AMADI

"Amadi." I hear her gasp. Exhausted, I roll off her frame and lay on the small space left on the chair, forcing us to cuddle. Phew! Finally got the release I needed but wait...damn!

"You didn't wear protection!" She says, voicing out my exact concern. How come?

"Oh, shit!" I honestly had no intentions of going that far. When she opened the door to receive me, I was blown away. She wore a very simple gown but the way it accentuated her curves was my exact reason to worry. And then she moaned when the aroma of the soup filled the room. That simple act had an immediate ripple effect on me down south.

I don't know how I got prompted to make the move but I'm glad I did. God, I have missed this woman. All these have made me realise one thing, which is the fact that I'm in love with Shalewa. And man, it is scary. Never would I have thought. But thinking about it now, this did not just happen. I guess I have just been too slow at realizing this.

"Heyy...it's going to be okay." I coo, inhaling the scent of her hair while I reassure her. My own attempt at making her calm and less worried.

"It's not going to be okay, Amadi. Birth control pills. Get me birth control pills! What if I get pregnant?! There's a pharmacy nearby. Get the pills from there." She says atop her voice.

"I said it will be fine, Shalewa." She glares at me before hissing.

"Get me the pills." And with that said, stands up, rushing upstairs to her room and I follow behind her.

Immediately she gets in, she slams the door in my face. Sighing, I make my entrance and realize she's rummaging through her wardrobe for what to wear.

"Shalewa, what are you doing?" I quickly rush to where she is, scattering off her belongings. Holding her by both arms, I try to steady her as she struggles to get out of my grasp.

"Looking for something to wear, you mad man. Since you don't want to go, I'll get it myself." She's still struggling with me.

"Don't worry. I'll go get it." My declaration makes her freeze and she visibly relaxes.

"Alright." She flips her hair and goes to sit on her bed. I give her one last look, head back to fix myself, before leaving the house.

All through the drive to the pharmacy and back, my mood was very unpleasant. One question kept bugging me and when I gave her the pills and she had taken it, I finally ask her.

"Is that how bad the idea of being pregnant for me is?" I ask in a low voice. She doesn't answer. She just keeps drinking water from the cup, glaring at me.

"Shalewa, I.." She cuts me short.

"Did I tell you that I didn't hear you?" She asks with so much sass, giving me daggers.

"Sorry. I.." She rolls her eyes and stands up, pacing from left to right. I just watch her, speechless.

"You what, Amadi? Well, yes! The idea of being pregnant for someone like you is terrifying." She finally exclaims.

"I apologised for all I did." I state. Crease forms on her forehead as she looks at me before hissing.

"Do you think that is all it is for what you did to be long forgotten? Do you know what it took for me to open up to you after years of keeping to myself and to think you shattered my trust. Please, leave my house." This dismissive tone of hers has no effect on me because I can't let this slide another time.

"Heyy. I am sorry. For everything I did, I'm sorry. If I could do anything to show my remorse, I would in a heartbeat. Till this day, I regret the costly mistake I have made." Tears slip down her face and she sits on the bed to facepalm herself while her body shakes from sobbing. I go on my knees in front of her, placing my hand above hers. I hate myself for what I did to this woman.

"I'm sorry." I repeat.

"I almost died." This shocking revelation is one thing I never expected. What the...

"Come here." I take her in my arms, lightly patting her back as I shower sweet words of adoration on her, at the same time apologizing for my wrongdoings.

"Everything was just so overwhelming. I was hurt and wanted to punish you. I wanted you to feel the hurt I felt. I just never envisaged me going too far. I am sorry, Shalewa. Please." She finally paused to look at me.

"What hurt? I'm not proud of me terminating my child but you outright calling me a murderer, that was too much." She states, trying to shove my hands. Key word, trying because I don't allow her.

"We could have talked about what you discovered. You could have approached me better but you chose to talk down on me. To hurt me!" She adds.

"I'm sorry. Please." Words fail me at this point. So I just stand up, carefully lay her on the bed and rock her till she's asleep, snoring lightly. Even while asleep, her face still looks pale.

•••••

"Look at who is awake." My voice comes off playful as I tease Jason.

"Dada." He widens his bright eyes and chuckle.

"That's my boy." Lifting him off his cot, I carry him in my arms to play wirh him and walk towards the sitting room.

My brain catches up to my body as I register the presence before me, quite surprised to see her down here. "I thought you were sleeping?" There's a bit of silence.

"I guess it was a short one." When I look at her hand, I see she's helping herself to some doughnuts.

"I didn't know you bake." She just shakes her head in disagreement.

"Nahh. I bought them. You want some?"

"No, thanks."

"Okay." Tilting her head a little, she takes a look at Jason in my arms and smirks, turning her attention back to the movie she's watching on netflix. Her amused expression makes me confused. I suck in a breath and let out a smile. Only that she's not looking at me.

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SHALEWA

Mama wa loko loko o
Legbe olo
Hmm baba ti shere lo ona
I'm the only one at home

All I want to do now is dance wombolobo
So I lock up and keep kokoro labe kondo
Waka enter where the gbedu dey happen uh yeah
Come see small pikin ati iya arugbo dey dance

Aerobics is one thing that I really love doing and ever since having a baby and shuffling with going to the gym, I do this at home. Same goes with majority of my exercise routine. I go to the gym whenever Nadira can help out.

Ladi calling my phone says out.

"Babes, how far."

"Fine. Karen is in the delivery ward. You can come now if you want to." I squeal in excitement before responding.

"Comingggg." On the other end, I hear her chuckle. The phone goes off and I stop my stretches to prepare myself and Jason for the hospital.

In a rush, I quickly have my bath. Jason is sleeping and I've bathed him today so his own is basically a change of clothes.

Amadi calling

"Hello."

"Sweet cheeks, how are you?" I blush at the nickname. The sweet names never end.

"Fine. How about you?"

"Great. I'm coming over."

"I'm going to the hospital. Meet me there instead." This time, I'm already putting on my black leggings, pairing it with a baggy beige top.

"What's wrong with you or Jason?" Panic rises in his voice as he asks.

"Calm down. It's Karen. She has given birth." I hear him sigh in relief.

"Alright. I'll join you over there." He says calmly. What? We settled.

The hospital is not so far from my house, so getting there wasn't really time consuming.

Ladi is the first person I see when I get to the corridor leading to the child birth section.

"Let me guess, a girl?" I ask in excitement.

"No, a boy." She responds and takes Jason from my arms.

"Jay jay." She begins to make playful sounds to my baby who just laughs at the goofy and funny expressions she does.

"This way." Entering the ward, I see Karen seated, conveniently munching on a pack of Kemps crackers.

"I don't understand. I thought you have given birth. To a boy."

"Behind you." I turn and gasp.

"I know I have been an ass for the most of the period we have known each other. Which is why I'm on my knees now. To beg you to forgive me and let me back into your life, permanently this time. I love you, sweet cheeks. Will you marry me?" This man!

"Pleeaseeee...Be my mommy." Kaima has on the cutest pleading face right now as she walks in holding a bouquet of different flowers.

"I have forgiven you before now and yes, soon-to-be husband. Kaima, I'll be your mommy." She squeals and he slides the ring on my finger and lifts me up in his arms, spinning me around as he continuously yells 'YES'.

"You all are such good actors." My two friends laugh, wiggling their eyebrows.

"You wouldn't have come otherwise." Ladi says.

"And to think you sounded so worried on the phone when I informed you about going to the hospital." Amadi just ducks my head and captures my lips in a kiss.

"I love you." He says against my lips, amidst the aww and ooohh sounds in the room.

"I love you too." My heart swells with joy.

"Ow. My water just broke!" Karen exclaims, slapping her hand against the chair she sits on.

"Nurse, we need the doctor!" Her husband, Maxwell, yells.

THE END