The morning began like most others, with Sandile sitting at the dining table, laptop open, trying to focus on work. Except, he couldn't. Not entirely. His eyes kept wandering, drawn to the sound of Mmabatho humming in the kitchen.
It wasn't that she was doing anything extraordinaryâjust making breakfast and occasionally talking to Sonele, who was busy babbling in his high chair. But there was something about her, the way the sunlight caught her skin or the effortless swing of her braids as she moved around the kitchen.
He knew he should be analyzing the financial report on his screen, but instead, he was analyzing her.
Her voice carried over. "Do you want pancakes or toast? And, Sandile, don't say 'both.' I'm not running a buffet."
He blinked, startled, and answered quickly, "Pancakes."
She turned to look at him, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You good? You're acting weird."
"I'm fine," he said, a little too fast.
"Hmm," she said, unconvinced. But she didn't press.
As she turned back to the stove, Sandile let out a breath. Get a grip, Jabavu.
By mid-afternoon, the house was quiet. Sonele was taking a nap upstairs, and Sandile was pretending to work in the living room, scrolling through his emails but not actually responding to any. His mind was on Mmabatho again, wondering how someone could be so calming yet completely distracting at the same time.
"Sandile?"
Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see her standing in front of him, holding a comb and a pair of scissors.
"I need your help," she said, her tone teasing but serious.
"With what?"
"I want to take these braids out, and it's going to take forever if I do it alone. Please?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You're trusting me with scissors near your head? Bold move."
She laughed, handing him the tools. "It's not that hard. Just don't cut my real hair, and we'll be fine."
"Famous last words," he muttered, standing up and following her to the couch.
Sitting beside her, Sandile tried to figure out where to start. She handed him a small section of her braids and explained what to do.
"Okay, you see this part here? You need to unravel it gently before cutting. And don't yank. I don't want to lose my edges because of you."
"Noted," he said, getting to work.
At first, it was quiet as he concentrated. But soon, the conversation flowed.
"So," he said, carefully unwinding a braid, "when did you start doing your own hair?"
"Since high school," she replied. "I couldn't afford to go to salons all the time, so I learned. What about you? Ever consider going bald like Andile?"
He laughed. "I could never. I don't have the head shape for it."
"Facts. You'd look like a walking egg," she teased, making him laugh harder.
They continued like this, trading playful insults and laughing until Sandile accidentally pulled too hard on a braid.
"Yoh! Sandile!" she yelped, smacking his arm. "I said gently!"
"Sorry! Your hair's just stubborn," he said, grinning.
"It's not my hair; it's your lack of skill," she shot back, but she was smiling.
As they worked, Sandile found himself enjoying the moment more than he expected. The intimacy of it, the easy back-and-forthâit felt natural, like they'd been doing this forever.
When they finally finished, Mmabatho sighed in relief. "Thank you. You're officially hired as my backup hairstylist."
"Don't get used to it," he said, shaking his head. "I'm retiring after this."
"Coward," she teased, gathering the pile of removed braids to throw away.
That evening, after dinner, they found themselves on the couch again, continuing their binge of Savage Beauty Season 2.
"You can't tell me Zinhle isn't the most chaotic character on this show," Mmabatho said, gesturing at the screen with her glass of wine.
"She's not even carrying the season. Don is doing all the heavy lifting," Sandile argued, leaning back with his own glass.
"Don is boring. He's predictable. Zinhle? Iconic chaos," she insisted.
"You just like mess," he teased, and she gasped dramatically.
"Excuse me? I do not!"
He smirked. "Sure you don't."
They paused the show multiple times to debate the characters, their voices getting louder as they got more into it. At one point, Mmabatho threw a pillow at him in mock frustration.
"You're impossible," she said, but she was laughing.
As the night went on, Sandile found himself less interested in the show and more focused on her. The way her eyes lit up during their debates, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear absentmindedly, the way her laughter filled the roomâit all had him completely captivated.
When Mmabatho eventually leaned her head on his shoulder, murmuring something about being tired, Sandile froze for a moment. But instead of moving away, he shifted slightly to make her more comfortable.
He glanced down at her, her eyes closed, her face peaceful, and felt a pang of something he couldn't quite name.
How did we get here? he wondered. But instead of questioning it, he let himself enjoy the moment.
The next morning, Mmabatho was up early, busy getting Sonele ready for the day. Sandile sat at the dining table, sipping his coffee while scrolling through emails, still in his sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt. The quiet hum of the house was only interrupted by the occasional babble from Sonele.
"I'm heading to the salon today," Mmabatho said as she bounced the baby gently on her hip. "I can't put it off anymore. This hair needs help."
Sandile glanced up, setting his coffee mug down. "Finally. I was starting to think you were going for the wild look on purpose."
"Ha-ha," she said dryly. "You're hilarious."
"What time are you leaving?"
"Around nine," she said. "And I'll probably be gone for a few hours. Is it fine if Maria looks after him?"
"Of course. She loves spoiling him," Sandile said, reaching over to tickle Sonele, who giggled loudly.
"Cool," Mmabatho said, walking toward the kitchen. "I'll just take my car."
Sandile stood up, shaking his head. "No need. Take the GLE."
She turned to him, eyebrows raised. "What? Why?"
"I want to take the M4 today," he said, already pulling the keys for the GLE out of his pocket. He tossed them toward her, and she caught them with a surprised look.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. It'll be easier for you anyway. Besides, the M4's been sitting in the garage for too long," he said with a shrug.
"Wow. Big boss move," she teased, spinning the keys in her hand.
"Don't get used to it," he shot back, smirking as he headed upstairs to get ready for work.
By the time Mmabatho pulled out of the driveway in the sleek black GLE, she couldn't help but feel a little giddy. The car was smooth and powerful, a far cry from her modest crossover. She adjusted the seat and mirrors, feeling like a boss as she navigated through the streets.
At the salon, the stylists greeted her warmly. She opted for small knotless box braids, knowing they'd be easy to maintain and perfect for the summer heat. The hours flew by as the stylists worked, and she even managed to squeeze in a quick manicure while she waited for her braids to be finished.
By the time she was done, she felt refreshed and confident. As she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile.
Not bad, Mmabatho. Not bad at all.
She snapped a quick selfie, sending it to Sandile with the caption:
"Back to looking human again."
It wasn't long before his reply came through:
"Looking good. Bring the GLE back in one piece."
She rolled her eyes but smiled, tucking her phone away and heading out.
Meanwhile, Sandile had spent the day bouncing between meetings and calls. It was a busy day, but every so often, his mind drifted to Mmabatho. When her selfie popped up on his phone, he paused mid-email to stare at the picture.
The small knotless braids suited her perfectly, framing her face and highlighting her natural beauty. He found himself smiling without even realizing it, his chest tightening slightly.
What is wrong with me? he thought, shaking his head and forcing himself to focus back on work.
By the time Mmabatho returned home in the late afternoon, the house was quiet. Maria was in the living room with Sonele, who was gnawing on a teething toy.
"Hey, my little man!" she cooed, dropping her bag and scooping him up.
Maria smiled from her seat. "Your hair looks lovely, Mmabatho."
"Thank you," she said, spinning around playfully. "It feels so good to be done with that mess."
She spent a few minutes playing with Sonele before Maria gently took him back. "Why don't you rest for a bit? You've been out all day."
"Good idea," Mmabatho said, stretching. "Thanks, Maria."
Later that evening, Sandile came home, looking as tired as he had that morning. He loosened his tie as he walked into the kitchen, where Mmabatho was finishing up dinner.
"You're back," she said, glancing over her shoulder with a smile.
"Long day," he said, setting his bag down. His eyes swept over her new braids, and he couldn't help but grin. "The hair looks good."
"You already said that," she teased, plating some food.
"Yeah, but it looks even better in person," he said, leaning against the counter.
Her cheeks warmed, but she shrugged it off. "I'll take the compliment."
After dinner, they sat in the living room with Sonele, who was full of energy as usual. Sandile couldn't stop himself from snapping a few pictures of the baby in his new onesie, laughing as Sonele tried to grab his phone.
"He's going to be a handful when he starts walking," Mmabatho joked.
"He's already a handful," Sandile said, tickling the little boy and earning a round of giggles.
As the evening wore on and Sonele fell asleep, they found themselves back on the couch, flipping through Netflix.
"Are we really going to watch Savage Beauty again?" Sandile asked, smirking.
"Yes. Don't pretend you're not obsessed," she shot back, already hitting play.
They spent the rest of the evening watching and laughing, their conversations flowing easily. At one point, Mmabatho leaned her head against his shoulder, and he didn't move away. Instead, he shifted slightly to make her more comfortable.
By the time the final episode ended, they were both half-asleep. Sandile woke briefly to see Mmabatho curled up beside him. He grabbed a blanket, draping it over her carefully before settling back