EPISODE 6 _Title: "Say It When You Mean It"_
361 Words
The word hung in the air between them.
"Daniel."
Just his name. No "Sir." No distance.
For 287 mornings, he had imagined this moment. Now that it was here, his chest felt too small for his heart.
He set the coffee cup down slowly. The sound was louder than his heartbeat.
He didn’t smile. Not yet.
Instead, he stood up. The chair scraped against the floor. Maya’s eyes followed him, wide and unsure.
Daniel walked around the table. One step. Two steps.
He stopped right beside her chair. Close enough that she could smell his cologne. Close enough that she forgot how to breathe.
He bent down slightly, so his voice was only for her ears.
“Say it again,” he whispered.
Maya swallowed. “Daniel.”
He shook his head slowly. A small, dangerous smile touched his lips.
“No. Not like that.” He leaned closer. His fingers brushed the edge of her chair, but he didn’t touch her. Not yet.
“Say it again when you mean it,” he said, voice low and steady. “When you’re not afraid. When you’re not testing it. When you know it won’t be the last time.”
The morning air felt hot, even though it was still 7:04 AM.
Maya’s hands gripped her skirt under the table. “And if I mean it?”
Daniel’s eyes locked on hers. For the first time in 287 mornings, he let her see everything he’d been hiding.
“Then I don’t let you go again,” he said.
Silence.
The rain outside started to fall.
Maya opened her mouth. No words came out. Just “Daniel” again. Softer this time. Realer this time.
Daniel closed his eyes for one second. Like he was savoring it.
“Better,” he whispered.
He straightened up, but didn’t move away. “Now drink your coffee before it gets cold. We have all morning.”
Maya picked up the cup with shaking hands. But she wasn’t looking at the coffee.
She was looking at him.
At 7:05 AM, Daniel finally smiled.
The kind of smile that said 287 mornings were worth it.
*TO BE CONTINUED...*
- Writer
