utious, calculated even, but now, in the silence of her own flat, she realized she had no idea how to navigate the aftermath of what had just happened. It wasn't just the kiss that

a thousand thoughts that refused to settle. She had told herself she would be fine, that it was just a fleeting moment, a mistake perhaps, a spark of passion that wou

th and silence had shaped who she had become. Would he approve of her? Would he understand what was happening? The thought twisted in her stomach. He had al

ered to herself, hearing the echo of her mother's v

ed in the small moments between their conversations. Nomvula had never imagined herself as the kind of woman who would

same-students, lessons, discipline-but nothing felt the same anymore. Even the air in the classroom felt different, as if something unspoken hung in the space between the desks. The

t before, a simple text: "How are you

he wanted to tell Lerato that she had never been more confused in her life, that every part of her wanted to reach out

y: "I miss you too. Let me k

itation, hanging between them like

d air, space to think, and most importantly, she needed to keep herself busy. The chaos in her heart felt li

mvu

her, her face tight with concern. "You'

forced. "I'm fine, Buhle. Jus

d softly, but there was something in her tone that made Nomvula uncomfortable.

fear. But this-this new thing with Lerato-was something Nomvula hadn't even begun to process herself, let alon

said, her voice firmer

yes. "If you say so," she said again, then added,

words hanging over her. She knew Buhle wasn't talking about the usua

found herself standing at her door again. This time, she wasn

wide, bright, like the sun breaking through a clouded sky. The sight of her took

soft with an edge of something uns

ice barely above a whisper, though every word f

of her presence settle over her like a blanket. The tension between them

. For a moment, Nomvula hesitated. Every instinct told her to pull back, to protect herself from the intensity of wha

hispered, her lips brushing against No

th catching. "I don't kn

ng smile. "You don't have to d

nt, as if they had both been starving for this. Nomvula's hands found their way to Lerato's back, pulling her closer, feeling t

ul, and for the first time in a

herself to speak. The silence between them was filled with the underst

Nomvula whispered, her

brushing softly against Nomvula's skin.

t. For the first time in ages, she wasn't afraid. Not of the world, not of what