Two weeks had passed since that initial meeting with my mom and I'd seen her for two consecutive weekends. For each hour that we spent together, the initial awkwardness and fear began to melt away and we were ourselves with each other.
Last week she'd brought her blender with her and with just one bat of her long lashes, my dad had relinquished his debit card and she and I had spent half of the afternoon at Fruit and Veg, buying every single fruit that we wanted under the sun, along with milk and plain yoghurt.
We spent the other half experimenting with different smoothie flavours back at home. My dad had complained that we were finishing his hard earned money, but he was secretly pleased with how well the smoothies tasted and how well my mother and I were getting along.
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The past few weeks had seen a change in Anna and I's relationship. She'd made a real and significant commitment to being a part of my life and being someone I could count on. It was almost like when we'd first gotten close but not quite.
There were many moments where I just felt like I couldn't breathe because there were flowers in my chest and my heart would do this weird flutter thing that made me feel warm inside.
Anna had video called me after my mother had left that first Saturday and she'd stayed on the phone with me until I fell asleep. I hadn't been the same since.
Something about the way she'd listened with avid interest while I told her everything about out encounter, despite how late in the night it was and how tired she'd looked with her messy hair and eyes crinkled from fatigue.
She'd shared in my joy and had reassured me in my insecurity. And when I'd fallen asleep first, she'd taken a screenshot and I'd woken up to the sweetest 'good night' text.
All of it made my heart race at a kilometre a minute and I was unable to think straight for a while, nor could I keep the smile off of my face.
This weekend Anna had asked me on an ice-cream date and I was quite excited about it. It would be the first time I'd see Anna since the last time she'd been at my house to look after me. It was a bit astonishing to me that an entire month had gone by since then, although it had flown by with all that had been happening in my life.
I'd take a taxi to Menlyn. I was supposed to meet her at 13:00 and by 10:30 I was in the shower. I tried to calm my nerves when it came to choosing an outfit.
I didn't want it to seem like I was trying too hard but I also didn't want to make it seem like I'd thrown on the first thing I'd found my closet.
It was the first day of October so Pretoria was full of endless blue skies and sunshine filled days. I finally settled for black shorts and a tropical off the shoulder top with white and olive green blocked platforms. I'd fashioned my hair into a meticulous fishtail braid.
