Chapter 13

Morning didn’t feel heavy anymore.

Not in the way it used to.

There was still quiet, still a slowness in how the day bega,

but this time, it wasn’t filled with hesitation.

It was… settling.

After breakfast, the apartment carried a soft warmth.

The kind that lingers after shared food, after small conversations,

after moments that don’t demand anything from you.

Zivah stood near the kitchen counter for a second longer than necessary.

Her gaze drifting, almost unconsciously, toward Eraya.

Who was carefully rinsing a cup.

Not because she had to.

But because she didn’t know how to just… leave things.

Zivah watched her.

A small thought forming.

Then she straightened slightly.

“Eraya,” she called gently.

Eraya turned immediately.

“Yes?”

Zivah hesitated for a fraction of a second, something rare for her.

Then she said,

“Can you come to the room for a moment?”

Eraya followed her quietly.

Her steps careful.

Not anxious.

Just… aware.

She stepped inside the bedroom.

Zivah walked toward the wardrobe, opening it,

shifting a few things aside before pulling out a small stack of neatly folded clothes.

Green.

Different shades.

Soft.

Deep.

Muted.

Alive.

Zivah turned toward her, holding the clothes.

“I want you to try these.”

Eraya blinked.

“…try?”l

Zivah nodded.

“Yes.”

A pause.

Eraya’s brows pulled together slightly.

“…but why?”

Zivah exhaled softly.

Not frustrated.

Just… choosing her words.

“Because I bought them for you.”

Silence.

Eraya’s fingers tightened slightly against her own palm.

“…for me?”

Zivah nodded again.

“I saw them yesterday… and I thought they would suit you.”

Her voice softened.

“And I wanted to get them for you.”

Eraya didn’t respond immediately.

Her gaze dropped to the clothes again.

Then back to Zivah.

There was something in her expression.

Not confusion.

Not disbelief.

Something deeper.

Something quieter.

“No one has ever…” she started.

Then stopped.

Zivah waited.

Didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t fill the silence.

“…bought something like this for me,” Eraya finished softly.

The words didn’t sound dramatic.

But they landed heavily.

Because they carried years behind them.

Years of absence.

Of not being thought of.

Of not being chosen.

Zivah’s expression softened instantly.

She stepped a little closer.

Holding the clothes out again.

“That doesn’t mean no one should,” she said gently.

A pause.

“And it doesn’t mean I won’t.”

Eraya looked at her.

Really looked this time.

As if trying to understand something she didn’t have a reference for.

“I don’t know if I should-” she started.

Zivah shook her head immediately.

“No.”

Her tone wasn’t harsh.

But it was firm.

“I don’t want you to say no.”

A softer pause followed.

“I want you to try them. Please.”

Not forcing.

But not letting her hide either.

Eraya hesitated.

Her fingers slowly reaching forward.

Touching the fabric.

Soft.

Carefully chosen.

Her throat tightened slightly.

Then,

she nodded.

“…okay.”

And just then,

a knock.

Sudden.

Quick.

Before either of them could react,

the door opened.

Shivani walked in.

No.

Not walked.

Burst.

Like energy had taken physical form.

And before Eraya could even process it,

Shivani closed the distance between them and,

wrapped her arms tightly around her.

Eraya froze.

Completely.

Her body stiffening slightly.

Not out of discomfort,

but out of unfamiliarity.

Because this,

this kind of contact,

this kind of closenes,

was something she had never learned how to respond to.

Shivani held her tightly.

As if she was afraid she might disappear if she let go.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice breaking almost immediately.

Her grip tightened.

“I’m so, so sorry, Eraya.”

Zivah stepped out from behind them.

“Shivi-what are you doing?” she asked, half confused, half startled.

Anamika, who had followed behind, placed a hand on Zivah’s arm.

“Don’t interrupt, let her have this.” she murmured calmly.

Zivah blinked.

Then looked back at the scene in front of her.

And stayed quiet.

Shivani didn’t let go.

Her voice trembling.

“Not just for today,” she continued. “Not just for what I said that morning… but for everything.”

Her words came faster now.

Messier.

More real.

“For every time I judged you without knowing you. For every time I assumed things about you. For every time I thought you were something you’re not.”

Her breath hitched.

“I was wrong.”

Silence filled the room.

But it wasn’t empty.

It was… full.

Eraya stood there.

Still inside the hug.

Her hands slightly lifted.

Not knowing where to place them.

Not knowing if she was allowed to respond.

Her heart beating a little faster.

Because this,

this was too much.

Too sudden.

Too… soft.

“I promise,” Shivani whispered, her voice breaking again.

“I won’t do that again. I won’t treat you like that again. I won’t look at you like I know you when I don’t.”

A pause.

Then softer.

“I want to understand you.”

Her grip loosened slightly.

But she didn’t pull away yet.

“And if you let me… I want to protect you. Like a younger sister.”

Something shifted.

Right there.

In that moment.

Eraya’s body slowly relaxed.

Just a little.

Her hands hesitated,

then gently rested against Shivani’s back.

Not fully hugging.

But not resisting either.

A small smile formed on her lips.

Genuine.

Soft.

Unpracticed.

“…okay,” she said quietly.

Zivah stood there.

Watching.

A little stunned.

A little confused.

And a little,

unexpectedly,

annoyed.

Anamika, beside her, noticed immediately.

She leaned slightly closer.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered.

Zivah kept her gaze on Eraya and Shivani.

Then muttered under her breath,

“She hugged her.”

Anamika blinked.

“…yes.”

Zivah crossed her arms slightly.

“I wanted to hug her first.”

Anamika froze for a second.

Then,

slowly,

a grin spread across her face.

“Oh my God.”

Zivah glanced at her.

“What?”

Anamika leaned closer.

“Our emotionally stable, always logical, never dramatic Zivah… is sulking because her best friend hugged her wife before her?”

Zivah glared at her.

“I’m not sulking.”

” You’re jealous “

“I am not.”

“You are.”

Zivah turned away.

Slightly.

“…it was my moment.”

Anamika burst into quiet laughter.

“Your moment?”

Zivah narrowed her eyes.

“Yes.”

Anamika shook her head, still laughing.

“This is unbelievable.”

Zivah muttered,

“She doesn’t even like hugs.”

Anamika raised a brow.

“And you do?”

Zivah paused.

“…that’s not the point.”

Anamika leaned closer again.

Lowering her voice mischievously.

“Don’t worry.”

Zivah glanced at her.

“What?”

Anamika smirked.

“In the future… you’ll get to do a lot more than just hugs.”

Zivah froze.

Completely.

Then,

her expression changed.

Slowly.

Realization.

Shock.

Embarrassment.

“Anamika-“

She hit her arm immediately.

“Shut up!”

Her cheeks flushed instantly.

Anamika laughed openly now.

“Relax!”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

On the couch,

Shivani finally pulled away.

Still holding Eraya by the shoulders.

Still looking at her like she was trying to memorize her properly this time.

“…are you okay?” she asked, softer now.

Eraya nodded.

“Yes.”

Shivani exhaled.

Relieved.

Then immediately,

“Do you want some tea?” Eraya asked

Shivani let out a small, surprised laugh.

And nodded.

“…okay.”

In the kitchen,

Eraya moved quietly.

Preparing tea.

While behind her,

Zivah leaned against the counter again.

Her gaze drifting back to the living room.

Where Shivani was already talking again.

Animated.

Loud.

As if nothing had happened.

But everything had.

Anamika stood beside Zivah.

Watching her.

“You’re still thinking about the hug, aren’t you?” she teased.

Zivah didn’t respond.

But her expression gave her away.

Anamika laughed softly.

“You’re impossible.”

On the couch,

Shivani was mid-sentence.

“And then I told her-if you’re going to insult me, at least be creative about it, right?”

Eraya listened.

Quiet.

But engaged.

Her eyes softer.

Her posture more relaxed.

Anamika called out-

“Eraya, this smells amazing already!”

Eraya glanced back slightly.

A small smile forming.

Zivah took a sip.

And Shivani immediately narrowed her eyes.

“…wait.”

Zivah froze mid-sip.

“What?”

Shivani leaned forward.

“You’re drinking tea?”

Zivah blinked.

“…yes?”

Shivani pointed dramatically.

“You hate tea.”

Anamika nodded.

“She does.”

Eraya looked at Zivah.

“…you don’t like tea?”

Zivah immediately shook her head.

“No, I mean-yes-I mean-“

She stopped.

Then said quickly-

“I didn’t like tea before.”

A pause.

She glanced at Eraya.

Then added, softer-

“But I like this one.”

Shivani leaned back.

A slow smirk forming.

“Oh.”

Anamika covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

“Ohhh.”

Zivah glared at both of them.

“Don’t start.”

Shivani raised her hands.

“I’m not saying anything.”

Her smirk said otherwise.

Eraya looked between them.

A little confused.

But smiling.

Because the warmth in the room,

was real.

And slowly,

without anyone announcing it,

they slipped into an easy rhythm.

Conversations overlapping.

Laughter rising.

Silences that didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.

And somewhere between tea, teasing, and soft glances,

something settled.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

But gently.

Like a home learning to hold more than one heartbeat.

Something new began to grow.

Not loudly.

Not in a way anyone could point at and say

this is it.

But in the quiet spaces between them.

Shivani stretched her arms dramatically, leaning back into the couch.

“Okay,” she declared, looking between all three of them,

“this feels illegal.”

Anamika raised a brow.

“What does?”

Shivani gestured vaguely.

“This. Peace. No chaos. No me yelling. No Zi pretending she doesn’t care.”

Zivah narrowed her eyes.

“You want chaos?”

Shivani pointed at her immediately.

“Yes. But controlled chaos. The aesthetic kind.”

Anamika laughed softly, shaking her head.

“You are exhausting.”

“I am entertaining,” Shivani corrected proudly.

Eraya watched them.

Not just listened.

Watched.

Her gaze moving from one face to another.

The ease.

The familiarity.

The way interruptions didn’t feel rude.

The way teasing didn’t feel like an attack.

It felt… safe.

Her fingers curled slightly around the warm cup in her hands.

A thought surfaced quietly-

Is this what people mean when they say ‘home’?

She didn’t say it out loud.

But it lingered.

Zivah noticed.

She always did.

Not the obvious things.

The small ones.

The pauses.

The moments where Eraya drifted somewhere deeper.

She stepped a little closer, leaning against the arm of the couch.

“What are you thinking?” she asked softly.

Eraya blinked.
Pulled back into the moment.

“…nothing,” she said automatically.

Zivah tilted her head slightly.
A faint smile forming.

“You always say that when it’s not true.”

A pause.

Eraya looked down at her cup.

Then-very quietly-
“…I was just thinking… this feels… different.”

Zivah didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t rush her.

“Different how?” she asked gently.

Eraya hesitated.

Searching for words she wasn’t used to using.

“…like I’m not… in the way.”

The room stilled.

Not heavily.

But enough.

Zivah’s expression softened instantly.

She lowered herself, sitting beside Eraya.

Close enough to be present.

Not overwhelming.

“You’re not in the way,” she said quietly.

A pause.

“Not here.”

Shivani, for once, didn’t jump in immediately.

She looked at Eraya.

Really looked.

And something in her softened too.

“You’re actually… the least problematic person here,” she added.

Anamika snorted.

“That is not a high bar, Shivi.”

“Excuse me,” Shivani shot back, offended.

“I have depth.”

“You have drama,” Anamika corrected.

“I have layers Mika.”

“You have issues.”

Eraya let out a small laugh.

Soft.

But real.

And all three of them noticed.

Zivah’s gaze lingered on her for a second longer.

That sound.

That small, unguarded laugh,
it did something to her.

Something she didn’t fully understand yet.

But she didn’t question it either.

“Okay,” Shivani suddenly clapped her hands, sitting up straight. “New plan.”

Zivah sighed immediately.

“That never ends well.”

“Ignore her,” Anamika muttered, sipping her tea.

“No, listen,” Shivani insisted, pointing at Eraya. “We need to fix this situation.”

Eraya blinked. “…what situation?”

Shivani gestured dramatically.

“This whole ‘you don’t know how to exist comfortably’ situation.”

Zivah frowned slightly. “Shivi-“

“No, I mean it nicely!” Shivani defended quickly.

“Like… we need to teach you how to relax.”

Anamika raised a brow.

“And you’re the teacher?”

“Absolutely.”

“That’s terrifying.”

Eraya looked between them.
“…how do you teach someone to relax?”

Shivani leaned forward, completely serious now.

“Step one: you stop thinking so much.”

Eraya stared at her.

“…I don’t know how to do that.”

Shivani nodded.

“Exactly. That’s why I’m here.”

Zivah shook her head, but there was a faint smile on her lips.

“This is going to go very wrong.”

Anamika smirked. “Or very right.”

Shivani stood up abruptly.

“Come on.”

Eraya blinked. “Where?”

Shivani grabbed her wrist, not forcefully, just enough to guide.

“Balcony.”

The four of them stepped outside.

The morning had fully settled now.

Sunlight warm.

Air soft.

The city slowly waking up beneath them.
Shivani leaned against the railing.

“Okay,” she said, looking at Eraya.

“Just stand here.”

Eraya stood.

Awkwardly at first.

Unsure what she was supposed to do.

“Now,” Shivani continued, “look at that.”

She pointed outward.

At the open sky.

At the scattered rooftops.

At the movement of people below.

Eraya followed her gaze.

Silently.

“People are living,” Shivani said simply.
Eraya frowned slightly.

“…I know.”

“No,” Shivani shook her head. “You know, but you don’t see.”

A pause.

“You’re always inside your head. Always thinking about what’s wrong, what could go wrong, what you’re doing wrong.”

Her voice softened.

“But right now… nothing is wrong.”

Eraya didn’t respond.

But she didn’t look away either.

Zivah watched her from the side.

Her arms loosely crossed.

Her gaze steady.

Not intrusive.

Just… there.

Shivani stepped back slightly.
Giving space.

“Just stay like this for a minute,” she said.
“No talking. No overthinking. Just… be.”

Silence followed.

Not awkward.

Not heavy.

Just… present.

Eraya’s fingers loosened around the edge of her cloth.

Her shoulders dropped slightly.

Her breathing steadied.

And for a brief moment-
she did exactly that.

She just… existed.

Zivah noticed immediately.

The shift.
Small.

But real.

A softness settling into Eraya’s posture.

A quietness that wasn’t defensive.
Anamika leaned closer to Zivah, whispering

“She’s trying.”

Zivah nodded slightly.
“I know.”

After a while, Shivani clapped once.
“Done.”

Eraya blinked. “…that’s it?”

Shivani grinned. “That’s step one.”

They moved back inside.

The energy lighter.

More settled.

Zivah glanced at the green clothes still resting on the bed.

Then at Eraya.

“Will you try them now?” she asked gently.

Eraya looked at them.

Then at Zivah.

And this time-

there was no hesitation.
“…okay.”

As she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her-

Zivah stayed outside.
Waiting.

Not impatiently.

Just… present.

Anamika leaned against the wall beside her.

“You’re staring at the door like something life-changing is about to happen.”

Zivah didn’t look away.
“…maybe it is.”

Shivani smirked.

“Oh, she’s gone.”

Zivah frowned. “What?”

“She’s gone,” Shivani repeated.

“Completely. Finished. No coming back.”

Anamika laughed softly.

“Let her be.”

Inside the room-

Eraya stood in front of the mirror.

Holding the green fabric.

Her fingers tracing it slowly.

Carefully.

She changed.

Quietly.

Almost hesitantly.

As if she was stepping into something
unfamiliar.

When she finally looked up,

she paused.

The reflection looking back at her felt… different.

Not because the clothes were new.

But because,
for the first time,

it looked like someone had chosen something for her.

Not out of obligation.

Not out of necessity.

But because they thought it would suit her.

Her throat tightened slightly.

She stood longer infront of mirror than usual.

Outside,
Zivah shifted her weight slightly.

Trying not to seem impatient.

Failing.

The door opened.

And for a moment,
everything stilled.

Eraya stepped out slowly.

The green fabric falling softly around her.

Simple.

Elegant.

Effortless.

Zivah didn’t speak immediately.

Because she didn’t have words.

Shivani blinked.
“…okay. She looks amazing”

Anamika smiled.
“Yeah…”

Zivah stepped forward.

Her gaze steady.

Soft.

“…I knew it would suit you,” she said quietly.

Eraya looked down slightly.

“…it feels… different.”

Zivah nodded.

“Different isn’t bad.”

A pause.

“Sometimes it’s just new.”

And in that moment,
something unspoken passed between

them.

Not rushed.

Not overwhelming.

Just… there.

A beginning.
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