Endings were never really the end.
Sometimes, they were just quiet pauses—brief moments before something new began.
Akutu had closed a chapter.
But life was already flipping the page.
A few days after Nathan's call, Akutu found herself sitting with Kojo at their favorite study spot.
It had become routine—finishing assignments together, exchanging random thoughts, and sometimes just sitting in comfortable silence.
But that evening felt different.
Kojo was quieter than usual, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of his notebook.
"What's on your mind?" Akutu asked, setting her pen down.
He hesitated, then looked at her. "I got an internship offer."
Akutu's eyes lit up. "That's amazing! Where?"
"Accra."
Her excitement faltered. "Wait… Accra? But that's—"
"Far," he finished for her.
Silence stretched between them.
Akutu wasn't sure why her chest felt heavier than it should. This was good news. Great news.
"That's a huge opportunity," she said, forcing a smile. "When do you leave?"
"Next month," Kojo said. "It's a sixmonth program."
Akutu nodded slowly.
She should have been happy for him. And she was.
But why did it feel like something was shifting beneath her feet?
That night, as she lay in bed, she stared at her ceiling, lost in thought.
Kojo had become a constant in her life—someone who had unknowingly helped her heal, who had been there in ways she hadn't even realized she needed.
And now, he was leaving.
Maybe not forever.
But long enough for things to change.
She had learned to let go of the past.
But was she ready to embrace a future that didn't include Kojo by her side?
A week later, they sat at their usual spot again, the weight of his upcoming departure hanging between them.
"So," Kojo said, breaking the silence. "I guess this is where we figure out what happens next."
Akutu managed a small laugh. "I don't know what that means."
He turned to her, his expression serious. "Neither do I. But I don't want to lose this."
"This?" she echoed.
He sighed. "Us. Whatever we are. Whatever this friendship has become."
Akutu swallowed hard.
The truth was, she didn't know what they were either.
But she knew this—she didn't want to lose him either.
So she took a deep breath and smiled.
"We'll figure it out," she said.
And for now, that was enough.
The pulleys of life had shifted once again.