"I should have been more sympathetic to you. I should have stood by you. I have been by your side for a while now, I have learnt the history, seen the people and experienced the world through your eyes. It made me realise that, as a white person, I'm at home pretty much anywhere. While you have to justify your existence even in your own country. I will never know what it's like to walk in your shoes, but I promise, I will be more empathetic to you and every other black person. I will do my best to be there and to speak up. That's my biggest regret - that I was not empathetic to you at your most vulnerable. I'm sorry, Protus. "
"Thank you for this." I said, taking her hands into mine and squeezing them gently, "I know it was hard for you to come to terms with that failure, but we learn, and grow. And I am glad and proud to have watched you grow."
"Growing is the least I can do." She said with a nervous smile.
"It's the best part. Uncomfortable, but vital."
She nodded and gave my hand a squeeze.
We looked into each others eyes, and a spark shot from the gaze of her beautiful eyes and into my being, shaking me to my bones, emptying my head of reason and thought. I reached out and caressed her cheeks. Blood boiled in me and my stomach turned into knots. I was sweating and my body was trembling all over. She was magnificent. I wondered if she felt the same way about me. I could tell she loved looking into my eyes from her delicate, gentle gaze, from that shadow of a smile that creased, faintly, the side of her matte red lips. But I wasn't going to jump into conclusions. I had already been hurt a few times back for jumping. I couldn't risk it again. So I braced for impact.
"Can I tell you something?" I asked, rubbing the back of her hand with the thumb of my holding hand.
"Don't just tell me something, " she said with a coy smile, looking at me with such keenness that I felt she was extracting what I wanted to tell her through telepathy, " tell me all of the things, because I'm here for you...and I love you."
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