Bravery and Bruises: The Price Of Wanting Him

where he had left hours before. This time, she knew he wasn't coming back. She knew because this time, she wouldn't let him back in. The silence was a comfort, a place to gat

n his face when he'd zoomed in on the woman's TikTok video, praising features she didn't have-features she'd never have. That night, she had lain beside him, silent, unable to bring herself to voi

of her life, stirring up just enough hope, offering just enough attention to keep her waiting. Every time he left, she convinced herself it was the last time, only to let him back

ter on campus, meeting him through Lwazi. He was a friend of friends, someone she hadn't thought much of at first. But as t

he had asked, a playful glint in

back to my place

ed, leaning closer, his voice loweri

ghts they spent wrapped up in each other, lost in conversations that seemed to stretch into eternity, the way he'd look at her lik

l and inadequate. There was the time he nonchalantly mentioned wanting to be in a polygamous relationship, already having someone else in his life without ever offering her a place of certainty. O

f the words didn't slice through her heart. "You're just

away at her, leaving her fee

ocess, to heal, and to rediscover the strength she had nearly lost. She found comfort in the quiet mornings, in her work, and even in the silent routine of livin

ck in his chair, the sunlight streaming through the window, ca

voice wavering. "It just

. "Healing isn't linear. But you'

, each deleted memory a step toward freedom. There would be no more chances, no more looking back. She was done being an option, done letting him have a hold over her lif

e had texted her one day, break

ers trembling over the screen.

responded, an air of entitlement w

?" she shot back, a new sense

dictate her worth any longer. And with every moment of clarity, she found herself s

more regularly. Her body felt stronger, and slowly, she began to see herself in a new light, one that didn't hinge on his approval or acknowledgment. She was not