​4. Breathing LOVE

As Maia tidied up after dinner, her thoughts drifted back to Layla. Her walk with Dorian happened a day ago. The curiosity finally won. She picked up her phone and sent a message, "How was your date? Tell me everything. 😉"

Layla's reply came not in text, but as a voice message. Maia plugged in her earphones and was immediately pulled in by the intimate tone of her friend's voice.

"It was deeply balancing," Layla began. "We walked by the river for almost two hours, just talking. It wasn't like a proper date, you know? More like ... meeting a mirror. He reflects parts of me back that I don't always see. And then we sat on a big rock and did another hugging meditation. It's becoming our thing. It just opens up this vast space inside my chest and fills it with a luminous glow. I came home feeling so full, and Pascal sensed it too. It's like I've been to a spa for my soul."

There was a soft pause, followed by the rustle of wind as it blew near her phone.

"Speaking of which, I was thinking ... Dorian and I are meeting by the pond in the park tomorrow afternoon to spend some time together. I was wondering ... would you like to join us? Just to be there. If it feels right, you may get a chance to experience it for yourself, how the glow feels from the inside. No pressure."

Maia's heart hammered against her ribs. Yes. No. It's too much. I have to.

She listened to the message twice more, trying to pick up every nuance in Layla's voice. There was no pushiness, only a sincere, open invitation. The curiosity that had been quietly growing inside her now stretched its roots, becoming undeniable.

Her thumb hovered over the microphone icon. She took a deep breath, pressed it, and kept her message short: "Okay. I'll be there. Just to see."

...

The park was quiet in the afternoon sunshine. Dappled sunlight danced through the canopy. Maia saw them near the water's edge: Layla and a man, Dorian, sitting on a blanket and talking quietly. As she got closer, he looked up and smiled at her in a kind and open way. There was a calmness about him that immediately put her slightly anxious nerves at ease.

"It's so good to see you!" said Layla, her face beaming. She stood up and gave Maia a long hug. "This is Dorian. Dorian, this is my soul sister, Maia."

"Hi, Maia," Dorian said, his voice as pleasant as his smile. "It's nice to finally meet you. Layla's told me how important you are to her."

They chatted briefly about how beautiful the place was. However, Maia sensed the gentle intention in the air that Layla seemed to be holding. It was a casual lightness, but it contained something deeper.

After a while, Layla decided to make the most of the moment. "Would you two like to try a short holding practice? Just a few minutes. It's a beautiful way to connect."

Maia's pulse quickened, but she found herself nodding before she had time to let fear take hold. "Okay," she whispered. "Just a few minutes."

Layla suggested, "Why don't you two just sit facing each other? Close your eyes. Just hold hands for a moment. See how that feels."

Maia breathed uncertainly as she sat down directly in front of Dorian, leaving only a small, nervous distance between them. Their knees touched. She closed her eyes and the world blurred into a sound of wind and her own pulse in her ears. Shyly, she reached out and found his hands, which felt warm and soothing against her own. They just held each other.

At first, it was just a physical sensation of touch. Then a gentle current began to flow, like a soft, humming warmth that seemed to travel from his palms and his presence to her, spreading through her belly and chest. There was peace, acceptance and appreciation. A minute or maybe two passed in this wordless exchange.

"How does that feel?" Layla murmured.

A small, surprised sound escaped the lips of Maia - a gentle sigh of satisfaction. "It's ... really nice," she whispered.

"Yeah," Dorian agreed with a smile. "It is."

"Good," Layla said. "That's your connection with each other. Would you like to deepen it? Try a hug?"

Maia didn't have to think twice. She felt safe with Dorian, and the deeply comforting feeling had transformed into an open willingness within her body. She wanted to feel more of these wonderful energies and let them envelop her. "Yes," she said, opening her eyes and looking at Dorian. "How?"

"Here," Dorian said gently. "Come a little closer." He touched her feet and showed her how she could open her legs wide. Then he guided her until she was sitting completely on his lap. Her thighs wrapped lovingly around his hips. She snuggled close to him, and their bodies naturally adjusted to each other. Although it was a very intimate position, it felt completely natural, safe and very soothing because of the pleasant feelings in her stomach, her chest and throughout her whole body. They put their arms around each other, and Maia rested her head on the curve of his neck and shoulder.

"Perfect," Layla whispered. She knelt beside them and placed a gentle, warm hand on each of their backs, right between their shoulder blades. "Now breathe naturally, but through the centre of your chest. Imagine that you are breathing pure LOVE in and out. Nothing else matters right now. Just feel."

Maia could feel Dorian's chest rising and falling slowly and steadily against hers. The initial awkwardness had completely disappeared and all that remained was this deep, beautiful presence together. Layla's hand on her back felt like an anchor, grounding her in the here and now with her best friend and this man and his beautiful energies.

And then, she felt something new.

It began as a wide-open feeling in her chest, as if a radiance were shining from within. It was not excitement or romantic attraction, but something much deeper. A vibrant, loving peace. Like dancing liquid light, it spread from her heart, reaching every cell of her body and releasing tension she hadn't realised she was carrying. There were no thoughts, only deep sensations. She forgot the softness of the lap beneath her and the sound of their shared breathing. There was just the pure safety of being completely held, and of embracing Dorian without any expectations or demands.

This was the glow that Layla had spoken of. It was real.

Time softened, stretched and became unimportant. It could have been five minutes or twenty. When Layla's hand made a tender, caressing circle on her back, Maia knew it was time to let go.

They slowly separated from each other. Maia opened her eyes and met Dorian's gaze. There was a shared, wordless acknowledgement of the deep feelings they had just experienced together. He smiled a simple, kind smile and nodded once.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"Thank you," said Maia equally softly.

The three of them were beaming and their eyes were shining. Nobody asked for a report on the experience. There was nothing to say; they just savoured the shared presence.

Maia's walk home was like a dream. The physical world - the cars, the houses, her own front door - felt strangely distant and hazy. The glow, however, stayed with her, a humming, golden warmth nestled deep between her ribs. She sighed as she let herself into her quiet apartment. The familiar surroundings suddenly felt like the set of an old play. Standing in the middle of the living room, she felt the euphoria of the experience entering her reality.

She had just held another man in an intimate embrace, silently, for what felt like an eternity. His scent was still on her dress. Her heart still beat in harmony with a human connection that was independent of her partner.

A whirlwind of guilt churned in her stomach while her heart beat faster. Cheating. The word echoed in her mind: ugly and unavoidable. Mark would never have allowed this. If she had asked him, he would have become suspicious, hurt and angry. She had known that, yet she had done it anyway. It felt so good and so right.

Even as the guilt washed over her, the glow from her heart did not fade. Instead, it continued to radiate from her centre, filling her up and giving her balance. She had discovered a deep truth, one that she could sense vibrating in every cell of her body.

With frightening clarity, Maia knew what had to be done. The secret would poison her happiness with Mark. She went to the kitchen table, made herself a cup of cacao and waited for the sound of his key in the lock. Her stomach churned with fear, but in her heart was the warm expansiveness of the light she had found, and she felt calm and secure. She would show him this light, hoping that he would see it too.