Kaede was a miracle.

 Dominque grabbed her in a suffocating hug to comfort but also, the man wished to hide the few tears threatening to fall in front of the woman. At this instant, the man realized how lonely he was with his secret.

The roles were reversed, Kaede was the one to liberate the man from his dungeon, "tú eres valioso ante mis ojos, tengo necesidad de ti."

"Dominque, what did you say? Dom-."

Kaede didn't know what he said, but she held on to him as tight as he did.

Marco was right Dominque wasn't perfect, but neither was she. Her Ex was wrong to believe she sought perfection, just as he was wrong to think his money solved everything.

The exchange she had with Dominque where expressing one's fears without having the impression of being a dead weight, but feeling supported was what Kaede needed when she was in an abyss of depression. Kaede knew Dominque needed that level of understanding right then.

They fell asleep around 3 am. Kaede woke up first. She crept out of bed with her phone in hand and went to the kitchen. She began to do some diabetes research.

Dominque entered the kitchen a few minutes after, "hey."

"Goodmorning," Kaede blacked out the screen of her phone, which she posed face down on the counter.

She smiled, and Dominque's angst faded. How Kaede would be when they woke was something that stressed him. The man wondered if her behavior would change. Would she treat him as though he had some disability? Would she stare at him with pity or be her usual radiant self just as she was then.

The woman didn't know how she impacted Dominque's emotions. His feelings for her already streamed in high definition, attained an immersive HD level where the colors were larger than life. It was one of those moments where the man wished the doctor would announce the power of love cured him just like they did in movies.

"Why did you wake up so early?"

"I wanted to take down my braids. So I'llㅡ.

"I'll help you,

"Dominque."

"Remember what Dyan said?"

"Dominque, it will mess up the place, and I'll look like Medusa on the loose."

"What I know what Kanekalon hair looks like when you chop it. Hey, I grew up in Saint-Denis, the place with a hair store every three meters on Republic high street."

"Oh my God, you even know the braid type."

"Of courses I do, one of my childhood friends, Aarav parent's, owned four stores. My mom would send me to buy things for Dyan all the time. Come on; I won't do a Simione on you."

"What's that?"

"My friend Simione wanted to help his wife take out her sew-in, and he chopped the cornrows as he took out the weft. She had to shave all her head."

Kaede laughed, "oh, my."

"Relax, Kaede, you cut the ends, and I'll unbraid."

Half an hour later, Kaede sat on a chair. Dominque undid the back while she took off the braids at the front.

"Your hair is pretty long."

"You mean for a black woman?"

"No, I mean for a black woman in France. The quality of the water here is bad. A lot of women have a tough time growing their hair."

"Well, I've never relaxed my hair. My aunt Siska told me she already had four daughters who consumed her budget in hair. So, I spent a few years walking around as I escaped from The Get Down before learning to braid and taking care of my follicles myself. And like you pointed out, my cousin's hair just began to break off when they were fifteen while mine remained thick and kinky.

"Your aunt sounds like a wonderfully generous human being."

The people who raised Kaede made child welfare seem like paradise to Dominque. They treated her like she was an add-on. She grew up with different aunts who handed her over to the next as soon as they were bored. They made sure Kaede felt like a handful and grateful for everything they did in her existence.

"Anyways, your hair is beautiful," Dominque said as they finished, and he contemplated her massive afro.

"Now, I have to wash it, but I didn't bring anything."

"You want me to go to the high street."

"Oh no, Dominque, you've done enough."

"Kaede, I can do it. Is there any brand you like?"

There was no point fighting the man who seemed more than determined to run the errand, "anything from Cantu, Design Essential Naturals, or Aussie, it's sold every convenience store now."

"Okay," the man went to put a tee shirt and sweatpants on.

"Wait, let me get my purse."

"Kaede, a few euros won't ruin me."

"Please, Dominque. I don't like it when people pay things for me all the time."

"By people, do you mean men?"

"Yeah, I don't mind a gift from time to time, but I don't like being sugared even by my man."

Dominque gulped. Did he hear correctly? The man wished he could do a rewind on the last bit of the sentence.

Kaede closed her eyes, "eh, Dominque, I'm a little embarrassed. So can you go to get the products while I soak in my words?

The man smiled, "okay, Kaede. See you in a bit."

There was a time for everything, and for Dominque, there was no point wanting Kaede to affirm her feelings then.

Kaede listened to the sound of his footsteps getting smaller before opening her eyes, her man, she said.

What came over her?

The truth, the statement wanted to be out in the open since her conversation with Iman. Kaede fought it off, yet it managed to sneak up on her and escape.

Once more, her own words came to torment her as she remembered how she refuted anything that would happen between them.

It seemed so far now; they opened up to each other.

Dominque was full of sweet intentions, which he did not calculate. He made efforts to understand her. The quality was something Marco and a few others lacked; they tried to compensate sometimes with material things or the fact they were leading men with ambitions. None ever learned to know her as they were all self-absorbed.

Dominque had this altruistic side.

Kaede recognized she lived something singular with him; it was a first for her. Perhaps this was how it was to be loved, right. She wished to keep the feeling in a safe place, where she could cherish it.

Kaede hurried to sweep and clear the mess her braids left.

Dominque came back, and as expected, he had Aussie products.

"Thank you."

"You want me to help to wash them."

"No, you've done too much already," Kaede left him and went to wash her hair.

A few minutes before she began, Dominque knocked on the bathroom door, "I got you a toothbrush.

"Thank you."

Just as the man drove her crazy, he had this way of making her melt with his small delicate intentions.

Dominque watched Kaede part her hair into sections to prepare for deep conditioning. He liked the scene; he appreciated the ordinary aspects of their relationship that made him feel he lived something authentic with no additives.

Kaede's words came back to him, her man; now Dominque had the status he had to live up to it. No matter what, he had to preserve Kaede from grief, even if it meant keeping her in the dark concerning his health.

Dominque didn't know if there was a fitting way to go about it. No matter what he did, there would be consequences.