Our Youth

7. real love takes time

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and the sun was dipping low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the city. Hanni and Danielle were lounging on Hanni's balcony, the warm breeze gently ruffling their hair. They had spent the day together, doing nothing in particular—just enjoying each other's company, sharing stories, laughter, and quiet moments that felt like they were meant to last forever. The skyline stretched out before them, but all Danielle could see was the girl next to her, the one who had shown her what real love felt like.

Danielle leaned back in her chair, her feet propped up on the railing, while Hanni sat beside her, close enough that their arms brushed occasionally. Hanni had been strumming her ukulele, playing a soft, soothing tune that blended perfectly with the serene atmosphere. Danielle sighed contentedly, feeling more at peace than she ever had before.

But then, her phone buzzed on the table between them. Danielle glanced at the screen, and her heart skipped a beat. It was an unknown number, but something in her gut told her who it was.

Hanni noticed the change in Danielle's demeanor immediately. Her fingers stilled on the ukulele strings as she looked over with concern. "Everything okay?"

Danielle didn't answer right away. She picked up her phone, staring at the screen as if it held all the answers to her past, present, and future. Hanni's presence next to her was comforting, a reminder that she wasn't alone, but this call—this was something Danielle had to face.

She didn't want to answer it, but she also knew she couldn't keep running from the ghosts of her past.

Hanni watched her closely, sensing the turmoil in Danielle's mind. She reached out, gently covering Danielle's hand with her own. "Take however much time you need. I'll wait."

Danielle's breath hitched at Hanni's words. No one had ever said that to her before—no one had ever offered to wait for her, to give her the space she needed without judgment or impatience. She turned to look at Hanni, her eyes searching for the truth in her words.

"Why?" Danielle asked, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a vulnerability in her tone that made Hanni's heart ache.

Hanni met her gaze, her eyes steady and full of love. "Because you're it for me, Dani. Whether it's today, tomorrow, a year, or decades from now, that'll never change."

For a moment, Danielle could only stare at Hanni, overwhelmed by the sincerity of her words. No one had ever loved her like this—unconditionally, without expectation, without pressure. She felt a fresh ache in her chest, not from pain, but from the overwhelming realization that she had found someone who truly saw her, who understood her, who loved her for exactly who she was.

With a deep breath, Danielle nodded and answered the call. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end confirmed her fears—it was her ex. His tone was familiar, but it no longer held the power it once had over her. There was a time when his words could reduce her to tears, when his voice could make her feel small and insignificant. But now, with Hanni beside her, she felt different—stronger, more in control.

"Danielle," her ex began, "I've been thinking about us. About everything that happened..."

Danielle listened, her eyes drifting to the horizon as her ex spoke. She could feel Hanni tense slightly beside her, could sense the worry in her, but she also knew that Hanni trusted her to handle this.

"Look," Danielle said, cutting her ex off mid-sentence. "I don't know what you want from me, but whatever it is, it's too late. I've moved on. I'm happy now, and I'm not interested in reopening old wounds."

There was a pause on the other end, and then her ex tried again. "But we had something, Dani. Don't you remember? I've changed—I want to make things right."

Danielle closed her eyes, a small part of her feeling the weight of those words. But then she remembered all the times he had said the same thing before, all the promises that had turned into lies. And now, with Hanni's unwavering love and support, she knew she didn't need to fall back into that cycle.

"I'm glad you're working on yourself," Danielle said, her voice firm but not unkind. "But I'm not the person you need to make things right with. We're done, and I'm finally at peace with that."

Her ex tried to protest, but Danielle was done. "Goodbye," she said, and ended the call.

As soon as the line went dead, she set her phone down and exhaled deeply, as if releasing years of tension with that one breath. She turned to Hanni, who was watching her with a mixture of pride and relief, her body still slightly tense from the exchange.

Hanni didn't say anything at first, just reached out and pulled Danielle into a tight embrace. Danielle went willingly, wrapping her arms around Hanni and burying her face in the crook of her neck. The warmth of Hanni's skin, the steady beat of her heart—everything about this moment felt right.

"You handled that so well," Hanni whispered, her voice full of admiration. "I'm so proud of you, Dani."

Danielle pulled back slightly, just enough to look into Hanni's eyes. "I couldn't have done it without you. Knowing you're here for me, that you really love me... It gave me the strength I needed."

Hanni smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Danielle's face. "I'll always be here for you. No matter what."

Danielle felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but this time they were tears of gratitude, of joy. "I love you, Hanni."

Hanni's smile widened, her eyes shining with the same emotion. "I love you too, Danielle. More than anything."

In that moment, Danielle knew with absolute certainty that she had found something real, something lasting. Hanni was her person, the one who saw her, who loved her, who made her feel like she was enough just as she was.

And as they sat there on the balcony, holding each other close as the sun set, Danielle felt a deep sense of peace. She had faced her past, and now she could fully embrace her future—a future that she knew, without a doubt, would be filled with love, with happiness, and with Hanni by her side.