“Amora told me you two have a date.” My mom said.
“That’s right. She’s really something. Mom, I don’t feel comfortable leaving you all by yourself.”
“Roman I’m dying. It won’t make much difference if you are here or not. What I want you to do is take Amora out on that date and give her a night she would remember.” My mom said and smiled at me.
“I could do that.” I said and smiled back.
Amora walked into my mom’s room wearing a yellow dress that was a bit loose on her body. I noticed how her face glowed and how red her cheeks were. Even though the dress she wore didn’t look expensive, Amora still looked adorable.
“Ready?” I asked her.
“Ready.” She said and then walked over to my mom and whispered, “Is it normal to be nervous?” My mom smiled and said, “You’ll be fine darling.”
She was nervous and I was nervous too but there was really no need to be nervous. We were just going to eat.

“Why are you nervous?” I asked and slipped my hand into hers.
She sighed. “It’s my first date with a man.”
“You are kidding.”
“No I’m not.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty four.”
“And you have never been on a date.” I said in astonishment. “What did you do in college?”
“I didn’t go to college.” She said smiling. It occurred to me, I didn’t know much about her.
“You know what? We’ll talk about this after dinner.” I said as we got to the diner. We ordered and ate almost in silence, looking into each other’s eyes and giggling at nothing.
“You done?” I asked her.
“Yes. It was delicious.”
“Good. Now it’s time for the second part of our date.”
“Oh.”
I paid for our meal and took Amora by the hand out of the diner. I noticed how people in the diner looked at us and how they whispered to themselves. They now had something new to talk about for a few days. I strolled with Amora in the cool of the evening. The streets were empty and the stars and moon illuminated the night making everything appear so beautiful. I pulled Amora close to my side and put my arm around her neck and she circled hers around my waist.
“Where are we going?” She asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
We walked some more and I inhaled the beautiful scent of Amora with each breath. She smelled of talcum powder. We finally got to the spot. It was a cliff almost close to the woods. I discovered it when my dad left and I came there when I wanted to think or be alone. I have never taken anyone up there, not even Sally but that night I took Amora there.
“We are here” I said and sat on the rock and she joined me.
“Wow. The sky looks very beautiful from here.”
“Yeah. Always has.” I looked at Amora and it was as if the stars shone in her eyes. I bent and kissed her cheek.
“So now, explain to me why this is your first date with a man. Have you ever even had a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
“Wow. Why?”
“After my parents died, I had to live with my uncle. He is a very mean man and he always locked me up. The only time I left the house was for school or church and sometimes, I would sneak out to volunteer at the clinic. I think I was almost a slave to him except that he took care of my basic needs. His was a big house, I would scrub the floors everyday and clean and wash but you know what? I still felt very grateful to him because he gave me a roof over my head. After I finished high-school, he told me I shouldn’t bother thinking of applying to any college because he wasn’t going to let me go to any. I didn’t object. Roman I was terrified of him. When he got angry, he would hit me. He always hit me. So, I did everything to please him.” Amora said with a smile. I searched her face for hate or resentment for her uncle but found none.
“I don’t know what to say. Where is he now? How did you escape from him?”
“I ran Roman. I ran and I didn’t look back. I ran and I found myself here.”
“You are here because you are running from him?”
She nodded. I thought my life was messed up. I thought I had it worst but there was Amora, with everything she had been through still smiling, still hoping, and still believing. Something moved in my heart. Something I cannot explain. I loved her. I had fallen in love with Amora and that realization made tears gather in me eyes. I would never let anyone hurt her again. I could never let anyone hurt her again. I would protect her even with my life, I swore to myself.
“Are those tears in your eyes? Is my story that sad it makes you want to cry?” She asked and grabbed my cheeks with both hands.
I took her hands and I kissed them. “You are safe with me. I promise you, he won’t hurt you again. No one will hurt you again. I won’t allow it.” I said and emotions swirled inside me.
“I love you.” She said. She loved me. Amora said she loved me. I felt a lot of things. I felt like the luckiest man alive. I felt that God was really up there and he hadn’t really forgotten me.
“I love you Roman.” She said again laughing.
I needed to say it back. I needed to tell Amora that I loved her. I needed to tell her that I needed her. If I didn’t, I would explode. With trembling hands, I tucked the hair that was in her face behind her ear and I traced my hand through her nose to her lips.
“I have never said the words I’m about to say to any woman. Maybe because I have never felt these words for any woman and as I’m about to say them to you, I mean them with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with my entire being. I love you. Amora, I love you.” I said blinking rapidly to stop the tears from falling down my eyes. Amora quickly threw her hands round my neck and I held her body tightly against mine, in that sweet embrace. I wanted to remain there forever, holding Amora, feeling her heart beat against my chest.
As we got home that night, we checked on my mom and she was asleep and we walked out of her room quietly. I wanted to spend the night with Amora. I wanted to sleep next to her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her till morning but I knew if I got into the same bed with Amora, I would want to touch her.
“Goodnight my love.” I said as I pressed my lips against hers.
“My love? I could get used to that.” She said laughing. “Thanks for the best night of my life.”
“No. I should be the one saying thank you.” I said.
“I would really love to sleep beside you but like I said before, I wouldn’t want to be the one to lead you into fornication.” I said with my hands in my pockets and a grin on my face.
“You can sleep beside me. We don’t have to do anything.”
“Amora. I know it’s against your belief but every part of me wants to devour your body. It’s best if I didn’t sleep beside you.”
She looked at me for a while as if contemplating and then she sighed. “You win then. Goodnight.” She tiptoed and kissed me on the lips and we hugged before she went into her room.