Young Love: “We Can Still Enjoy Life!”

Shelomith's cheeks flushed with a mix of excitement and nervousness as she looked away from Ezrae. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, as she tried to find the right words to explain the whole situation to him.

"So... uh..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to tell you... there's a reason why the girls and I stopped hanging out with the Rat-Pack. I'm just trying to figure out how to put it into words... I'm sorry..."

Ezrae squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with understanding. "It's okay, Shelomith. I know there must be a reason, I always knew there was a reason. Not a single part of me thought you would abandon me without purpose… Feel free to take your time, please."

A wave of gratitude washed over her as she met Ezrae's compassionate gaze. Gathering her thoughts, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"I appreciate your patience... It means a lot to me," she said, her voice gaining strength. "More than I can really put into words.

I've been struggling with my own feelings... for you. Ezrae, I am… madly in love with you. It's been confusing and overwhelming, and I thought distancing myself would make it easier, but honestly… It only made things harder. After what happened…"

She stopped, as her voice caught in her throat, momentarily.

Ezrae's eyes widened slightly, his expression a mix of surprise, and curiosity. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind Shelomith's ear, and wiping a tear from her eye.

"Shelomith…" he said softly. "I love you, too… more than anything on this Earth. I always had. Have… I still do. And I always will, silly girl."

Shelomith's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening in astonishment. She had never expected Ezrae to share in her sentiments. Instead of lifting her up and making her happy; this fact instead filled her with dread. Knowing they both loved each other made what she had to tell him so much harder.

"Really?" she whispered weakly, as she fought back more tears.

Ezrae nodded, a gentle smile lighting up his face. "Yes, really. And I want you to know that I value our relationship, above all else. Even if it's just as friends. Whatever is wrong, whatever the problem is… we can fix it. We can work through this, y'know?"

A sense of relief flooded through Shelomith as she absorbed his words. She felt a warm sense of reassurance and hope enveloping her, driving away the dread of telling Ezrae the truth.

"Thank you, Ezrae," she said sincerely. "Knowing that you understand means the world to me. And it makes having such a difficult conversation much easier to have… Here, Mama made this for us. It's bread, water, and meat, I think it's Gazelle, I'm not sure though"

With her free hand, she grabbed a cloth sack from a table near her and put it on Ezrae's Lap. Ezrae squeezed her hand again, his eyes filled with affection. "Of course! We've been through so much together, and I believe we can navigate this too."

"You know what?" he said, looking down at the cloth sack, excitement and mischief lacing his voice. "I think… we need a change of scenery. How about we go for a little run to 'The Plateau?'

We can let the wind clear our heads, and make some room for these new emotions. It seems you have more to tell me anyway, and I think a moonlit dinner sounds… just wonderful."

Shelomith's eyes sparkled with a mix of amusement and anticipation. She playfully raised an eyebrow and tightened her grip on Ezrae's hand, while shaking her head. She knew all too well Ezrae's penchant for friendly competition. "No, I'm not racing you," she replied, shaking her head and chuckling.

With an even more mischievous glint in his eyes, he began to limber up, stretching, and looking like he was preparing to race. Ezrae winked at her. "Ready?"

"Ezrae, seriously, I'm not racing you," Shelomith protested, trying to suppress a smile.

"Set..."

"Oh, come on..."

"GO!"

And just like that, they took off, giggling like toddlers as they ran through the streets of Cairo. They headed towards the massive flat boulder, called "The Plateau," by all the children in the city. Their laughter echoed through the empty streets, a testament to their enduring friendship.

"You're on, SLOWPOKE!" She challenged, growling at Ezrae, a hint of competitive spirit in her voice.

With an exhilarating rush of energy, she took off, breaking away from Ezrae. Their feet pounded against the ground as they sprinted side by side, catching up to each other, and alternating taking the lead, as their shared joy radiated between them.

They raced past familiar houses and shops, streets, and construction; their surroundings a blur of colors, and sounds. Each step brought them closer to their destination, "The Plateau," that held so many cherished memories.

As they reached "The Plateau," their breathing staggered and ragged, and their smiles beaming; they collapsed onto the sand side by side. The moon bathed them in its soft glow, and cast a silver aura over their triumphant, and peaceful forms.

Shelomith caught her breath, her eyes meeting Ezrae's in a shared moment of exhilaration and friendship.

"We did it," she exclaimed, her voice filled with elation.

Ezrae laughed, his gaze fixed on the stars above. "Yes, we did. And you know what? No matter what the future holds, I'm grateful for this moment, and for having you by my side."

Shelomith's heart swelled with affection as she gazed at Ezrae, her racing heart finding solace in his words.

"What do you say we eat, and talk?" Ezrae said grinning, as he pulled the food out of the bag and began splitting it between them.