Erica greeted Kiara, who had been sleeping in. It was almost eight in the morning and Erica had already taken a shower and was patiently waiting for Kiara to wake up.
As soon as Kiara stirred, Erica said "Good morning" to her. Kiara slowly got up from the bed and sat for a while before going to the washroom to freshen up.
After Kiara was done, she returned to find Erica sipping her coffee.
Erica broke the silence, "How was last night?" Kiara, who had been lying in bed, smiled and sat up. "It was okay," she replied, slowly getting up from the bed.
Erica sipped her coffee as she waited for Kiara to finish getting ready. After a few minutes, Kiara was done dressing up and Erica asked, "So, then?"
"So, then what?" Kiara teased, pretending not to understand what Erica was asking about.
"Come on, don't leave me hanging. How was the date with that girl you went out with last night?" Erica pressed, eager to know the details.
Kiara raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well, you were supposed to wait up for me last night, but what did you do? You fell asleep."
"Sorry about that. Now tell me, what happened?" Erica apologized and leaned in, ready to hear all the juicy details. "Did anything interesting happen?"
Kiara smiled mischievously and answered, "Yes," causing Erica to quickly abandon her coffee and come closer. "Tell me everything," Erica demanded, her excitement building.
"Okay... So after the date, he took me to a park," Kiara began, and Erica leaned in with anticipation. "Oh my gosh," she exclaimed, holding her cheeks. "I'm not done yet, girl,"
Kiara continued. "Okay, okay... Continue, please," Erica said, growing more impatient. "So, we were walking hand in hand, and then he told me he used to come here with his ex-girlfriend."
Kiara's expression changed, and Erica could sense the shift in her mood. "Aww... Then I guess him bringing you there brought back past memories for him,"
Erica said, trying to provide some comfort. "Well, I guess so, because you could see the pain he felt when he mentioned his ex," Kiara replied, her voice trailing off.
Erica noticed the smile on Kiara's face as she talked about the date. "There's something behind those smiles," she said, raising an eyebrow.
Kiara blushed even more, but couldn't stop herself from smiling. "And what happened after that?" Erica asked, growing more curious. "Did you kiss? Was there anything romantic?"
As soon as she said that, Kiara's smile grew wider. "I see...definitely there's no way you two wouldn't kiss, is there?" Erica teased, and Kiara nodded, still blushing.
Kiara took a deep breath before saying the words that would change everything. "He asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes!" she exclaimed.
Erica's eyes widened as she tried to process what she just heard. "What? Wait, what do you mean he asked you to be his girlfriend? You mean you two are officially a couple now?"
she asked, her excitement growing with each word. Kiara nodded, unable to contain her smile. "Yes, we are officially dating," she confirmed. Erica squealed in delight and hugged her best friend tightly. "Oh my gosh, Kiara, I'm so happy for you! This is amazing news!" she exclaimed.
"You know what? I think you deserve to be happy and loved, Kiara," Erica said, placing her hand on Kiara's shoulder. "I can see it in your eyes, how much he means to you."
Kiara looked at her friend with a soft smile, feeling grateful for her support. "I just don't want to mess things up, you know?"
she admitted. "What if I'm not good enough for him?" Erica squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "You are more than enough, Kiara. Don't doubt yourself. And besides, he chose you for a reason."
Kiara nodded, feeling a bit more confident in herself. "You're right, Erica. I should just let myself be happy."
"I don't know why I feel so attracted to him..." Kiara said getting up from the chair she was sitting on.
"Maybe because he's kind, charming, and handsome," Erica teased her, making Kiara blush. "But seriously, he seems like a great guy. I'm happy for you both."
"Yeah, he really is. And he makes me feel so special," Kiara said with a smile.
"I know MB loves you so much, and you do too," Erica said, using the nickname she had given to him.
Kiara looked at her, puzzled. "MB? How did you know his name?"
Kiara raised an eyebrow but decided not to press the issue. "Okay, if you say so."
"Oh okay. That's cool.." she replied and smiled. Erica took in a deep breath and her nerves quickly calmed down. "So as I was saying, just allow yourself and enjoy your relationship with him, okay?"
Erica said and smiled at her. "But I'm scared, Erica.." "Scared of what?" she asked her. "I'm just scared... I don't know if dating him was the right thing to do," Kiara replied, the excitement on her face fading away. "It's fine to be scared, okay. I know you're a strong lady so don't worry about anything because you can solve any problem that comes your way,"
Erica assured her and tapped her shoulder. "Give me that smile," she added, pulling Kiara's cheeks and making her cheerful once again. "But seriously, I'm so happy for you."
After discussing Kiara's relationship, Erica suggested they celebrate with a bottle of wine, but Kiara declined, opting to postpone it for another time.
Erica joked with her, and Kiara playfully hit her on the shoulder. Erica then brought up the idea of introducing her new partner to her mother, but Kiara felt it was too soon for that. Instead, she planned to take it slow and introduce him gradually as their relationship progressed, a decision which Erica supported.
Erica chuckled to herself, thinking about how surprised Kiara would be if she found out the truth about MB's background. "Nope, I didn't say anything," Erica replied with a grin. "But honestly, Kiara, don't worry about your mom.
She's going to love MB just as much as you do once she gets to know him." Kiara nodded slowly, still a bit unsure. "I hope so," she said softly. "I just don't want anything to come between us."
Erica put a reassuring hand on Kiara's shoulder. "Nothing will, girl. You two are meant to be together." Kiara smiled gratefully, feeling lucky to have a friend like Erica.
Kiara suddenly said, "I miss him already," and picked up her phone to check if he had sent her any messages. "Why don't you call him?"
Erica asked, picking up her phone as well. "No, I don't want to disturb him this morning. He might still be in bed or something,"
Kiara answered, dropping the phone again. "Okay, I'm famished. Let's go down and eat something," Kiara stood up from the bed, and Erica followed her from behind.