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Breakfasts are a lazy affair.
Sometimes for Geoff, they're a prelude to a stressful meeting. For Ryan, more of a lunch. For Jack, moving between drawers and the stove in the kitchen is one of few times to really think between all the heisting, and betting, and arguing about which milk is the best percent, and which one of those is in the fridge depends on who and how many do the shopping.
For Michael, and Ray, and Gavin, it's more about who is the last to the table, crawling into their chairs as the plates find their own way. Mostly because Jack knows if someone doesn't do it for them, they'll order pizza and eat it on the couch in their underwear.
Sometimes, when they stay up a little too long celebrating (among other things), breakfast will be on the table late. For Geoff, this time, it means he shouldn't have stayed up last night. It means grab your muffin and some bacon, give out your hair ruffles and your quick pecks, and run out the door to meet with those investors you hate for that big project.
For everyone else, it means watching Geoff leave, eating the eggs and the toast and drinking the orange juice ("it's good for you," they keep saying, but Ray isn't convinced). It means they talk, and laugh over Ryan's coffee because Gavin always tries to steal a sip like it'll be better tomorrow, and Jack sighs and takes Geoff's plate to the fridge even though the bacon is never the same reheated, and they all watch the empty spot at the table a little too long, and they can all agree without saying a word that it's better when Geoff is there to swat hands away from food and tell Gavin he's an idiot and start a chain of "thank you"s.
Ryan sleeps through breakfast, sometimes, when he goes a little too far and passes out at his desk. Everyone at the table shares a knowing glance when he isn't the first one at the table. He's not coming.
Jack's missed breakfast twice. Once for family. Once for an overnight at Kerry's they don't talk about. When he isn't around to make breakfast, the lads team up to get it done. The bacon is either too crispy (Michael) or not crispy enough (Gavin). When Ray does bacon, Geoff eats half the plate.
Michael misses breakfast only when he's in a dead sleep. Usually, he gets hurt and sleeps it off a few hours too long. Jack always makes eggs and bacon fresh when he wakes up. Has a glass of orange juice ready before he has the plate off the counter.
Ray leaves for days at a time, sometimes. The best breakfasts are the ones where he shows up halfway through, pulls up a chair, and joins them. Tells them where he's been. What his family's up to. When, suddenly, no one is missing, anymore.
Gavin misses breakfast after a pile of Red Bulls and too many hours in the basement. Doesn't realise what time it is. Someone always goes downstairs to get him, but if he's asleep at his desk, they let him be.
When Geoff comes back from his meetings, everyone is at home. No one leaves while he's gone. Too afraid something will go wrong and he'll need them out there to do much but play games and lay across each other on the couch. Read. Catnap.
He'll be back in time for dinner. Lunch, some days. Those are lucky days. Like the days Ray comes home just in time. Or when Gavin is half-asleep in his pancakes and Michael keeps an arm around the back of his chair to make sure he doesn't fall in.
Only once Geoff hasn't been back in time for dinner. They don't like to talk about that time. It brings back bad memories.
Instead they know, when everyone is around, that when something like fate threw them together, they had to be lucky enough to hold onto each other. When they are six, they are strong.
Lucky them. Six is a hell of a number.
They know, at the end of the day, together they face the same shit that brought them together in the first place. If they can come out of that alive, they'll be okay.
They'll be okay.