⌗ 31
third person ✎ᝰ
➸ Tuesday
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A brand new day dawns upon the three young women living under one roof. The sound of an all too familiar intro plays loudly over the sub bar woofer in the living room. It's currently 7:52am in the morning and Mason had woken from her sleep by the ruckus throughout the house.

"Renz." Mason groaned groggily. "It's so early. I literally woke up because of you." The youngest throws herself onto the couch and cuddles close to the brunette who sits fully focused in front of the TV. "What episode are you on?"

Renz runs her fingers through Mason's hair. "I'm just about to start the second episode." Flashes of the previous episode reveal itself on the screen.

"I didn't see Mika upstairs." Mason added. "Did she leave? I didn't get to say goodbye..."

Renz shook her head. "No, silly. She left this morning to go to the gym. I didn't even know she had it in her." The two of them laugh between themselves. "She'll bring back breakfast."

Mason kept her eyes closed. Part of her hoped that she'd be able to fall asleep again. She hadn't gotten much sleep. The girl had preoccupied herself with graduation prep and finalising all the documents and what not for her university applications. Mason was eagerly waiting to hear back from all her preferences. She spent several hours on the phone with her girlfriend following her departure from the Kang residence earlier that morning. She was both nervous and excited.

The TV continues to play unfamiliar dialogue. It would be a lie to say that Mason hadn't rewatched the first season of The Summer I Turned Pretty more times than she could count with her fingers. The show easily became one of her comfort shows—something she could watch despite whatever mood she was in. There was something so comforting and familiar about having a place you could run to when you really need it—like Belly with the Beach House every summer. For Mason, she had her girlfriend.

Home may not be the double storey beach house in the town of Massachusetts but home to her was Riley. The kind of comfort she receives from the latter is what inspires her to start a brand new day upon the rising of the sun. The kind of love that Riley has to offer is what makes Mason so in awe of it all—she can't fathom it still.

Their third month anniversary is fast approaching. It feels like only yesterday when they were out on a little hill confessing their feelings to one another. A small smile forms on Mason's lips that catches Renz's attention.

"What's got my baby all smiley?" Renz presses pause on the remote control and shifts her gaze.

Mason's smile does not falter. In fact, it only grows wider with each passing second. "I'm just thinking about my relationship with Riley." She admits. "I still can't fathom it to be honest."

Renz chuckles lightly. "Yeah, why's that?"

Mason shrugged, her eyes are still closed. "I never thought about it before. It's weird to see myself in a relationship. To think that I've finally committed to someone. I thought I could never do it. I was afraid for the most part and with everything...having someone felt like it was out of reach." She confessed. "Riley made it feel like it was so easy and all I can do is laugh about it."

Renz pats Mason's head gently. "I was always worried about you. When you were little you used to never talk to me or Mika. You preferred staying in your room or going to bed early whenever we held sleepovers." Memories flashed by as Renz spoke. "Over time you grew up to be this lovely teenage girl that loved to read and talk about the books she was interested in. I remember when you would REFUSE to like someone. You were so against it because you felt too embarrassed to have those sort of feelings for someone. But now you're openly talking to me about your girlfriend—about Riley. I know that I can be a little out of reach sometimes or say some fucked up things but I'm really happy for you."

Mason felt tears well in her eyes as she opened them slowly. "You really mean that?" Her voice was soft. Her cousin slowly nodded.

"I do mean that." Renz smiled. "Your Mum was always worried that you'd only ever have Mika and I for you to lean on. Aside from your friends of course. You always had your head in the books and you would constantly preoccupy yourself with so many other things while girls your age were getting giddy over crushes or dating."

"I remember the first time you texted our group chat about Riley. It was her first day at school. You told us that you were so stunned that you could hardly catch a breathe," Renz added with a chuckle. "You were even panicking because the school assigned you as her tutor. Mason, you were so nervous. And overtime...that nervousness you had in there." She points to Mason's chest. "Turned into feelings. You were even worried about that. Mika was so worried that something bad had happened to you with the way you were typing in caps lock like a mad man. In reality you were just trying to fathom the mere fact that you finally had feelings."

Mason could remember it so clearly. From the day she first met Riley and through to the that very day where reality sunk in for the better. There's a fluttery feeling that takes room in her stomach. Riley had been her firsts for many things. It felt quite relieving for Mason.

People say that firsts are special for this reason.
You witness the type of feeling that blooms in your heart and spreads through your body like a wild fire. It's the type of feeling that jolts you like electricity. There's that kind of magic that releases it self when you have that first with that special someone.

Riley is her special someone. She's also her first,

crush,

girlfriend,

love,

and more importantly so,

the first person she sees in her future.

Many things can inevitably change. The future at times can be uncertain. Mason has thought about it deeply and more than she normally would for any other thought or idea that has ever entered or slipped her mine. She's quite set in stone about Riley being the only girl she'll ever love.

"I'm home."

The conversation withers away as well as Mason's thoughts as Mika comes walking through the front door with a duffel bag the size of herself sitting on her shoulder.

"How was the gym?" Mason sits upright. She notices Mika with a pile of letters in her hands.

The eldest throws her bag aside and joins the two by the couch. The Summer I Turned Pretty is still paused on the TV. "I fetched the mail. Most of them are for your parents but you've got some."

Mason tilts her head slightly and points to herself. "What do you mean?" She questioned.

Mika hands her three letters. The difference in size is almost substantial. "Have you never gotten mail before?" She chuckled. "It doesn't say who from but I figured that the little one is hers."

Hers?

Mason takes the letters from Mika's grasp and observes them quietly. She's never gotten letters before. The only exception being the annual Christmas card from her family abroad.

The letter at the back happens to be the biggest. The size of an A4 it seems. The one in the middle is slightly smaller than the first but not as small as the one that sits at the very front. It comes in the size of what most regular letters come in. Although, like Mika had mentioned previously before, it was from her.

Another smile forms on Mason's lips, earning a playful 'ooo' from Renz and Mika. The older girls look at her with anticipation.

"Are you gonna open it?" Renz quirks a brow.

There's a cheeky grin that plasters itself across Mika's face as she too watches. "You've gone all red." The eldest added. "Yet you haven't even opened it yet." Mason hid her face shyly.

She sets the two letters down on her lap and runs her fingers over the back of the envelope on the little one. Mason rips it open and slides the paper out gently. It's a piece of lined paper with stickers that decorate its edges. It's so Riley.

Mason unfolds the letter and looks at it first. It takes up the whole page. She can't imagine the contents of it. She's never received anything like this before. It made her feel all warm inside.

Dear Maisie,

I hope this letter finds you well. I've never written anything like this before—a love letter. I was planning it all out in my head at first but figured it'd be best to come from the heart. I know that I'm far from Shakespeare or even Atticus but the one thing I'm sure of is you. I find that time runs through my fingertips whenever I'm with you—like grains of sand falling through the webs of my hands. Having you has made me view the world in a completely different light. I never knew that the world was this colourful. It was always colourful—but never like this. Never as bright as it is now. It's always warm when you're near, no matter how cold it gets. Like the sun, you warm me up with your love and your touch. And like the moon, you give me light. To help me find my way on the darkest of nights, when I'm lost or shaken. You are my sun and moon. Nothing could ever come close to you, Maisie. I don't think anything will. You are incomparable. There could never be another you. In this life I'm yours, and you mine. I believe that we are destined in every universe. Whether I'm a broken record or not, I believe that words like these are meant to be said, no matter how often it may be. I love you endlessly, Maisie. Always and forever,

Riley