"So, what was that bad dream about?" he asked between bites.
"You looked pretty shaken up earlier. You know, if something's really bothering you, you can talk to me. Even if it's just a weird dream, sometimes saying it out loud helps."
Jake blinked at his father words, snapping out of his thoughts.
He forced a small smile and picked up his spoon again.
"I… honestly don't remember most of it anymore," he replied, poking at his rice. "It was just really intense and I think... I was protecting someone."
His father chuckled and continued eating.
"You know, son… even if it was just a dream, the fact that it shook you up this much probably means something. Dreams can be the mind's way of working through things we don't face when we're awake."
Jake stayed silent.
The vague warmth in his chest kept growing stronger, refusing to be ignored.
But then suddenly,
His father set his spoon down and looked at him seriously, his powerful frame relaxed but his eyes full of quiet pride.
