Chapter Three: Between Two Bonds.
249 Words
Sunday afternoon sunlight spilled across Jade’s living room as Maya helped her mother prepare lunch. The familiar rhythm of chopping vegetables and stirring soups calmed her. Jade, however, was less calm.
“You and Daniel have been together for years,” Jade said, handing Maya the spice jar. “When will he stop being just your boyfriend and become your husband?”
Maya sighed. “Mum, please, not this again.”
Jade gave her the look—the one that pierced through excuses. “You’re not a child anymore, Maya. A man like Daniel is rare. Don’t waste time.”
Maya didn’t argue, but her chest tightened. She didn’t know if the heaviness she felt lately was about Daniel… or about herself.
After lunch, Alex arrived, breezing in with her usual energy. “I brought dessert,” she declared, holding up a box of pastries. Jade’s stern mood softened instantly. She adored Alex, often calling her the second daughter she never had.
The three women sat together, laughter filling the house. For a while, Maya’s worries melted into the sweetness of powdered sugar and warm tea.
But later that evening, as she sat beside Daniel in the quiet of his apartment, Maya noticed how different it felt. With him, silence was heavy. With Alex, silence was easy.
She didn’t dwell on it. To her, Alex was family, nothing more. And Daniel was her partner.
Still, a quiet unease crept in—like a shadow waiting just beyond the door.
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