The sun was beginning to set in the west, and she was still walking along a straight path that was leading her deeper into the forest, a place she was seeing for the first time. All of a sudden, she paused, slowly looked back, and let out a quiet sound, saying, "Oh… how far I have come," and then she laughed softly, trying to reassure herself, even as uncertainty tightened in her chest.
She wandered deeper into the forest, observing every mist of it. But she knew she wouldn't be able to see clearly for long, as the sun was about to set.
On the other side, Adam was furious and running toward the forest, seeing the sky above and knowing darkness would fall soon. It would be hard to see the path clearly even with a torch. He was worried and scared—not for himself, but for Radwa.
"Radwa… please help me find you. Please, for God's sake… which turn should I take from here?"
He stood in the middle of two paths inside the jungle, clueless about which one Radwa had chosen.
He took a long breath and thought of her. He remembered once when Radwa was scared because of a thunderstorm and couldn't sleep. At that time, she was too young. She had come to Adam's room and asked to sleep there. Adam usually didn't allow Radwa into his room, as he had created boundaries as she grew older, but that night he sensed she was unable to sleep because she was terrified by the constant sound of thunder, so he gave her permission.
He asked her which side of the bed she wanted to lie on. Radwa chose the left side because she felt it gave her comfort.
The memory of Radwa choosing the left side brought a strange comfort; almost without thinking, Adam followed the left path.
Every step brought him closer to Radwa, but also deeper into the storm of his own fear and guilt. He had to reconcile his overwhelming need to protect her with the fact that she was growing into her own person. The journey ahead was not just about bringing her home safely; it was about confronting his own anxieties, learning to let go, and finding a way to support her without controlling her.
"I have to take this path," she murmured to herself, trying to push away her doubts. "This is my chance to see the world, to be free."
The light of the sky began to dim slowly as evening approached. Radwa realized there was still a long way to go. She steeled herself, determined to continue despite the encroaching darkness. Her resolve wavered slightly with every rustle in the underbrush and every shadow that seemed to move, but she pressed on, determined to make her own way.
"Adam will understand," she whispered, trying to convince herself. "He wants me to be happy, right?"
Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was leaving something important behind. Despite her determination, the uncertainty of her journey and the separation from Adam gnawed at her. The fear of the unknown and the guilt of leaving him weighed heavily on her, but the thrill of freedom and the hope of discovering more about herself kept her moving forward.
As the night grew darker, Radwa looked up at the stars, finding comfort in their steady, guiding light. She knew she had a long way to go, but with each step, she felt a little braver and a little closer to the life she had always dreamed of.
As Radwa journeyed deeper into the forest, her thoughts a mix of excitement and fear, something unexpected happened. She heard a rustling noise behind her, louder than any she had heard before. She stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding.