Uyangijabulisa

chapter thirty-seven

"Good morning love," Thabo's voice stirs me in my slumber. I was about to get up anyway, so I don't mind the interruption at all. My eyes adjust to the light first when I open them before I see clearly. And in front of me, Thabo is holding out a tray of what I presume is breakfast, I can't say yet because the tray is high.

"Good morning babe, what's this?" I ask, pointedly looking at the tray.

"A man in love, trying to spoil the love of his life. Sit up babe," he instructs gently and I do as he says. Once I'm comfortable, he places the tray on my lap and I learn that I was right, it is breakfast and it looks scrumptious.

"I want to wake up like this every day," I sigh out, the greasy smell of bacon filling up my nostrils. Looking up at Thabo, who is chuckling at my statement, I pout my lips for a kiss and of course he kisses me even though I didn't brush my teeth yet.

"You know I'll do anything for you baby, but every morning cooking is not part of that," he says and I roll my eyes. I'll take what I can get, and while I'd love to dive into this right away, I can't stomach food without brushing my teeth first.

"Thank you either way. Let me go brush my teeth quickly," I say, stepping out of the very feminine sheets I had placed on the bed. Thabo kept his opinions to himself the day he walked into our room and he found it like this, just like how I had kept my opinions to myself when everything in here screamed bachelor.

The past few months have been rocky, no lie. We were not only tested as individuals but as a couple as well. So many times I wanted to call it quits but now that we are here, I'm so glad I braved through the storm. Therapy, love and family support have held us up and together and I'm so glad that the storm was over.

Thabo joins me in the bathroom as I brush my teeth, opening the shower tap so he could get ready.

"I didn't know you had plans," I say after rinsing out my mouth. It's Sunday, which means rest day for us. We don't go anywhere unless his mother or mine has invited us over for lunch, or we decide to go out on a date, something that we have made a routine to do every other week, so I'm curious as to where he's getting ready so early for.

"I don't. We do. Our last session at couple's therapy remember?" he reminds me with a lifted brow up. My face changes once I realise that today was the day.

"I completely forgot about that. Let me go eat so I can shower too," I say and leave him to it. Luckily for us, our therapist allowed Sunday sessions because our week days and Saturdays were always busy.

•••

"This is a big milestone," Dr. Chauke says.

"I agree," I reply and Thabo nods alongside me.

"I have a few questions prepped for our last session," Dr. Chauke starts. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go on straight ahead?"

"We don't mind," Thabo replies and I smile. I know it's a milestone for real because when these sessions began, he didn't even utter a word.

"Good. The first question is related to your experience here with me as your doctor. Has anything about the sessions we had ever left you disappointed? If not, how has it been useful for you? Thabo you can go first," Dr. Chauke encourages.

"No disappointments on my end. You've been a great help towards building my self-esteem as a partner. I came here thinking I had it all figured out, like there wasn't anything you could tell me that I didn't already know or do. But with the safe space you created for us, and the guidance you've helped us with during our time here, I was able to learn not only about Rorisang, but about myself too on a scale I don't think I would've achieved without your help," Thabo says. Of course I tear up at that, whenever he gets like this, I get a little emotional.