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Is this goodbye 👋?
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— Six months later —

Life had been good to me during the past months. Sometimes I laughed at the silly things I did before knowing Henry and during my time as his bodyguard.

J.K had started his tour so he wasn't in the country days ago, Baby was huge now. A lot stop me on the road sometimes to ask about Baby. He sometimes didn't have the time to see me because of his tight schedule. Christy was still serving her time in prison. I had the urge to go see her the other day but Henry told me not to. I knew why, he didn't want me to dwell in the past. Christy was my past. Yemi was doing well. Just like Henry, she was still making it big while still having Wilson by her side. Wilson and I were close now, Henry and I usually double date with him and Yemi when they had a lesser busy schedule. I'd also kept my promise with Wilson. He was now working at Filmzy Entertainment but not as an entertainer.

Abasifreke and Mary finally got admitted into the University but were still at home because of Asuu. Jeffery, Gloria, and Jessica were busy writing their Waec. My family was indeed prospering. Father had started a small business that was blooming on daily basis and so did mother. The rest of my siblings were as intelligent as always the only difference his that now they lacked nothing.

J.K had phoned Henry last two weeks that he'd be coming back to Nigeria for a schedule. So when he arrived three days ago, we all agreed we'd have a get-together with Henry and me as the host.

So here I was with Henry, entertaining Baby, J.K, Yemi, and Wilson, when a call came to my phone. I excused myself from the crowd when I saw Abasifreke written as the caller ID. Mary and Abasifreke were no longer sharing phones they now had their phones. This stopped the constant fight about who to use the phone and who's not.

"You too dey disturb," Was what I said when I answered the phone. But Abasifreke wasn't matching my energy, instead, she sounded stressed.

"Mummy's water just broke," Abasifreke was freaking out. "Mary and Dad rushed her to the hospital but I'm heading there now with our brothers and sisters."

"Oh my God," I felt excitement rush in. Yes, this was mother's ninth month but no one was God to know she'd go into labour today. "What hospital?"

"Health first hospital," I heard shuffling from the other end, then Abasifreke started speaking to herself. "Oh God, where did mummy keep the baby cap?"

"I'll be there asap," I shook my head, then ended the call so Abasifreke won't be distracted. It was obvious she was trying to search for the things the baby would need at the hospital.

I quickly watched my friends and boyfriend and they all look at me confused.

"Henry, my mother is about to give birth!" I gulped, rushing to Henry's side.

"Today?!" Baby asked in shock.

"I think everyone in the room knows she meant today," J.K shook his head at Baby.

Henry quickly stood up, searching for his keys in his pocket and when he found them, he wriggled them at my face with a smile. "Let's go."

"What hospital so we'd all meet you there," Yemi asked, while I recalled Abasifreke's words.

"Health first," Wilson nodded like he knew the hospital I was talking about. With that, Henry and I fled his house.

It was a reunion indeed. We all decided to hang out and have fun when unknowingly a new addition to the world's population was coming that same day. I was pretty excited myself, I wondered if it would be a boy or a girl and I was glad this child came when everything good was brought back to us.

I imagined how populated the floor my mum was in, would be. Ten siblings, my dad, me and Henry, and my friends. This child should fill like a celebrity.

"Hey mum," I was brought out of my many thought as Henry dialed his mum's number while still driving. It was on loudspeaker so he'd still concentrate on his driving.

"Son, how are you?" His mother asked at the other end with a bright voice.

"I'm good mum," He rushed, then glanced at me. "Hope's mum had gone into labour."

"What?!" The surprise was evident, followed by someone else's voice. Probably Dorcas. "Honey, we're going to the hospital! What hospital is it son? I need to tell your Dad."

"Health first, the same hospital Olamide usually goes to." He explained to his mother.

"We'll all be there," And the call ended, same time Henry maneuvered his car into the hospital premises.

I waited till he was done putting his car in order, then we both stepped down and moved to the hospital. The first place we matched to was the receptionist area as the nurse there looked into her record and described the floor my mum was in.

Henry held my hand in his as we climbed the stairs to the said floor. On getting there were my siblings. The younger ones were busy chatting away while the older ones which involved Abasifreke, Mary, Jeffery, Gloria, and Jessica had a frantic look. My dad wasn't excluded. He was pacing back and forth as he felt so nervous.

I moved over to my dad, to make my presence known. He was worried, it was a normal reaction. "Dad, mum had eleven children, she'll bring out the twelve with ease."

My father sighed when I said that. "It's still not easy. You know, your mother is not the same age she was five years ago and—"

"Dad, she'll be fine." I shook my head. Henry moved over to us to put his hand on my father's shoulders.

"No one's weak in your family sir." As Henry said that, a nurse ran out of the room and I quickly move to block her path.

"Any news?" I asked her even though she was acting like she was in a hurry.

"There's a little complication ma. Please the doctor asked me to get something." And with that, she rushed to get what she was asked.

I pressed my lips as I felt fear rush through me. Gloria walked to stand beside me. "Mum's gonna make it right? The nurses have been rushing in and out of that room ever since we brought mum in. Sister Mary is telling us not to worry but I can't help but worry."

"She'll be fine. Have I ever lied to you?" Gloria looked at me as if she had a whole list for me, but sighed while strolling back to her chair. The nurse from earlier rushed back to the room.

I turned to Henry and he pulled me into his arms. He was trying not to act worried so he'd stay strong to encourage me. Hearing some footsteps, I turned to see my friends appearing in the lobby.

My siblings all got up, forgetting their worried state as they saw familiar faces. Yes, Wilson was popular too for dating The Yemi. I was grateful for them, at least they had my siblings minds preoccupied. Well, not all of them...

Wisdom and Faith were deep into the rock paper scissors battle, that they didn't know they had the biggest sensations before them.

J.K noticed that and slowly approached the twin. He squatted to be of the same height since the twins were seated. Wisdom was the first to turn his head and the gasp he made, attracted Faith. Faith's eyes widened upon seeing J.K, then the rest of my friends.

"Oh my God," She whispered in shock, which forced J.K to let out his million-dollar smile.

"What are you both doing?" He was curious and I was too. I just didn't pay mind cause we had a bigger situation.

"Betting," Wisdom said to J.K. "I'm tired of girls so I said my mother will give birth to a boy but Faith confidently said it's a girl because of how round my mother's tummy was."

"Does the roundness determine the sex of the baby?" Yemi felt amazed by this theory as she moved over to stand in front of the twins.

"Well judging by how my mother's tummy was for the siblings I'm older than, then yes." Faith confidently said. "My mum's tummy was small during Betty and Destiny's birth, but humongous during Afanide's. Now my Mummy's tummy isn't big so it's a girl."

"Are you not tired of girls? I have ten siblings and only three of us are boys." Jeffery scoffed, looking at Faith. "I bet my money it's a boy!"

"What money do you have?" Gloria turned to her twin. "And is it our fault boys are scarce? Abeg the girl should come in peace."

"Your personality runs in your family," Baby said to me as we all rushed into the commotion. I was happy for the distraction but that was short-lived when Henry's family walked in, asking about my mother. My mind went back to how my mother's condition was in that room. If only I could see through solid objects.

Finally, the doctor came out, pulling off the sky-blue face mask he had on and sky-blue hand gloves.

He turned to my father with me at my father's side. I felt myself breathing again when the doctor smiled at my father. "Both mother and baby are doing fine."

A loud cheer came from us while others that weren't in our circle and we're here for their reason, looked confused.

"Doctor," Jeffery, Wisdom, Gloria, and Faith moved forward to the doctor. "A very important question, is it a boy or a girl?"

"The hell?" I stared at them in disbelief. Was that important right now?  I heard my friends and even Henry laughing at the back and I couldn't help but scoff.

"It's a boy," I almost considered cutting my ears off with how loud Jeffery and Wisdom cheered. Even Afanide joined them.

"Can we go see her?" Father asked, and the doctor nodded.

We all walked into the room one after the other, almost crowding the place up. There was a nurse in sight, checking my mother's vitals and stuff.

We all looked at the baby that was placed in a small compartment close to my mother's bed and God was he beautiful. His fair skin was practically shining and the way he opened his mouth to yawn while moving those tiny fist of his was the cutest I'd ever seen. I turned, trying to search for Abasifreke, then finally found her.

"He looks like Abasifreke," Mary said having the same thought as me. Abasifreke hearing that moved to see for herself.

"Now that's what I call a beauty," She said, admiring the baby. I moved over to my mother's side as she watched with admiration at how her child was being adored by everyone in the room.

"How are you doing mum?" I asked, checking her body to see if I'd see anything wrong but thank God I didn't. "The child's so beautiful."

"Just like you," She reached for my face and cupped it. "Just like what the healer said to me, she said I should trust her when she said you'd  bring me hope, and you did." Mother's eyes roamed everyone's happy faces in the room. "You really did."

"I know what to name this child," My mum said in a much louder voice as father picked up the baby securely in his arms so he could hand it over to mother. Everyone stared at mother - especially Mrs. Williams - as she looked at our now last born of the Prince family with admiration. "Favour, because God brought Favour to us."

"Favour Prince," I whispered with a smile on my face as I tried out my brother's name. "It's beautiful, just like him."

Gasped settle amongst us and I wondered what the problem was. Favour was a beautiful name and Favour indeed was beautiful. But then I turned and noticed why everyone reacted that way.

Henry was behind me with one knee on the floor and an opened ring case in his hand. I gulped and looked around me. Even his family seemed to have no clue.

"I was supposed to do this at our reunion, but then this beautiful event happened," Henry said while I still stared at him in complete shock. "I don't want you to be my girlfriend, Hope. I love you so much to just settle with the title girlfriend. I'm feeling greedy right now because I want something more. I want something more than the girlfriend's title for you. So please, will you marry me?"

That was the question. Henry wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He wanted me to be the last thing he'd see every night and the first thing he'd see every morning. He wanted me to be his wife.

"Yes," I said in a whisper. But then I made it seem like I was unsure and I didn't want him to think that. "Yes!"

I yelled this time as I knelt to hug him in my arms with happy tears streaming down both our faces. Henry placed the diamond ring on my finger while everyone competed on who'd cheer the highest. This seemed to be the happiest day of my life and I wondered what my wedding would look like. Now I wanted that to come sooner.

Henry was no longer my boyfriend but my fiancé and soon he'd have the title of being my husband and then the responsibility of running a family with me.

I was thankful for my past life because if it wasn't for it, I wouldn't have met Henry. Indeed, every disappointment is a blessing in disguise. Right now, I was thankful that I was once...

STRAPPED.

THE END.

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STRAPPED is officially over! I want to say thank you to everyone that started this journey with me without tossing the book aside because of my lack of updates... Y'all are the best.

And to the ghost readers, you might be a ghost but I see you. Thanks for tuning into every chapter.

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Word count: 2415

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-Eddy