Worth The Risk

36

A/n: so judging from the comments and messages that I have received, the general consensus is Dihlani/Kehlinah should be a one time thing.
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'So how are things with you two?' Mom asked Dinah and I as we walked through Central Park. The breast cancer walk was something we had been doing since my freshman year of college at Columbia. This year they asked me to cut the ribbon and say a few words before the walk began as global ambassador for the American Cancer society. Mom and Grandma had suggested that Dinah come with us and she said yes before I could even object.

'Things are going great, we're both looking forward to Thanksgiving.'

'I saw the picture of you two with Solange and Beyoncé, you must have been thrilled.'

I smiled, remembering how excited Dinah was for days afterwards. 'Yeah Dinah was very happy and I got it all on camera, I'll show you later.'

'Mani,' Dinah protested, 'you promised not to show it to anyone.'

'Don't worry Dinah. I've got a video of Normani meeting Bey and going crazy afterwards. I'll show it to you after we watch your video.'

'You know what? We don't have to watch anything. I can't even find my phone.'

Grandma laughed, 'nice try. Besides Dinah needs to see your dorky side before she fully commits to you.'

'You know over the last few years I questioned whether I did the right thing not telling Normani that you came by after grad night. I wondered if I had robbed you of the chance to finally be happy.'

'It was the right decision,' Dinah answered. 'We eventually found our way back to each other again anyway.'

Mom laughed, 'you know when Mani said she was moving to LA I prayed so hard that your paths would cross. I even had the pastor praying for you two.'

'Well that's a conflict of interest isn't it?' I asked. 'Dinah did date Sam for a while.'

'When they broke up he said and I quote, "finally, now she can be with Normani." Now one thing I want to tell you two is communicate, it's the only way that this relationship will survive.'

A few people approached and asked to take pictures with us and one of the official photographers for the event snapped a few of his own. This year the turnout was bigger than it had been for the last two years and it warmed my heart to see familiar faces from the last two years and hear people that I was meeting for the first time tell their stories.

Afterwards, we went out for a very late lunch/early dinner before finally heading back to the hotel that we were staying at. I got mom and grandma tickets to go and see a music in the evening and I had assumed that Dinah would want to catch up with some of her old college friends that were still in New York. But when I came out of the bathroom, she was in her pajamas.

'I thought you'd head out and go see some of your college buddies?'

'No I was actually thinking that we could hang out. I got snacks and stuff for a movie night and we could order room service. But I guess you're going out with your old college buddies.'

'No I saw them last night, I've got another thing.'

Dinah frowned, 'oh what is it? Wait is meant to be a secret? Sorry I asked.'

'No it's not,' I answered with a laugh. 'I used to volunteer at a soup kitchen on Tuesdays back in college. I called the pastor of the church that used to run it and he said I could come by if I wanted, they could use the help.'

'Oh can I come with you? I can help do dishes or clean up.'

'You'd do that?'

Dinah nodded, 'yeah, just let me change out of my pajamas. I don't think this is soup kitchen attire.'