I was about to start something. Do you mind?" Helena asked, gesturing to the TV on the wall.
"No," Dami replied.
"Alright," Helena said, pressing play on the remote control. The movie began, and Dami recognized the scene immediately.
"Stranger Things?"
"Yeah. Have you seen it?"
"Yes."
"No spoiling," Helena warned, and Dami mimed zipping her lips shut.
This made Helena laugh, and the sound traveled through Dami like electricity, sparking something inside her.
They both focused on the show, occasionally laughing at funny scenes and cracking jokes when necessary. Hours passed, and Dami realized they had made it through an entire season and two juice boxes without even noticing.
"Oh wow," Helena exclaimed. "How have I not already seen this? It's so good. Though I don't think I would've enjoyed it as much if you weren't here."
Dami wasn't sure what to say, so she just smiled.
"How come I've never seen you with your mom at church?" Helena asked, tilting her head slightly.
"I attend church in school," Dami replied.
"School?"
"Darwin College."
"Really? I go there too!"
Dami's smile widened at this unexpected revelation. "Really? What department are you in?"
"Medicine, second year." Helena's voice carried a hint of pride that Dami didn't miss.
"I'm in pure arts, final year."
Helena stared at her, visibly surprised. "Final year? Wow. How old are you?"
"Twenty-one," Dami replied. "What about you? Let me guess—eighteen."
Helena laughed. "No, close—nineteen. So, you're an artist? What kind?"
"Paintings mostly," Dami replied simply.
"Are you good?"
Dami shrugged. "I hope so."
"Can you paint me?"
Dami chuckled. "I can, if you want."
"I would like that."
They fell into a comfortable silence, their eyes locking briefly. The air between them felt charged, and magnetic.
"Dami! It's getting late. We should get going," Mabel called out from downstairs, snapping both of them out of whatever trance they were in.
The girls stood up quickly. Dami grabbed her phone and car keys from the table, but her mind was still spinning, trying to process what she had been feeling.
In a country where most of the citizens were conservative bigots, Dami had come to understand herself long ago. She had accepted that no relationship she could ever have would be legally or socially accepted. But that wasn't the real problem. The real problem was hope—hope that even when there was chemistry, even when people flirted, they would want to take things further. She had learned to protect herself from that hope because, more often than not, it only led to disappointment.
"Wait," Helena called out just as Dami was about to head down the stairs.
Dami turned back, surprised. "What is it?"
"I was, ehm… if you don't mind, I thought maybe we could exchange phone numbers?"
Her nervousness caught Dami off guard. "Okay," Dami said softly, feeling that dangerous hope creeping in despite herself.
They exchanged phone numbers quickly. Helena and Lara escorted Dami and Mabel to their car before saying their goodbyes. Mabel promised to visit again tomorrow after church.
"I see you enjoyed yourself," Mabel said, a small smile playing on her lips as they drove off.
"What?" Dami asked, feigning confusion.
"We heard you two laughing."
"Oh. I hope Lara wasn't annoyed."
"No, she was glad. In fact, she suggested you and Helena spend tomorrow together. A lot of people will be stopping by the house, and she thought Helena wouldn't want to be home for that. But I told her you'd be heading back to school tomorrow morning."
"I can do it. I don't mind," Dami said, her voice calm, though she stared at the road, hoping her mother couldn't see just how much she wanted to spend more time with Helena.
"Okay. I'll call Lara and let her know."
The rest of the drive was quiet. Dami's mind raced, filled with a strange mixture of excitement and nerves. She wanted to see Helena again, but she was also scared—scared of what she was feeling and what it might mean.