A week went by and Ebony was now content with her simple life.

She had accepted Nii and his wife as her new family and had also made a couple of new friends in town. Today, she had spent the entire day at the market with Nii's wife, selling groceries.

As the sun began to retire for the night, Ebony decided to leave early so she could start making dinner for the couple. She had only gone a few metres down the familiar pathway home when the shrubs on her left ruffled violently. Her feet came to a halt.

"Who's there?" The question echoed out.

No response.

Heart thudding in her chest, Ebony picked up the pace, and suddenly ran into a dark figure.

"Whoa, whoa, what's the rush?" He chuckled, holding her in place.

"Oh thank God, Prince," Ebony heaved out a sigh of relief. "It's just you."

Her tall, handsome friend gazed at her with a playful smile. "Who did you think it was? Jesus Christ?"

"Funny." Ebony swatted him on the shoulder. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well..." Prince clasped his hands. "I was on my way home from work when a little birdie told me that today is your birthday."

"Ah." Ebony shook her head, suppressing a grin. "It was Esi from the bakery, right? That girl has a serious problem."

"A problem that's working in my favour, cuz I may or may not have gotten something planned for you."

"Oh God..." A heat wave crawled up her face and she could no longer hide her smile. "What is it?"

"You'll have to come with me to find out." Prince extended a hand, and because Ebony couldn't say no to the good-looking high school teacher who had caught her eye the first time she'd met him in town, she slipped her hand in his, allowing him to guide her past the shrubs.

His hand was large and warm, promising nothing but tender care and security. Ebony relished the feel of her hand in his, wishing they could stay like this forever until Prince's voice pulled her out of her reverie.

"Ok, I'm gonna need you to close your eyes."

With a nervous laugh, Ebony shut her windows to the world and Prince grabbed both of her hands, slowly steering her towards the elements of his surprise.

The smell of vibrant flowers, coupled with a soft breeze and the sound of running water made Ebony quite eager to behold the scenery. But Prince's gentle tone assured her of a few more steps before she could.

"Ok." His hands left hers. "Open them."

Ebony didn't waste a minute, allowing her eyelids to fly open. "Oh my God." A hand cupped her mouth.

Before her lay an orange blanket, some throw pillows, a picnic basket and a round three-inch cake with the words Happy Birthday E! on the top. Not far from that was a flowerbed and a crystal blue stream. The entire scene felt like one that came straight out of a fairytale. It almost seemed too good to be true.

"Do you like it?" Prince asked in a tone mixed with uncertainty.

"Like it? I love it!" Ebony turned, capturing the tall man in a tight hug. "No one has ever done anything like this for me, thank you so much."

"You can thank me after we've had some cake, cuz I'm starving."

Laughing, the two pulled out of their embrace and settled down, helping themselves to huge slices of the birthday treat. They opened up the bottle of sparkling champagne Prince had packed in the picnic basket along with some tuna sandwiches, he claimed he'd made himself.

Amidst hearty conversations and laughter, Ebony realised she enjoyed the young man's company a lot, so much so that they even planned to meet up at the same place tomorrow just to talk and have some fun.

Ebony bought into the idea wholeheartedly because this was the first time she'd felt relieved ever since she found out that her stepmom was out for her blood. She was sinking into Prince's affection and safety, and she wanted nothing more but to remain there for as long as life could permit.

"Oh yeah, before I forget." Prince reached into the basket. "I remember you said once that apples were your favourite fruit. So when I saw this, I just knew I had to get it for you." He pulled out a flat rectangular case, handing it over to Ebony.

She took the case and opened it, jaw-dropping in awe at the sight of the jewellery. It was a simple silver necklace with an apple pendant dangling in the middle.

"Oh Prince..." Ebony tried to wriggle out of her speech-deprived state. "This is... you shouldn't have."

"But I wanted to," he smiled. "C'mon, lemme put it on you."

Gathering up her braids, Ebony gave Prince full access to her neck as he gently clasped the pendant around it. "There. Now when you see your favourite fruit, you'll remember me."

Her braids fell and she turned, admiring the jewel. "I... I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything, E." With a gentle hand, Prince cupped her face. "You're a real gem, an exceptional one. And I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet you, even though it was under terrible circumstances. You're a lovely person... and I just wish whoever was on your tail would see it too."

Ebony looked deep into Prince's eyes, witnessing the swirl of emotions, floating in those golden brown irises. He meant every single word that slipped out of his mouth, and that alone set Ebony's heart ablaze.

She wanted this. She wanted what they shared, that invisible bond, drawing them closer to a meeting of lips. She wanted to sink into the pleasures of love and a deep tender kiss.

And she almost would've if a crow hadn't flown right in between them, startling them apart. It perched itself on the nearest branch, gazing down on them like a hawk.

Prince chuckled and Ebony shrugged, upset that their intimate moment had rudely been cut short by a bird.

"C'mon E." Prince got on his feet. "It's getting late, I should get you home before night falls."