The Story Of Us

Chapter 1 ◇ Small Town ◇

Lerato Mihlali sat nervously in the airport terminal, bags at her feet, her eyes flicking from the flight information screen to the clock on the wall. As the intercom announced the boarding of her flight, Lerato stood up, picked up her bags, and took a deep breath. With a determined stride, she walked toward the gate, leaving behind the familiarity of home for the uncertain unknown that lay ahead.

The flight from Polokwane airport to Johannesburg international airport was a rollercoaster of emotions for Lerato. It was her first time flying, and she couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety as the plane ascended into the sky. Looking out the small window, she watched the landscape below her shrink into a patchwork of green fields and the occasional building, as she traveled to her destination.

But amidst the adrenaline, there was a certain anticipation. This flight wasn't just about experiencing a new mode of transport. It was about meeting the woman who had promised her a new life.

As the plane descended into Johannesburg, after 55 minutes of flying. She was so close to meeting the woman who had sent for her. The one who she'd soon be living with, in a foreign land far away from everything she knew.

Stepping out of the plane and into the airport's arrivals' hall, she searched the crowd for her host - the woman named Catherine Stein. Her girlfriend for the past year.

When she finally spotted her, standing near one of the information boards, a wave of relief washed over her. Catherine was tall, with a slender frame and sharp, angular features. Her hair was a striking blonde, and her blue eyes were framed by thin-rimmed glasses."

As they found each other in the crowd, their gazes locked. A warm smile spread across Catherine's face and she walked over to her, opening her arms for an embrace.

Lerato stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Catherine, feeling her slender frame against her body. They held each other for a moment, the world around them fading into the background.

Pulling back, Catherine studied her face, her eyes tracing every feature, as if trying to commit each one to memory. Catherine leaned in, her lips a few inches from Lerato's ear, her voice low and intimate as she spoke.

"You're even more beautiful than I remembered," she whispered.

Lerato felt her cheeks grow warm at the compliment, a mixture of happiness and embarrassment coursing through her.

"You're not so bad yourself," she teased back, her nervousness slowly melting away. Catherine chuckled, the sound light and melodic. "Careful," she warned, a playful twinkle in her eye.

"A compliment like that might go straight to my head." Lerato smiled, feeling a small pang of familiarity. The playful banter was an echo of their phone calls and video chats over the past year.

"And we wouldn't want that, would we?" she asked, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. Catherine laughed, slinging an arm around Lerato's shoulders and pulling her close.

"Definitely not," she agreed, "my ego is big enough as it is."

As they walked together toward the luggage carousel, Lerato glanced at Catherine, taking her in again. She still couldn't quite believe she was here, about to embark on this new life with a woman she had never met in person before. But there was something about Catherine that made her feel safe.

"So," Lerato began, "What now?"

Catherine hummed in thought for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well," she responded, "We wait for your luggage to arrive, then we'll go to the hotel where you'll be staying for the next week until our flight to Australia. Does that sound alright?"