chapter 5: *"after:)
357 Words
After the storm, you don’t get sunshine right away.
You get wet concrete. And you learn to walk on it without falling.
*Month 1: Atlanta*
Maya, had a tiny studio, a design school badge, and FaceTime on her desk at 9pm every night.
Elias had therapy. Twice a week. He hated it at first.
“Therapy feels like someone’s prying the cracks open,” he told her on call.
“Good,” Maya said, sketching. “Then we can actually put gold in, not just paint.”
No more surprise calls. No more checking her location.
He sent her coffee money instead. “For late nights,” he’d say. “Not for control.”
*Month 3: The Test*
A guy in her class, Jonah, helped her carry a 10ft canvas up three flights. He laughed. She laughed.
Her phone buzzed right after. Elias.
Old Elias would’ve asked 20 questions. New Elias said, “How’d the canvas go? You’re stronger than you look, Adele.”
He used her last name. On purpose. Like he was learning to hold her, not own her.
She told him about Jonah anyway. Because honesty was the new rule.
He went quiet for 3 seconds. Then: “I’m proud of you for telling me. I’m jealous. And I’m staying in my lane. Talk to you at 9?”
She cried after she hung up. Not because she was scared. Because she wasn’t.
*Month 6: Homecoming*
She flew back for break.
Elias met her at the airport. No roses. Just him, holding a sign that said _Maya Adele, Designer_. He’d gotten it wrong on purpose.
“You’re not mine,” he said when he saw her. “You’re yours. I’m just lucky you want me in your life.”
He’d been going to therapy. He had a job. He had friends who weren’t just hers.
The cracks were still there. But they were filled. Not hidden.
That night on the fire escape, she opened her laptop.
New email: _First semester portfolio: Gold Over Blood. Accepted for showcase._
She showed him. He traced the title with his thumb.
“We did that,” he said.
- Writer
