Chapter 71: Chapter 71

: Rebuilding

"I want us to sue Nina" I said loudly from my spot at the dresser.

Palpable silence followed my speech and a thick tension descended.

"Can we please leave it in the past" he whispered his expression grave.

"No its not in the past,do you really think 10 minutes beating and her suicide theoretical act is enough to make her pay for all she did to us, to you to our family? She created a chain of events that cost us so much; my baby, your accident, Daniels surgery!" Shouting as my blood boiled.

Its been 2 months since we moved back in together with the kids. After being apart for so long its truly a dream come true but it still did not magically solve our problems.

Chris looked at me strangely sometimes, he hated to talk about those events like burying it will make it go away.

"Please stop shouting Temitope and try to see it from my point of view, I take all responsibility for all that happened I let her into our lives and homes and I think I've paid enough" He said pinching the space between his brows.

"No one deserves to be raped and there is no justification for it regardless the sex, why does she still matter to you?" This time moving towards the bed where he lay on.

"She doesn't but ill never sue her and you know it. I hate to define myself as a victim how does it come out to the press and the world, rape should usually be the other way round" he shouted equally.

"Please my love, reason with me. Being a victim has nothing to do with who and what you are, but saying you don't want to press charges because of how people will see you or how less of a man you think they will see, is the reason why people that do evil get away from it" I pleaded folding my frame in the bed close to him.

"No because I will have preferred the sex to be consensual than for it to be rape don't you get it. It not only makes me feel like less of a man, its something I want to bury" He shouted pushing me away.

I winced at the fury in his honey depth but felt cold at the words that fell from his lips. "You preferred to have knowingly cheat on me than being forced to" I asked puzzled.

Chris pushed his hands over his now grown back hair and I guessed the meaning of what I said just sunk in.

"No not that Temi, but I just want it to go away between us. Nina is in rehab and far away from our lives lets just live because we both know it will take a long time for a society to fully define what abuse is and make people pay for it talk less women. As much as you want me to be the voice for that category of people, im sorry babe but im too much of a coward" hugging his head low in shame.

my strong king.

" You are my king, Ill never see you less of a man and I hope you never forget that. It is your light and kindness that pulls at my soul but the vulnerability you show with me is the definition of our intimacy. With me and you no barriers just two broken souls with different parts in each other" I raised my lips to his forehead and left light kisses on it and I saw how he relaxed curving into my body folds.

"Lets go for marriage counselling. Ill gladly go for you, for our home." He said.

Okay I replied pulling his heads to lay on my laps while stroking the hair close to his nape.

We are survivors; me and you baby!

*******

"Daddy" Ella shouted running into his arms.

Pamela stared at the duo from her spot beside the car, it was their last day of marriage counselling today and finally she felt closer to God and ready to build her home again, its been 10 sessions of working on their home and building foundations again.

They were at the kids school and while Chris headed in to pick the twins she stood beside the car waiting for her little family and rubbing her hands over the new bundle growing within her.

The hardest session was when Chris talked about wanting to be a part of Nina's child life. Gradually overtime she had come to accept it,even see the love shining in his eyes when her chubby 2 year old self ran into his arms. Even knowing the child wasn't his and how the mother tried to pin the child on him he still found it in him to love that girl.

The sheer joy on his face as he laughed at something  the twins said to him made my heart swell with sheer joy and longing.

Ella walked on between us now and Chris and I held two of her hands and swinged her in between us, while Daniel clinged to my other arm.

I felt so content.

Nina was far away in a Psychiatric and rehabilitation facility in France, and I couldn't be more grateful for it was good riddance to bad rubbish and with the trash gone the age smelt lighter and fresher around here.

So taking a deep breath, I inhaled feeling like a secure woman with grasps on my home and rebuilding it.

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3 months later

Lagos, Nigeria

"Come on sisto, wear something already" Tolu screamed at me.

"But I want to sleep na," I whined.

"How long will you continue to sleep, lets dress up and go out. Paint the town red its your birthday today and just because your husband is working doesn't mean the earth stopped revolving" she stood akinbo like she was trying to drive a point into my skull.

"God you are so annoying" rolling out of the comfortable duvet.

Walking barefooted to the bathroom, I stared at my reflection in the mirror and smiled. Its been 3 months since we stopped going for therapy and counselling sessions.

I an pregnant, three weeks gone. I confirmed yesterday, I couldn't wait to tell Ayo about it.  I rubbed my hands over my belly and smiled.

Another addition to our family.

*******

Somehow I ended up wearing a long silver dress that felt comfy and sexy at the same time, with wedge heels. My face was well beat and we were all seated in the car off to somewhere while I was bored.

So I picked my phone to text Ayo.

Grumpy_ Ayomi, I miss you.

HC_ me too baby❤ I am so sorry I cant spoil you today the way you deserve.

Grumpy_ yea I know, Tolu is dragging me off to somewhere when all I want to do is sleep, I swear that girl is a pest.

HC_ So are you my love but I manage you

Grumpy_ No offense taken, ill be your pest glued to your side for life.  More like a leech sucking you and your nutrients till old age

HC_ Well then my lady, suck away

HC_ Gotta go now baby, be good for me.

I closed my phone smiling strangely at myself, God I loved this man.

Left alone with my thoughts and my sister who had this dreamy mischievous look on hers, I  slowly drifted back to sleep again.

20 minutes later I was shaken roughly by my sisters slaps on my thigh, " Stand up o, before you ruin the makeup with drool. God you sleep too much"

" If I slap you with the back of my hand, its like you think we are now mates right. So I'm the one that pours saliva from my mouth abi" I shouted while picking a napkin to wipe my mouth subtly, in case saliva was actually there.

She grumbled something which I couldn't hear, while I checked my surroundings. Bring out a compact mirror from her clutch bag, She adjusted my powder and smoothed more nude lipstick on.

She was also dressed to kill in her two piece peach jumpsuit, come to think of it she was in the university already, and blossoming into quite the catch.

"Come on, lets go" pulling my hands slowly into a dimly lit hall littered with tables.

It was eery until I heard their combined loud voices with a bright light turned on;

"Surprise!!!!!" They all shouted.

Everyone was here, Ayomide my parents, Liz , his parents, my friends from work, our family members.

The smile that sat on my face was so big it could tear my lips

Ayo walked towards me in suit, holding a sash and crown. The sash was titled "bride again"

"welcome to our vows renewal plus your birthday party my queen"

*******