Honestly...

Honestly... The Fight Is Over

It was already a full month and a few weeks of therapy.

Glow felt like she was getting better. It was a very slow process, but it was something. Who knew talking would work so well.

She wouldn't say that she was perfectly fine. It was hard not to think about hurting herself, but the exercises Dr. Zion gave were somewhat working.

"You cleaned up your plate," Hilda said, a big smile on her face.

They were at the dining and everything went smoothly. No shouting, tension, tears or nothing.

And yes, she was eating better now. Because she'd always snapped whenever Hilda asked her why she didn't finish her food, the poor lady stopped asking.

But she wasn't like before, she'd changed. To an extent.

"The food was really good," Glow said, honest. "Thank you."

Hilda beamed. "You're welcome! Let me get you something apart from water to drink."

"Don't you have work to do? Anything?" Glow said, standing up. "I don't want to stress you, please."

She held her by the shoulders and pushed her towards her bedroom.

Hilda laughed. "What has gotten into you?"

"I just want you to relax today and let me at least do the dishes."

"Fineee," Hilda dragged.

"Good."

Hilda turned to look at her. She had a soft expression on her face. She looked like she was about to cry.

"What's wrong?" Glow asked, brows furrowing. Did she do anything wrong?

"I'm just happy," she croaked.

Glow was about to say something, but she suddenly felt an extra weight on her body.

Hilda was hugging her!

"Umm..."

She felt a bit awkward. But seeing that her cousin hadn't moved away, she decided to return the hug. She felt warm and smelled so good that she couldn't help but close her eyes to enjoy the feeling.

When Hilda let go, she reached out to pinch a cheek, causing her to shriek in surprise, then laugh.

"Why did you do that?" Hilda asked.

"Your cheeks are so cute."

Hilda laughed. "Thank you, I guess?"

Glow grinned.

It was noon and Hilda hadn't gotten out of her room, and Glow was bored.

So she went outside.

And bumped into Nduka.

Surprise, surprise.

"Hi."

He grinned, helmet in hand. He seemed to have come back from somewhere. "Glow. I was just about to knock at your door."

He was dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts with his phone in another hand.

"Okay," Glow began. "Not to be rude and all, but what do you want?"

Nduka laughed nervously, rubbing his head. "Would you like to go somewhere?"

Glow blinked. "Somewhere?"

"Yes."

Seeing that he wasn't joking, she agreed. It's not like she dispised him as before. So, he was safe.

"I guess so."

Nduka purses his lips. "Yes or no?"

"Yes," she decided. "I'll text Hilda so she won't worry."

"Alright then."

They went to a shop. The signboard claimed it was a bakery, but from what she could see, they sold tea, smoothies... What a place. She'd never been there of course, so Glow just looked at the place with curiosity, totally ignoring Nduka for a minute.

"That's cute."

She removed her gaze from the cake painting which was a few feet away from the table they were seated at.

"The painting, right?"

"No, the way you're looking at it."

Glow became silent, thinking about it. Cute. Did he mean that he thought she was cute?

"Uh..."

"Sorry," he said, eyes shifting. Probably didn't want to look at her. "I just..."

"It's okay," she assured him. "Thanks."

She got the message. He thought she was cute. That was something she never thought he'd think, but maybe that's because she'd been going through what she was going through. She appreciated his thoughts, but she'd be more comfortable if it were coming from Hilda at least. Now, she just felt weirded out and...

"What do you want to order?" Nduka asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"I really don't know," she spoke up after a minute or two of thinking. "Order for me since you know the place." She paused. "You do know the place, right?"

Nduka laughed, eyes gleaming. "Yes, I know the place very well. I'll order a cake, if you don't mind."

She shrugged. It was even her birthday. Crazy that she just remembered that. She definitely wouldn't tell anyone yet. Celebrating anything now was too soon.

He ordered vanilla cake for both of them and cola drinks for them. It certainly was a combo, but she didn't complain. The cake was really beautiful, and tasted delicious.

"You know, I really hated your guts," Glow said when she saw that the man wasn't planning on saying anything. "For a while though."

Nduka's eyes registered shock. "Hated?"

She nodded. "You ruined my chance at ending it all and that was why I'd never received you warmly, and I planned to never do so. But here we are now."

She continued. "I won't say that I'm a hundred percent happy, not even sixty percent. Not healed, but the therapy is working." Her gaze became sullen. "I don't think everything's going to be alright though. I have to get my life back on track somehow soon, and stop leeching off of Hilda's generosity."

She and Hilda were never even close, but now they are. She'd barely talked to her relatives from her mother's side yet Hilda came from nowhere. Did they know that she was staying with Hilda? Maybe she'd question her later.

"I really wonder what I did to deserve her love, you know. Hopefully, one day she'd tell me." She looked at her cake, not really interested.

"I'm sorry, you know," Nduka said. "I guess I kind of ruined your life, though unintentionally."

Glow had a ghost of a smile on her face. "It's okay, it can't be undone. Maybe someday I'll tell you my full story."

She had to move on in a way. She didn't have any interest in killing herself anymore. The fight was over, for now though.