Chapter 6
Malia is struggling. I’m concerned about her. There are a thousand questions in her eyes, but none pass her tongue. Instead she forces smiles, pretends she’s calm with our situation, like she has no worries in the world.
In some ways it’s worse than watching her fall apart, because for whatever reason, she doesn’t feel she can fall apart with only me here, and that hurts. Regret grips me every time I catch her shoulders slumping or her eyes filling with despair, only for her to stand taller and smile brighter when she notices me watching.
I think if any of the others were here, she wouldn’t feel the need to hide her real feelings from them. But I don’t know how I can reassure her that we’re in this together. I’ve not got the answers, and I’ve probably got just as many questions as her – if not more – but at least we’re not alone.
It’s beautiful here. It could be a paradise.
The soft rustle of leaves fills the air around us, the gentle breeze carrying with it a sense of peace that seems to elude Malia. She walks ahead, her steps heavy with unspoken burdens, her eyes fixed on the horizon as if searching for answers in the distant mountains. I fall into step beside her, the silence between us stretching like taut wire. I want to reach out, to offer her some solace, but I know that words would be inadequate.
Instead, I match her pace, letting her know that she is not alone in this struggle.
As we walk, the landscape shifts around us, transforming from lush greenery to a barren wasteland. The contrast is stark, a reflection of the turmoil within Malia’s heart I think. Yet, even in this desolate place, there are signs of life – a lone flower pushing its way through the cracked earth, a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity. I glance at Malia, and a flicker of emotion crosses her face. A glimmer of hope amidst the despair.
I reach out and gently touch her arm, and she turns to look at me, the hesitation clear.
She pauses a beat too long, to the point that I fear she’s not going to open up to me, but then she lets out a deep shuddering breath.
“I’m scared,” she confesses, her eyes searching mine for reassurance.
Her hand trembles so I squeeze it gently. “We both are,” I admit, my own fears bubbling to the surface, but I squash them down and pull Malia into my arms, holding her close. “We’ll get through this together. I promise.”
Malia’s shoulders slump and she leans into my embrace, allowing herself to finally let go of the facade she’s been holding onto for so long.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” I murmur, rubbing circles on her back in an attempt to soothe her.
The weight of her burdens seems to ease a little, and I hope she finds some solace in the warmth of our shared embrace. The landscape around us shifts once more, transforming back into a vibrant paradise, mirroring the newfound peace within her. The soft rustle of leaves becomes a symphony of life.
Malia finally speaks, her voice no longer strained with the effort of hiding her fears. “Thank you for being here for me,” she whispers, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “With me. I don’t know what I’d do if I was facing this alone.”
I hold her tighter, my own heart swelling with gratitude for this new bond we have no choice but to share. “I’ll always be here for you,” I promise. “With you, if you’ll have me.”
As our lips meet in a gentle, tentative kiss, the world around us falls away, leaving only the warmth of our shared breath and the soft brush of our lips. The touch is electric, sending shivers down my spine and igniting a spark deep within me that had been dormant for so long before she entered my life.
Malia’s lips are soft and yielding against mine, her hands cradling my face tenderly as if trying to convey all the emotions she can’t put into words. I deepen the kiss ever so slightly, savouring her taste, her sweetness.
In this moment, there is no past or future, only the present where our souls intertwine in a dance as old as time. It is a balm to the rawness of our fears, a brief respite from the harsh reality we are facing. And as we pull back, breathless and wide eyed, there is a newfound lightness, a spark of something that has been missing before. She takes a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what lies ahead, but this time there’s resolve in her gaze.
“We’ll face whatever comes with each other,” she says, her voice steady and strong. “I believe in us, in what we can overcome together.” Her words hang between us like a vow, a promise to face whatever’s ahead no matter how fierce it may be. And I know that we are bound by something deeper than just circumstance or duty. We are bound by love, the kind that blossoms in the most unlikely of places, under the harshest of conditions – I just need to find a way to tell her that.