Later, lying beside Lennox, my fingers traced the curve of his back while he slept—strong, solid, yet shadowed with something unspoken. The rhythm of his breathing lulled me, but mythoughts refused to rest.What did I really know about this man who had become my peace and my question all at once?
The Next Day
When my phone buzzed, I nearly dropped it, my mother’s name glowing across the screen. I was sitting by the window, the afternoon light soft against the mountains, the air heavy with the scent of pine and something like longing.
“Hey, Mom.”
Her face appeared, sunhat tilted, soil smudged across her gloves. She smiled wide. “Look at you, glowing.”
I laughed softly. “That mountain air must be working overtime.”
“Mmm.” She pressed a seedling into the earth, her voice teasing. “Or maybe someone is.”
I groaned. “You sound like Tasha.”
“That’s ‘cause y’all don’t realize how easy it is to read you.” She smiled knowingly. “You’ve always been transparent when your heart’s involved.”
My fingers went to my pendant again, a nervous habit. “I am happy, I think. Things with Lennox… they feel good. Real.”
Mom’s hands stilled. “But?”
The word was a mirror, showing me what I’d been avoiding.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “There’s this part of me that feels like I’m waiting for something to shift. Like he’s holding back.”
Her gaze softened, steady as always. “Have you asked him?”
“No. I don’t want to break what’s good. What if it’s just me overthinking?”
“Or,” she said gently, “what if it’s your intuition whispering truth?”
I looked out the window at the trail we’d walked just yesterday—his laughter echoing in the trees, his touch steady at the small of my back. My heart wanted to trust. My spirit wanted to be sure.
“I’ve fought hard to build this life,” I murmured. “The retreat… it’s sacred to me. I can’t handle another fracture.”
Mom nodded. “That place is your heart, Naima. It gave you back to yourself. You’ll fight for it, like you always do. But don’t forget—love’s supposed to be a safe place too.”
Her words wrapped around me like a quilt, warm and true.
“If he’s real,” she added softly, “he’ll meet you in the light. Secrets can’t stay hidden forever. The question is, are you ready for what comes out of the shadows?”
When the call ended, I sat there for a long while, the phone warm in my hand, the mountain air pressing close.
Somewhere beyond the trees, I could almost feel him—steady, quiet, unknowable.
And I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming.
Something that would ask me to choose between the peace I’d built and the truth I couldn’t yet see.
The air was coolerby nightfall, soft wind curling through the pines. Fireflies blinked near the edge of the trail, little sparks flickering like secrets refusing to stay buried.
Lennox and I walked side by side, our steps easy, shoulders brushing now and then. Neither of us spoke for a while. There was something unspoken between us — not heavy, just present.
We ended up near the creek, where the water hummed low against the rocks. He sat first, pulling me gently between his legs. My back pressed to his chest, his chin resting near my temple. It should’ve felt like peace. It did — almost.
But peace, I’d learned, wasn’t just quiet. It wastruth.
I let the silence stretch before I spoke.
