With how distracted I was while driving, I was surprised, but thankful when I made it to my destination in one piece.

The sky was almost dark when I arrived due to the traffic that I had found myself stuck in, and as I got out of my car which I parked on the street as usual, I became nervous. My hand shook slightly when I lifted it to knock on the black, metal gate. The knock was almost timid so I knew I definitely wasn't heard. Sucking it up, I gulped and knocked again. Harder this time.

"I'm coming!" I heard a familiar small voice shout from the other side.

Some seconds went by before the loud sound of the entrance door being opened was heard, and eventually the person approached the gate. "Who is that?" She asked making me smile.

"It's Ada." I replied.

"Ah! Aunty Ada!" Nmah exclaimed gleefully.

I could hear her as she hurriedly opened the gates before pulling me into a tight hug, wrapping her slim hands around my waist. I smiled as I kissed her head that was now reaching my shoulder. She was getting taller everyday and I felt a tinge of guilt that I was rarely around physically to witness it.

"I missed you." My younger sister said as she looked up at me, her hands still holding me close. 

"I missed you too, love. Look how pretty you look! And tall too!" She grinned shyly at the compliment before moving away and gesturing for me to come inside.

"Mama will be so happy to see you." She said and I gave her a dry smile. I'm not so sure about that.

After locking the gate behind me, we moved into the house. My mother was upstairs in her room as Nmah informed me so I went there, taking my time while climbing the steps as if it'll make any difference and I won't still get there. I knocked on the door tentatively when it was finally before me.

"O gini? I thought I told you not to disturb me, Nmah." I heard her say from behind the door.

I gulped and closed my eyes briefly before replying, "Its Ada, mama."

It was quiet for a while before finally, I heard shuffling and then the wooden door was pulled open. I stared at my mother face, very much like my own, as she stared back at me pensively.

I knew immediately that she knew.

She left the door and moved inside, prompting me to do the same as I closed the door behind me.

My mother settled down on the bed and I could see her bible and her rosary beside her, I knew then that she had been praying.

"Mama..." I began but closed my mouth shut as I didn't know what to say. I hadn't planned for this conversation. But then again, was this the kind of conversation that you could plan for? How do explain to your mother why you became a sugar baby and probably ruined someone's marriage? I didn't know about the last part because I hadn't heard from or about Richard since the news broke this morning and I was more than fine with that. Hopefully we keep that same energy.

"Why?" I heard her utter quietly, more to herself than to me. "Were we that desperate, Adaobi?" She calls me by my full name.

"But we were, mama." I say as I go to sit by her side on the bed. I'm happy when she doesn't recoil from me or such. I want to speak further but I don't. I know she doesn't need to be reminded all we had done through. How we had no food to eat, how badly her business was failing, how we couldn't pay our bills and we were kicked out of our home, forcing us to squat with my best friend in her two bedroom apartment. I didn't need to remind her of all that. I could never forget and I doubt she can either.

She shakes her head at herself. "This is all my fault." She tells me, her voice cracking. "It's all my fault. I failed you and your sister. If I had just taken charge and taken care of us, you won't have felt the need to do it. To do this."

At those words, I felt the tears that were brimming in my eyes escape. "It's not your fault, mama. I'm so sorry. Don't blame yourself. Papa's death wasn't easy on anyone of us so you can't blame yourself for how you reacted to it?" I try to console her even with my own face being damp from tears.

She turned fully and pulled me into her embrace as we both broke down in each other's arms. As my chest constricted in pain, I felt like I was mourning my father all over again.
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Two weeks later.
Dami's POV

"Mr Coker, your friends are here to see you." I hear my housekeeper, Doyin, say and just as I'm about to tell her to inform them that I'm busy, I hear their loud voices following behind her.

With a groan, I sink down the couch as if that is going to hide me.

"You know we can see you, negro." Lloyd says with a mocking laughter.

"No o, leave am." Lashé adds, joining him. "Smartiemart."

I rolled my eyes before sitting back up and looking up at the both of them where they stood in my living room.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask them as Lloyd crashes on the couch right next to me.

"We are here to put you out of your misery and take you out." He says with a grin, swinging his hand across the couch.

I want to tell them that I'm not miserable but instead I immediately shake my head. "I'm not going anywhere with you so you better head back out. Have fun though." I say unapologetically before looking back at the football match playing on the tv.

Suddenly, the huge screen goes black and I see Lashé pointing the remote in his hand at it.

I look up at him with a raised brow and he puts his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose, rubbing as he give me a frustrated stare. "Look, it's been two weeks, you've sulked enough. So, tonight we are going out clubbing. By the time you get a couple of drinks in your system and you find yourself a bad chick to take home, you won't even remember the name Ada. Now go get dressed."

I'm quiet as I look away, releasing a breath from between my lips before leaning by head backwards on the couch.

Going out isn't something I want to do. As a matter of fact, I haven't had the will do almost anything but work these last few weeks. And Lashé was wrong, there was no way drinking and fucking some other girl could make forget Ada. I don't think anything could and the mere thought of that scared me. Although, I didn't want to forget her either, ever.

Everyday that passed by, I longed to be in her presence. I missed being able to send her good morning texts and missed her sending me random facts about random things. I missed us going out for night drives. I missed the sweet sound of her laughter, I missed her.

But what was stopping me? Pride? Perhaps.

The thought that a man who I have known and respected my whole life has been with the woman that I love? Perhaps.

Love. I was finally able to identify and admit the feelings I had inside for her. I love Ada. So, again, what's stopping me?

I open my eyes in time to see Lloyd send Lashé a worried look. I wasn't going to tell my friends what Ada had revealed to me that Sunday. At least not at first. But then that damn article came out and it became public knowledge. I couldn't imagine how she felt when she saw it. I wanted to be there for her, yearned for it. But I wasn't there yet. I wasn't certain that I was ready and willing to overlook her past regardless of the fact that it was just that, the past.

"I can't get her out of my head." I confessed to my friends, my voice gruff. "I just can't."

Lloyd, who was closest to me, placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "Then go to her. What's stopping you?"

"It's not that simple." I tell him.

"It's not that complicated either." Lashé shrugs. "She did what she did to survive, innit? Sometimes we just have to do what we have to do to live, to make it. Plus, it's not like she pursued you despite knowing Richard is your family friend, you did. You falling in love with her wasn't planned either and vice versa."

Lloyd nodded his head in agreement making me rub my hands down my face in frustration.

It was glaring what I needed to do. I had already wasted more than enough time contemplating on a decision that my heart had made for me long ago. I couldn't let her go, I just can't.

My mother had once told me that a person's past doesn't define who they are now, unless of course if they let it. And in this case, she didn't let it. Telling me in itself was a brave thing to do, not all females would have been honest with me as most of the women in my past had shown me.

"Thanks for stopping by, boys. You know where the door is." I told them as I stood up from the couch.

"Negro, are you kicking us out?" Lashé asks, the expression on his face faux hurt.

"Yes. Yes, I am." I retort.

"Lashé, make we bounce. Na we fuck up come here." Lloyd says jokingly before kissing his teeth and standing up.

I laugh as I dap them before they leave. I quickly go to the room and throw on a red, fitted polo shirt with black jeans before leaving my place.

My mind is made up and my sights, tunnel vision as I make my way to Ada's place. On getting there, the estate guards who I'm familiar with let me in and I drive shortly to her house.

Getting out of the car, I take a deep breath before approaching her door and then knocking on it.

No answer.

I wait before knocking again and this time I hear a masculine voice ask from behind the door, "Who is it?"

Stiffening up, I don't respond. When the man finally opens the door, his curious gaze landing on me, I can feel the blood rush to my head, my hands turning into fists as I stare back at him with a hard look.

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Ada, what have you been up to?🤦🏽‍♀️

How did you guys enjoy this chapter though? Hope you don't mind that it was a bit short.

Do you think mama Chika blaming herself was warranted?

Also, do you think pride is an acceptable reason for Damilare taking so long to make a move?

What did you think of Lashé's advice?

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Till next time, stay safe!