All Chapters of We Were Almost : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Maya woke up to sunlight she didn't recognize.For a moment, she forgot where she was. The ceiling was wrong. The light was wrong. Everything was wrong.Then she turned her head.Ethan was asleep beside her. On the floor. They'd fallen asleep there last night, too tired to find the bedroom.She smiled.This was her life now.She lay there watching him breathe.Eleven years. So much pain. So much waiting.And now, here they were. On the floor of an empty apartment in a city neither of them knew.Perfect.He stirred. Opened his eyes. Smiled."Hey.""Hey.""We slept on the floor again.""Best sleep of my life."She laughed."Liar.""Try me."They found a café that first morning.Small place. Red awning. Friendly owner who remembered their order by day three."This is our spot," Ethan declared."Our spot?""Every neighborhood needs one. This is ours."She liked that. Having a spot.The first week was chaos.Unpacking. Organizing. Fighting over where things should go."You put the mugs in

The first month without him was the hardest.Maya woke up every morning reaching for her phone. Checking for messages that weren't there. Waiting for calls that never came.She had deleted his number. But she hadn't deleted it from her memory.She still knew it by heart.Bisi came over every weekend."You're not eating.""I'm eating.""You had three bites of that sandwich. That's not eating."Maya looked at the plate. Bisi was right."I'm not hungry.""You're lovesick. There's a difference."Maya laughed. Small. Broken."Is that supposed to make me feel better?""No. But it's true."Work helped.Staying busy. Focusing on tasks. Answering emails that didn't matter.Her boss noticed."You've been putting in extra hours.""Trying to catch up.""Good. Keep it up."She didn't tell him she was trying to catch up on living.At night, it was worse.The apartment was too quiet. The bed was too big. The memories were too loud.She lay awake thinking about him.Wondering if he was okay. If he wa

Eight months since Maya went home.Eight months of calls that got shorter. Eight months of visits that never felt long enough. Eight months of loving someone from far away while life kept moving forward without them.Maya sat on her balcony, watching the city lights.The same balcony she'd sat on a hundred times.Her phone was in her hand. Ethan's name on the screen.They hadn't talked in three days.It used to be every night. Then every other night. Then twice a week.Now? She couldn't remember the last real conversation.She scrolled through their message history.Weeks of short texts. "How was your day?" "Fine. You?" "Busy." "Same." "Miss you." "Miss you too."The same words over and over. Like a song on repeat. Comforting at first. Now just background noise.She wanted to call him. Wanted to hear his voice.But what would she say?I miss you. She'd said that a thousand times.I love you. Same.When can I see you? The answer was always "soon." Soon never came.She called anyway.He

Three weeks passed.Bisi was glowing. That was the only word for it. Glowing.She walked differently. Talked differently. Smiled differently.Love looked good on her.Maya watched her best friend transform and felt something complicated. Joy for Bisi. Longing for herself. Hope that maybe, someday, she could have that too.Dayo was everywhere now.Weekend brunches. Movie nights. Even grocery runs.He fit into their lives like he'd always been there."You like him," Maya said one night. They were at Bisi's apartment, wine glasses in hand."I do.""Like like him?"Bisi grinned."I think I love him."Maya's heart swelled."Have you told him?""Not yet. Soon."The next weekend, Dayo cooked for them.His apartment. Bigger than Bisi's. Plants everywhere. Books piled on every surface.He made jollof rice. Chicken stew. Plantains. The whole spread."This is incredible," Maya said, mouth full."My mother would kill me if I didn't feed my guests properly.""Your mother taught you to cook?""And

A month passed.Maya stopped counting the days. Stopped waiting for something to change. Stopped hoping for a sign.Life became routine. Work. Home. Sleep. Repeat.And watching Bisi fall in love.Bisi was different now. Glowing. Floating. The kind of happiness that made strangers smile at her on the street.Maya saw her twice a week now. Not every day like before. Bisi was busy building a life.And Maya was happy for her.Really.Mostly.They met for brunch on Saturday. Same café. Same table. Now there are always three chairs.Dayo came too. He always comes now.He brought flowers for Bisi. A single rose. Every time."You're going to spoil her," Maya said."That's the plan."Bisi beamed.They talked about the wedding.Not their wedding. A coworker's wedding. Bisi was invited. Dayo was her plus one."What are you going to wear?" Maya asked."I don't know. Something amazing. Dayo's never seen me dressed up.""I've seen you dressed up," Dayo said."Work clothes don't count.""Fair point.