Romance in Kitalo City Book 3
He would give anything to repair the damage he inflicted on her heart the last time she gave it to him, but the years he let slip by have driven a deep wedge between them.
She's not as welcoming as she was the last time...
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"What's this little guy doing here?" I asked as I got settled on her couch. The little guy in question was the stuffed panda I'd gotten her at the Kisho Valley arcade.
It had started to rain outside, the sound of it creating a calming atmosphere in Ketura's dimly lit living room.
"He was comforting me through the last few pages of Dreaming of You." Ketura answered as she put together a plate of grilled meat and salads for me in the kitchen.
"Eyy, Melissa's funeral was so heartbreaking!" I said, sitting up a bit straighter. "I actually called Martin to yell."
Ketura laughed. "Ahh, Koffi. Were you that hurt?"
"You have no idea, K." I said with a shake of my head. "Why would he kill the main character? He didn't even give us a chance to see if things would work out between her and Dalitso."
"I bet Dalitso will be a player in Volume 5. Melissa was the only one who could tame him." she said, walking over to me with a plate and a glass of juice.
I accepted with a 'thank you' and took a moment to dig in before I replied with, "Let's find out. Where's your gift bag?"
She smiled and went over to the counter where she'd left her gift and I sat back and watched. How she managed to look perfect in pyjamas and fuzzy slippers with her faux locs in a messy bun was beyond me.
"Before we get into the book," Ketura started, sitting cross-legged next to me and pulling the panda close, "how was your trip home? Nella said there was an emergency?"
"Oh, yeah. Both my parents' routine check-ups were today around the same time and Soraya was swamped at work, couldn't drive them to their physicians, so I had to step in. My mom's vitals weren't looking too good so they kept her for longer than usual, and then I had to go pick Soleil up from school and drop her off at dance practice before going back to the hospital to get my mom and dad." I stopped talking to take a sip of my drink. "It was nothing hectic. Just firstborn duties, you know?"
"I don't know, actually." she said, her voice sounding a bit sad. "Your firstborn duties are intense sometimes. I mean, you missed practice today. Have you considered hiring an in-house nurse to take care of your parents? Naka knows a few people in the field, she could help you find someone reliable."
I smiled warmly at her, grateful to know that after everything, I still had a friend in her. Seeing Ketura express her concern in that way sparked a flicker of hope in me, but I quickly doused it with a drop of reality. She's done with me. I should probably move on.
"I'll talk to my parents about it." I told her. "I have to be sure they're comfortable first. And if they are, then I'll ask you to talk to Naka for me."
"Good." she said in a satisfied tone. "Okay, here we go: Dreaming of You, Volume 5."
Her voice soothed me as I ate and listened to the melodic way in which she read the comic. We made commentary as we went along, the minutes turning into hours as we enjoyed a relaxed night together. When I had the sense to check the time, my eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets.
