✓SEASONS [JAKE GYLLENHAAL]

shí èr.

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十二

𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭. . .

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After Jake had gotten the boys to brush their teeth and use the bathroom, the three stumbled into the kitchen which smelt like bacon and rice porridge. He hadn't doubted that there would be hugs and squeals once they saw their mother cooking breakfast for them.

Truth be told, Jake felt his heart calm down at the sound of Rosalie's voicemails when he listened to them at around five in the morning. But, the actor had a glum feeling when he still felt their standard king sized bed empty and cold. With a disappointing sigh, he went down for some water.

As he went down, Jake could faintly hear light snores coming from the living room and the sound of grunts and shuffling. He went to see what—or who—it was and he didn't know whether to feel relieved or distressed when he caught sight of a sleeping Rosalie splayed out on the couch still in her clothes from her flight. That was 5:30 in the morning and, here they were now—five hours later—with Jake and the boys sitting by the kitchen island.

There was an awkward silence between Rosalie and Jake. They hadn't uttered a single word to each other ever since she had arrived home and Jake saw her wearing that one shirt of his (because the scent reminded Rosalie of him) that fell right on her upper thighs along with a pair of jean shorts and some flip-flops.

To an outsider, they looked like the picture perfect family. But, the two adults in the room knew they were anything but that. Perhaps, a year ago they were that but presently? Their relationship was falling apart and neither knew what do to save it—although they badly wanted to do so.

Rosalie pours rice porridge into bowls and places the plate of bacon in front of them. Jake and Levi, who stops telling his story about the cool fish his Ahia (big brother) Hugo showed him the other day, each takes a piece but the older Gyllenhaal son gently pushes the plate back to his mother.

Rosalie gives a pointed look to Jake who could only shrug his shoulders. Luckily, Hugo pipes up after taking a spoonful of his porridge. "I'm a vegetarian, Mommy."

Hands on her hips and an amused smirk on her face, Rosalie replies. "Oh? Since when?"

"Since last week." He answers her.

Their breakfast carries on in silence after that with only Levi's tremulous voice telling his mother everything she had missed the past few months—about Robin, how the tooth fairy (his dad) left him five dollars under the pillow, and Hugo's new love for the environment. As Levi was the story-teller between the two, Hugo was more of an observer.

His dad had been silent the whole time, focusing on his bowl and occasionally feeding Robin strips of bacon, and his mother had only been engaging with him and his brother as she laughs at all of Levi's jokes and smiles at his little mispronunciations. Usually, they would have hugged and kissed already, with Dad commenting how Mom doesn't even have bad morning breath. It wasn't only that. Hugo had also observed that they rarely talk on the phone or Skype anymore. When they do, it was usually just Mom, Levi and him talking and Dad would just sort of sit back and be silent.

Hugo thought this was odd and he instantly blurted out his hypothesis after much thinking. "Are you getting a divorce?" Hugo asks in a monotone voice and not meeting the eyes of anyone in the room. Jake turns to look at his son and Rosalie's eyes go wide in shock about the sudden question.

Levi looks curiously at his older brother. "What's a deeb-vorce?"

Rosalie tilts her head to the side, raising one eyebrow. She knew her and Jake were having problems but she didn't know it was that obvious even to her kids. "Hugo, bǎo bǎo (baby), what makes you say that?"

Hugo shrugs nonchalantly. "Just a thought. But, I still think you and Mom love each other. Dad's parents got divorced. Although. . ." He trails off, "I think Grandma and Grandpa were married. But, you two aren't. So, how does that work?"

At the same time, his younger brother frantically looks between his parents and also has some impending questions of his own, "Mommy, Daddy, what's a deeb-vorce? Are you going to live separately now? Like Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Okay!" Jake interrupts both of them by softly putting his hands over their mouths. "Looks like you two are just so inquisitive today, huh? Why don't we take Robin outside before she pees all over the house?"

Unconcerned by the amount of awkwardness around the room, Hugo nods and Jake removes his hands. Levi happily bounces off his seat to go get Robin's leash and Jake starts to shake his head at his eldest son.

"Hugo, you have to be more careful of what you say sometimes." Rosalie scolds him to which he replied with a simple "Okay, Mom".

Jake nods in agreement. "Yeah. . .haven't you heard of the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' ?"

Under her breath, Rosalie mutters. "But satisfaction brought it back." She didn't expect for Jake to her hear but he does. With this, Jake turns to her with a sad half-smile.

As the two boys and their father trot out of the house with their little black and white puppy in tow, Rosalie was left to wonder if her long-term partner was thinking the same thing: did they still really love each other?