The early morning sun filtered through the heavy curtains, casting a soft, golden glow across the room. The storm from last night had passed, leaving a quiet, heavy calm behind.
Inside Noah's home, Naledi lay nestled against his bare chest, the rhythmic beat of his heart soothing the turbulence in her mind. She had barely slept. Between the overwhelming passion of the night before and the looming reality of her broken marriage, her mind was a battlefield.
Noah's arms tightened around her instinctively, his fingers drawing lazy circles across her lower back. His steady presence was the only thing grounding her now.
"Morning," he rasped, voice thick with sleep.
"Morning," she whispered, her fingers tracing a path along the hard planes of his chest.
He tilted her chin, forcing her to look into his stormy blue eyes. "You're thinking too much."
A weak smile curved her lips. "I have a lot to think about."
Noah pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "We'll figure it out. Together."
Naledi closed her eyes, feeling a tear escape. She didn't deserve him. She hadn't even told him the whole truth yet. But she would—today. It was time.
Before she could say anything else, a sudden knock echoed through the house. They both froze.
Another knock. This time louder. Then a voice she hadn't heard in days, small and hesitant:
"Mama? It's me... Tiana."
Naledi sat up instantly, heart hammering in her chest. Noah was already pulling on his sweatpants, giving her an encouraging nod. She quickly wrapped the sheet around herself and got out of bed.
"I'll be downstairs," Noah said quietly, pressing a kiss to her temple.
Naledi hurriedly pulled on Noah's shirt and padded barefoot down the stairs. When she opened the door, she found Tiana standing there, clutching her backpack, her face streaked with dried tears.
Naledi's breath caught. She hadn't realized just how much she missed her daughter until now.
"Tiana," she whispered, stepping aside.
Tiana walked in stiffly, refusing to meet her eyes. Her arms were crossed tightly against her chest.
"What are you doing here, baby?" Naledi asked gently.
Tiana shrugged, her chin wobbling despite her defiant posture. "I didn't wanna stay at grandma's anymore."
Naledi's chest tightened painfully. Margaret. Melissa. They had probably been poisoning Tiana against her all this time.
"You could have come home," Naledi said carefully.
"This isn't home," Tiana snapped, looking around Noah's house with disgust. "You left me. You picked him over me!"
The words hit Naledi like a slap, but she stayed calm. She had spent too long letting guilt rule her, letting Tiana's tantrums tear her apart. She wasn't going to let it happen again.
"No, Tiana. You chose to leave. You pushed me away."
Tiana's lip trembled, but she crossed her arms tightly. "You didn't fight for me."
Naledi's patience cracked. For too long, she had coddled her daughter, letting her anger slide because she felt guilty for the broken home, for the mess with Shawn. But Tiana was old enough now to hear the truth.
"You think you're the only one who's hurting?" Naledi said, her voice sharp. "I cried myself to sleep every night, missing you. I begged you to stay. I tried to make you feel loved even when your father turned his back on us."
Tiana flinched, the truth slicing through her defenses.
Naledi stepped closer. "You let them turn you against me. You let their lies fill your heart with hate. And you know what hurts the most? I fought so hard to protect you, and you threw it back in my face."
Tiana's eyes brimmed with tears.
Naledi didn't stop. Not this time.
"I'm your mother, Tiana. I am the one who raised you, who loved you through everything. And if you can't see that... if you can't at least try to understand... then maybe you're not ready to be part of my life."
Tiana burst into sobs, dropping her backpack to the floor. Naledi's heart shattered, but she forced herself to stand firm. She needed Tiana to see that she couldn't be manipulated anymore.
Tentatively, Tiana stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around Naledi's waist, sobbing into her shirt.
"I'm sorry, Mama," she cried. "I'm sorry...I missed you so much."
Naledi's arms folded around her instinctively, holding her close as the tears fell freely down her cheeks, too.
"I missed you, too, my baby," she whispered into her hair. "But we have to be better. We have to trust each other."
They stood there for a long while, mother and daughter reconnecting after weeks of silence and pain.
Noah stood silently at the edge of the hallway, watching the scene with a soft, understanding smile. He didn't intrude—this moment belonged to them.
Naledi looked over at him, her heart brimming with gratitude.
And at that moment, she knew.
She had to end things with Shawn. For herself. For Tiana.
For Noah, the man who had been patient, steady, and true when everyone else had crumbled.
Later that afternoon, as Tiana napped upstairs, exhausted from her emotional outburst, Naledi sat curled on the couch with Noah.
"I'm filing for divorce," she told him, voice steady. "I want to be free. For real this time."
Noah looked at her with a slow, breathtaking smile. "I'll be right here waiting."
And just like that, Naledi's heart finally began to heal.