"Alright…" Liend said quietly, still unsure if it had truly only been forty seconds—but he accepted his mother's word.
Kiana smiled softly, lifting herself slowly from the floor, exhaling as she brushed her skirt down.
It would've been worse, she thought,
if we'd counted by the clock.
She glanced at Liend again, a warm but knowing smile on her face as she stood fully upright.
"Still want to get in with me?" she asked, voice low—breath still slightly uneven.
Liend nodded.
"Alright," he said, rising from the floor. His own breathing was heavy, his body pulsing with lingering tension. He sighed, trying to collect himself.
"I guess… the pill really is kicking in," he muttered. "It's getting me way too worked up."
Kiana stepped closer, her hand reaching for his—fingers threading gently between his.
"Don't worry," she said, voice calm, tender.
"That's why Mama's here," Kiana said with a soft, knowing smile.
She opened the bathroom door, leading Liend inside.
