Seven months later;

"Umma, I want a Hogwarts themed birthday next year." Halima who was plaiting Lubna's hair resisted the urge to chuckle loudly but stopped herself last minute by concentrating on adding warm pressed coconut oil mixed to the line she had made on Lubna's head.

"You'll not bankrupt me. I will look for a Hogwarts themed park somewhere and take you there. See her mouth like Hogwarts themed party." Jamal who entered when Jariyah had made her pronouncement answered. Jariyah turned from the brand new Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire book she was faux  reading with Safeenah to pout at her father who sent her a sneer and a playful shake of his tongue.

"It's not that expensive is it?" Halima who wanted to pull Jamal's legs asked. Jamal turned to her with his eyes wide and his lips pursed, he shook his head at her after seeing she was joking.

"Don't let Jariyah have those kinds of ideas Abeg. I cannot fufil it. I'm not Adeel Baba Hassan who rented out wonderland for his child's birthday." Halima giggled as she plaited the end of a cornrow. She knew Jamal could afford it, he just didn't want Jariyah to feel like  she could demand anything she wanted at anytime.

"But Dad." Jamal sent her a quelling look that made  Jariyah shut up and face the book she was reading. There were other times to bargain the party.

"Lee? How are you feeling today?" Halima turned to observe him, he'd asked her that question at least twice in one day, it was surely tiring for him by now.

"I'm as fine as you left me two hours ago." Lubna who's head was bent over Halima's lap chuckled. Jamal looked away, hurt, over time he had become so protective of his girls that he didn't know how not to look weak and small in front of them.

He got up and after patting Halima's back, he climbed the stairs back to his study. Halima watched him leave with a smile on her face and they all quickly brought out the balloons they had stowed away under the chairs when they heard him get up from his chair in the study.

Halima grinned at Jariyah who gave her a thumbs up, Jariyah had fashioned something that alerted when Jamal got out of his office so they were able to plan the surprise. It consisted of a series of wires and magnets that were interconnected to one another that blinked red once Jamal got up from his chair.

"Umma?" Halima hummed as she adjusted a balloon before tying it. "When is the cake coming?" Halima checked her wrist, then remembered that she was not with a watch, she took out her phone and found out the cake would be around in nearly just one hour.

"You guys be quick, we need to bathe before the cake arrives." Safeenah and Jariyah nodded, passing blown balloons to Lubna to string it to the huge amount they had blown.

"Umma, I want to do this with my kids when I grow up, you know just be happy the way daddy makes you, and have my own prince charming when I become President." Halima turned to observe Jariyah who was seriously puffing air into a grey chrome balloon, she mentally shelved that statement, she would reply it later.

Just as they finished filling the balloons, the doorbell rang, Na Umaimah ran to the door, swung it open and collected the cake to take to the kitchen's refrigerator before Jamal walked downstairs due to the bell. They didn't even check the cake, they all went upstairs to bathe and change.

****

Jamal surveyed the four ladies, Halima had found herself a seat, but the other girls were standing in their matching dark green tutu skirts, white blouses and sparkly turbans with black shoes.

At Halima's prompting, they began to sing.

"Happy Birthday to you," The comical dragging of the you was done by cheeky Lubna who fancied her voice very much. "Happy Birthday to you Daddy." Lubna dragged the daddy even further with another cheeky smile. They all laughed and let Jamal cut the cake in a flurry of photos and videos.

"Let's eat, the food will soon be cold." They all laughed at Halima whose stomach had growled due to hunger, pushing all of them to the dining table. They sat and Halima spooned food for everyone, poured them all glasses of apricot juice before sitting down to her own food.

"Jariyah, are you ready for your Aunty Summayah's wedding on Thursday?" Jariyah's face blossomed into a beautiful smile, she pushed her beautiful head full of curly hair back and said with sass "I'm ready, except I don't like that uncle Zain's niece, she's too proud. Always putting on airs in school as if she has Allah on her shoulders."

Halima and Jamal laughed out loud, so loud that the pepper from the spicy roasted chicken Jamal had bitten into before laughing made him choke. He took a sip of his juice before he finally calmed down.

"Jariyah, you'll soon not see her anymore. You start school in London next year() October, there you'd be working hard, no need to be angry." Halima had to sooth ruffled feathers, or she knew Jariyah could plan something to deal with 'proud' Zain's niece.

*******

"Are you not happy?"

Summayah leaned on her best friend and sister in law before replying Kemi's very serious question. "I'm not." She said softly and shook her head, feeling the ends of her cornrows graze her nape.

"Want to tell us why?" Halima did the asking this time. Summayah sighed and got up, she knew Halima didn't have lots of strength so she instead pushed to lie on the mass of of throw pillows on her bed.

"I'm worried for how long my dad thinks he can drag mummy for. Spoiling her name everywhere, he is behaving like a jealous teenager." Halima held in her chuckle at Summayah's reply, it's was the entire truth of the behavior of her father. No one knew what had come over him.

"Let's hope, that today he'll behave himself. He is not a child, na cheat he cheat, he no kill person." They all laughed at Summayah's statement because that was what her father always said in defense of his behaviors.

Kemi took out the lilac and purple damask material that had been sewn into a puffed sleeved, draped at the waist, floor length gown. Halima wiped the tears that had gathered at her eyes when she saw the gown that Kemi revealed. Kemi outdid herself every single time, showing off skills she whipped out from wherever.

"This is stunning." Kemi showed a proud expression and bowed after putting the gown on the bed. "It took four nights of no sleep, especially those beaded sleeves." Halima stared properly at the sleeves that really looked like they had been beaded with infinity beads that shined when lights came unto them. Summayah had not yet spoken, she was still running her hands down the dress in awe.

"See why you're the best?" Kemi laughed and danced around her friend happily. "You're welcome. I'm happy my efforts are not in vain." But who knew that Summayah would burst into loud tears.

"Thank you Kemisola." Kemi went to her side and pulled her over to the bed where Halima was sitting in bewildered shock. Summayah was never one to shed tears over anything, most of all a beautiful dress.

"It's nothing. And there's no thanks between us. No thanks at all. Okay?" Summayah nodded and Halima passed Kemi a tissue to wipe Summayah's face with. Halima leaned on the pillows and asked; "Wetin come dey make you cry now?"

They all laughed at the question, as it had bugged their minds too. "Well, this dress is so beautiful. Kemi is a brilliant designer." The designer in question bowed comically and sat at the end of the bed.

"You guys know something?" Halima and Summayah shook their heads. "I might have committed suicide at some point, my head was always buzzing. I felt dirty, used, disgusting. You both were sent by God to save me. I don't even have to work anymore, I'll never be hungry. I have a better relationship with God, with Chike, my mom. I don't think life could be better." Summayah pursed her lips and decided to throw a word dart.

"It would be the best, if you finally accepted one of Chike's many proposals. You're practically married." Kemi sighed and leaned back to rest her back.

"I'm scared." It was Halima's turn to frown. "Of what?"

"I fear that one minute is enough for him to begin to hating me, it's enough to cross that fine line from love to hate. And I, Kemisola wants to have my dignity when it's all over." Halima stared pensively at Kemi. Her fears were far too many to grasp, this however was something she needed to hash out with Chike, not carry worry everywhere.

"Kemi," Summayah began softly. "I think I understand your fears, but at this point, Chike and you need to sit down and talk extensively about what you both want and deserve in this relationship. I love you both and I think you may never do better than each other. You're both perfect." Halima chuckled at Summayah's way of putting everything so mildly and making sure Kemi heard her clearly.

She stared at her friends again, which of the favors of her Lord would she deny? Definitely not these ones, they were precious.

*****

"…And at any time, bend, but be flexible, don't bend and break. You're our family's daughter, be a paragon there. Okay?" Mummy's elder sister finally finished her advice session. Halima sighed and leaned against the headboard in Summayah's new house, Kemi looked back to her and winked, that woman had talked for almost thirty minutes, she obviously didn't want other people to say anything so she dragged on and on.

"Don't worry we'll soon go. Just bathe in warm water and eat, and sleep in your baby's arms." Halima reached out and stopped Kemi's whispers by pinching the skin of her arm. She could not laugh due to the many elders from Mummy's family who had accompanied Summayah to Zain's house.

"Halee, let's go." Halima grunted as she adjusted the atampa loose A line gown she had worn for extreme comfort and got up to hug Summayah. When she reached her best friend, she adjusted and they hugged each other. Halima said some duas and blew them over her best friend, she patted her head playfully and walked, more like wobbled away with Mummy.

In the car, Mummy cried when she finally sat down, Halima allowed Mummy to lean on her, all her other family members were getting into luxurious cars behind them but their driver didn't move. Mummy had followed Summayah to Zain's house just to see what it was like and to make sure that no one would slight her daughter, now that she was satisfied, tears was natural.

"She's the one who gave me strength to do what I did. She'd call me everyday to say, 'Mummy, this is the time to leave. If you don't leave now, he'll keep piling up faults and you'll keep excusing them.' my baby, so strong, powerful. I'll miss her." Halima could only smile wanly. She knew of the strength that Summayah exuded and also knew that she was only five streets away from Mummy's new house and it took less than ten minutes drive to get there.

"Let's go." The driver cranked the engine and they began moving back, the procession when they'd been going was one of the largest Halima had ever seen, not that the wedding was so big. Mummy said she had fufilled her big wedding dreams with Jamal's wedding and went along with Summayah's family only affair.

Her father had warned members of his family not to attend. So, none of them were there, Summayah's only reply was that it was good riddance to bad rubbish. When they counted all the money sprayed at the dinner, it had amounted to about four million naira, Summayah's cousins were handed a hundred thousand naira each, and the rest was shared amongst the house maids and their families.

******

"How do you feel now?" Halima sighed and moaned at Jamal who was kneading her feet gently with his soft hands. "Far better. Thank you babe." Jamal chuckled and got up, tucking Halima's feet into the blanket. Just after they reached home from Summayah's conveyance, a heavy thunderstorm had lashed through Abuja leaving a drizzle in its wake.

Halima burrowed further into her blankets further feeling pains in her lower abdomen and pelvis. She took hold of Jamal's hand as she groaned the cold out of her body. Jamal chuckled and shook Halima's hair out of the satin bonnet she wore and began to massage her head not in the least regarding his uncomfortable position.

"That feels so good. Thank you." Jamal leaned forward and kissed her slightly furrowed forehead.

"If not that you keep warning me not to disturb your obestrician, I would have called her by now. I don't like how this pain keeps coming and going." Halima slid a look at her worrying husband. She'd talked to Mummy and her own mother to know that those slight pains were normal. Jamal was on the verge of overreacting and it was really fun to watch.

"I'm fine. Besides it's still two weeks to the EDD. Don't scare yourself silly before you need to." She watched him with dubious eyes. "Didn't you do this two times with Nadia already?" Jamal shifted and looked away.

"Well, Jariyah was born in Lebanon, Lubna in London. She didn't even let me know anything." Halima turned to stare at him incredibly. "Why?" He shrugged, Halima blinked, confused.

"Maybe she thought I'd think less of her. But i don't ever think knew Nadia enough. I was her friend for nearly five years, we're only about two to three years apart in age. Our parents just decided one day to make us married and I didn't think too much of it, I was really passive at that time, I only got more intense when I met you." Halima nodded, it made sense to how passive he was in the raising of his children in the beginning.

"You think you know Jariyah enough now?" He sighed at her question and Halima adjusted herself so she could rub his back slowly, these were not simple matters to talk about.

"Yes. At least as much as she shows me." He turned to her with mirth in his eyes. "Lee, I feel like she shows you more of herself than she could ever show me. Jariyah is a smart, ball of energy, and sometimes I feel like I do not deserve her." Halima shook her head at him, wondering how to articulate her thoughts well.

She pursed her lips, swallowed all the saliva that had accumulated in her mouth and wondered how to say. "She loves you. She has always loved you, even the day you forgot them, she didn't hate you. She is magnanimously beautiful all by herself." He nodded and sighed, in one fluid motion burrowing deeper into the blankets.

"But I'm most thankful for you. You came and brought light into my life, I have a stronger relationship with Allah, I don't have to wonder or reassure myself of your love because everyday you show me various ways to love a person without saying a word." Halima reached out and pinched the skin of his belly. He yelped and stopped speaking, rolled over to her side to look at her with adoration in his eyes.

"I love you Halima Sadiyya Aliyu. I love you for the sake of Allah and I am grateful for this beautiful emotion." Halima nodded with a lump in her throat. It was so nice to have someone who doted on her, who saw her as a human, who saw her as his partner, who didn't make life hard for.

At this rate, there was nothing more she could ask Allah for, her cup of happiness was filled and overflowing. Nothing could beat the blessings of the Almighty Allah, the most merciful.

*****

Heyo everyone. How are you all doing? Chai, I have to say, I've missed you all so much. I didn't think it would be this long, I just had a really bad writers block and then I couldn't bring myself to update the last chapter of this book that has my heart.

My acknowledgement chapter is just here yet oo, but I know it's going to be long. Thank you all for the thousands of you that read this book, for the many people who told their friends about Bound, who tagged people here. God bless you all. God bless you over and over.

I also hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really hope you did, and I also hope that you have added my next book, 'Misfortunate' to your library. You'll be missing out if you don't 😭😭😂😂

See y'all soon, (in za epilogue)

The Omoope.