on his first day at CHOP last month, standing in a circle with the other residents and interns as they introduced themselves.

He felt the curious looks from some of the younger residents when he explained that he had transferred from emergency medicine and was beginning again in pediatrics.

That had only lasted a week. Mason found himself settling naturally into an entirely different rhythm of medicine.

You don’t wish for the juicy cases anymore, not with these children in pain, or sick. You work efficiently, gently, and with all the care in the world to help them.

And, according to his mentors, he’s a natural.

He loves treating the kids. Loves easing their pain and watching fear disappear from their adorable little faces. Loves seeing the tension and anxiety melt from their parents’ faces when he takes the time to answer every single one of their questions.

The satisfaction was nothing like the fleeting high he used to chase in the emergency department. This is bone deep. A feeling that lasts, that fulfills him, that makes him keep coming back.

But every day, he comes home on time, and if he needs to stay, he picks up the phone and calls Honey first. He prioritizes his family the way he should have all along. What matters is that he’s doing it now, as Honey always says. And she’s brilliant, so he always listens to her.

He has another three years before he will officially become a pediatrician, and for once, Mason did not feel anxious to rush toward the finish line. He’ll get there eventually. The journey will be difficult, and so rewarding.

But he will also be present for every second of the life happening outside of it. Every appointment for Daisy, every birthday and holiday.

Because, as the last year has shown him, life is precious and can change in an instant.

The party continues as the sun begins dipping toward the horizon, guests filtering out one by one after wishing Daisy a happy birthday and leaving their gifts stacked in the foyer.