The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing. — Socrates

The night was void of any breeze. Even the crickets ceased their chirping. The buzzing mosquitoes were not in sight.

Dora approached her house with uncertainty. 

What am I doing?

What am I going to say?

New questions flooded her mind and left her disturbed.

Her tension increased as they ascended the short flight of steps. They stalled in front of the front door; she inserted the key and the lock turned open. 

Shock surged through her as she realized what would happen next.  Gerald was entering her house for the first time and she didn't know what to feel.

She stole a look at the figure beside her. His lips were in a thin line and a thoughtful expression marred his face.

His eyes flickered to her. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes," she stuttered and turned back to the door. With one push the door opened. "Please, come in."

They crossed over the threshold and slipped into the dark silent house. The door shut quietly behind them and Dora switched on the lights in the living room.

Her eyes scanned the place and she became self-conscious.  As her eyes roamed around, she found a fault in everything. Suddenly, the cushions looked askew, the console table looked dusty, and the carpets looked like they needed to be vacuumed.

Her hands itched to go over and redo everything but the presence beside her made her immovable.

She licked her lips and discarded her thoughts. Her eyes flickered to Gerald.
"Please, have your seat." She led him to the couch.

"Thank you!" He said and sat down.

A new feeling stirred within Dora as she gazed at him. A feeling that awakened dead places in her heart. A feeling that went against her conviction.

Control yourself, Dora.

Don't become weak.

She ducked her head to hide the blush that formed on her cheeks. After getting a check on her emotions, her eyes darted up and she found him gazing at her. 

Her body squirmed and she broke eye contact.

"What would you like to have?" She asked as her eyes darted back to him.

"Nothing, thank you very much!" His lips lifted into a slight smile.

She nodded and her eyes flickered down as she pondered on what to do next.

Talk to him! Said a small voice.

Ask him all your unanswered questions.

She swallowed hard to erase the lump that formed in her throat.

Silence reigned in the atmosphere as she struggled to find her voice and formulate her words.

One question swirled in her head and she blurted it out, "Why did you come back after all these years?"

Gerald wasted no time in answering, "Because it was the right thing to do."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes slowly rose to meet his. 

"I still love you and I owe you an explanation for what happened."

Her breath caught at the honesty that shimmered in his eyes. However, his words caused her to clench her teeth.

"I don't need your explanation!" She forced out. "Your actions were more than enough."

He shook his head. "That's not true. My actions explained some things." He rose to his feet and approached her. "Please, give me a chance to explain myself." A pleading look gleamed in his eyes.

She gazed at him as she struggled to make a decision. Finally, she dragged out, "Okay...fine." She padded across the room and slipped onto the armchair opposite him. Her fingers hooked and she stared at him with bleak eyes. "Go on, I'm all ears."

Gerald returned to his seat. "What do you want to know?"

Dora arched a brow and produced a rueful smile. "My desires don't matter.  Just say what you have to say."

"Your desires matter! At least to me." His voice came out stern.

Dora sucked in a breath and her eyes widened.

"What I said before is the truth; I still love you. And I am sorry for leaving you all those years ago." Remorse glistened in his eyes.

Her heart flipped as his words replayed in her head. "Why didn't you tell me about her?"

"Because I didn't want to lose you," he said with emphasis on each word.

Dora's brows rose and confusion flooded her. "What do you mean?"

He produced a pained smile. "I was scared that if you found out you would leave me. I never meant to hide it from you. But I believed I could persuade my family and get out of marrying Elaine."

Dora gazed at him as she digested his words. A myriad of emotions erupted within her and she couldn't decide which emotion was dominant. Her fear and pain were as powerful as her efforts to believe him.

Gerald stared back at her with as much pain that gleamed in her eyes

Her throat clogged and tears stung her eyes. She clenched her teeth to hold in a sob.

After minutes of battling with her emotions, she gained the upper hand and her head cleared. The pressure of her emotions on her mind eased.

Her heart steeled and the walls that had crumbled with Kemi's coaxing words and Gerald's words of plea shot up, stronger than before.

She shook her head and heaved a sigh. Her eyes flickered away. "All that doesn't matter anymore, what has happened has happened. It's too late now."

"NO!" He forced out and her eyes flew to him.

"It's not too late," he repeated with conviction gleaming in his eyes.

She balled a fist on her lap and gritted out, "Yes, it is!" 

He shook his head vigorously, jumped out of his seat, and rushed to her side.
He crouched beside her and clasped her hands. "Please, don't say that. Give me a chance to prove my love. Give me the opportunity to repent. And please, give me your forgiveness." His voice came out shaky as he spoke.

Dora's breath hitched as he stared at her with watery eyes. She let her tears rush forward without restrictions.

She shook her head in bewilderment. "I have forgiven you."

"No," he said in a hoarse voice. "You have not completely forgiven me."

Her mouth pursed and she gaped at him as she battled to find words to rebuff his statement. But words eluded her because somewhere within her she knew he was right.

She squirmed and removed her hands from his hold.  "How do you know?" Curiosity welled within her and she pinned him with a stare.

"Because I feel restless every time I come before you. And my guilt gnaws at me every minute of my waking hours." A pained look crossed his face.

Dora swallowed hard and ducked her head as she mulled over his words. The depth of his words weighed down on her and left her speechless.

Her eyes flickered back to him and she asked in a whisper, "What do you want from me?"

"A second chance."

She stiffened as numerous feelings burst within her. Countless thoughts raced through her mind. New questions arose.

Can I give him a  second chance? She questioned herself.

Images of the past flashed before her eyes. The sleepless nights she experienced after finding out about his relationship with Elaine flooded her head.

The many days of tears she suffered because of his betrayal caused her to shiver. 

Can I go through all that again?

Her musings broke as something coarse grazed her hand and she looked down. Gerald's hand rested on top of her hand. Her eyes darted to his face and she frowned.

His voice came out thick with emotions. "Please, give me a second chance. Give us another opportunity to start afresh." He sent her a pleading look with unshed tears shining in his eyes.

Hot tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she withheld them. Gerald's words floated in her head, begging her to make a decision.

Her forehead wrinkled as confusion welled within her.  She found herself divided between her heart and mind.  However, she did what she knew best.

Oh Lord, I need you more than ever.  Guide my decision.  She silently prayed.

Her eyes drifted to Gerald who was watching her with an unreadable expression. Discomfort pricked at her and she broke eye contact.

After what felt like days, she turned to face him and muttered, "I don't think I am ready to get into another relationship now. I am still healing from my past."

He sent her a smile. "I understand. But we can be friends, can't we?"

She swallowed. "Yeah...I guess..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes flickered away.

Friendship meant being transparent and trusting the other person. And she didn't know if she had the guts to do that. Especially with a man.

His voice drew her back and she turned to face him.

A happy glint twinkled in his eyes.   "That's okay for now!"

Dora didn't know how to react to his happiness.  She found herself unable to share in his joy. She watched as he rose from his crouching position.

He groaned and rubbed his knees. A sheepish smile formed on his lips. Dora couldn't help but feel bad she caused him some discomfort.

"Sorry," she whispered and gazed at him with remorse.

His brows rose. "Sorry? For what?" Confusion clouded his eyes.

Her lips pursed as words eluded her. After a few beats of silence, she shook her head and said, "Uh...it's nothing." She ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Okay...if you are sure."

"I am sure," she murmured without looking up.

"Well then, since everything is good.
I believe I should take my leave."

Her head shot up at his statement and she stared at him as he ambled back to the couch and picked up his blazer. He wrapped the jacket in the crook of his arm and turned to face her.  

She uncrossed her legs and rose to her feet. Silence followed the duo as they headed to the door.  They faced each as they stopped by the door. 

Gerald gazed down at Dora with soft eyes. "Thank you for having me."

"You are welcome," she muttered as her heart fluttered at their close proximity.

His lips lifted into a smile. "I will see you later."

Dora nodded silently. And like the flashing of lighting, Gerald slipped out the door and into the darkness.

The door locked as Dora turned the key. She exhaled deeply and leaned her forehead against the cold hard surface of the door.

Minutes passed as the events of the day played in her head and caused various emotions to surge through her. Her legs began to throb from standing too long.

She released her hold on the door and groped through the silent house to her room.

Water filled her eyes as she blinked rapidly to adjust to the darkness of her room.

Her legs padded over the carpeted floor and she plopped onto the edge of her bed. A sigh escaped her lips.  She dug her feet into the softness of her beside rug. 

As seconds and minutes passed, so did her tension ease. 

Suddenly, a shrill sound split the silence. Dora's head turned and her eyes traveled to her phone vibrating on the bedside table.

She reached out for it and picked it up. "Hello!"

"Gurlll, you got me so worried!" A loud voice blared in her ears.

Dora rolled her eyes and grimaced. "I left you a message, remember?"

"Psst, messages can't replace verbal communication."

Dora sighed. "It depends on the situation, Kemi. And I was in no mood to speak to anyone."

Kemi huffed. "You just didn't want me to stop you."

You got that right! She thought.

Kemi's voice drew her back to reality.
"Anyway, how are you and why did you leave so suddenly?"

Dora stiffened as she thought of her answer. "Nothing much..." She dragged out in a low tone. "I just felt tired."

"Hmmm, really?! That's fair. Did you get to rest?"

Tension washed over Dora and she clenched the phone. Gerald's face flashed before her eyes and she froze.

"Are you okay, D?" Kemi's voice jolted her back to the present. "Are you listening to me?"

"Y-yes, I'm okay!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay...if you say so..." Kemi didn't sound convinced and Dora held her breath. 

Her heart pounded after Kemi's next words.

"Did you think of what I told you concerning you and Gerald?"

"Yes," Dora replied curtly. 

"Good. What are you going to do?".

Dora's stomach squeezed and nervousness pricked at her.

"I don't know..." She whispered.  Her heart bled for lying to her best friend but she couldn't bring herself to talk about her conversation with Gerald.

Kemi sighed. "You need to talk to him. The more you postpone it, the harder it will be to talk to him."

"I know..." Dora's eyes flickered closed as her mind traveled to her discussion with Gerald. Kemi's words repeated in her mind.

Maybe that's why it was difficult to talk to him.

So much time had passed.

"What are you thinking, D?" Kemi asked in a loud voice. "Is everything okay?"

She swallowed a lump and blurted, "I talked to him."

"What?" Kemi shrieked in a loud voice. "You talked to him? Where? When?"

Dora grimaced and pulled the phone from her ear. "Keep it down!"

"Sorry," Kemi said and released a chuckle. "However, spill the tea; I want to know everything."

Dora licked her lips and dived into the story of Gerald giving her a ride to their discussion.

"Oh wow..." Kemi dragged out after Dora went quiet. "That's a lot to take in," she said in a low voice. 

"I know..."

"So...what is going to happen next?"

Dora's mouth opened and closed as she struggled to answer. Finally, she whispered, "I don't know."

Kemi hummed. "Okay... Fair enough. I am sure you will figure it out as time goes by.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Dora breathed out and rubbed her forehead.

"Do you love him?" Kemi suddenly asked.

Dora released a gasp and her heart somersaulted.

"Do you still love him?" Kemi asked again after Dora remained silent. 

Dizziness washed over Dora and she clutched the phone tighter.

"Tell me, D, do you love him?"

"I don't know," Dora whispered in a hoarse voice. 

                            ★★★★★

Oh wow...it was quite intense in this chapter, wasn't it?

But I believe it answers some questions. We finally know why Gerald came back after all these years. XD

And he also declared his intentions! I would like to know your thoughts on that.  Do you think Dora should give him a chance?

Anyway, before I run off to other stuff, Our Question of the chapter is: What are your opinions on Dora's answer to Kemi's question? Do you think she still loves Gerald?

I have to remain silent but I look forward to your answers and comments. 

Don't forget to 👇

Until next time, stay happy 😁❤