"Love at first sight is nothing special. Its when two people have been looking at each other for years that it becomes a miracle. "

-Sam Levinson.

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C H A P T E R 45:

1st, January 2026.

New years eve were always a beehive of activities for May's Household. The night before new year, Iby would clean up the entire house with the little help of twelve year old Maryam. If she wasn't helping her step father out, then she was busy playing with her younger brother, Oyins, who was just two years of age. As for May, she would go to the market and buy the food stuff she needed for cooking.

After they were all done with the house activities, they took their baths and went to church for the cross over service. They turned off all the lights in church and lit a candle once the time struck twelve o'clock midnight. Out cry or shouts of joy followed with people gyrating and dancing because they'd live to see a brand new year. Meanwhile, other people didn't get to see the previous year.

Before May and her family left the church, they took prayers of prosperity and blessings from their beloved general overseer, Daddy E. A Adeboye and with the candles still lit on, they took it home. It ended up at the verandah of their house, glowing through the dark while its owners were sleeping peacefully, waiting for dawn.

The next morning, May was the first to wake up. She warmed her pot of banga soup, yam, catfish peppersoup, rice and chicken stew. She took her bath before she headed back towards her room to wake Iby up. At first, Iby refused to wake up. He would groan and then, roll to the other side of the bed, pretending to be deeply asleep.

With several failed attempts to make him stir, she climbed atop of him, pinched his cheeks and demanded he got up. His next move was unexpected as he flipped her over on the bed and was on top her now.

He smiled, "Happy new year, my pretty wife."

"Happy new year, my amazing husband." She said then proceeded to stand up and make him climb off of her but he pinned her back on the bed.

"I'm not through with you. Where do you think you're rushing off to?" Iby asked.

"Well, its too early in the morning to play love. I need to bath Oyins and feed him. Also, you have to get out of bed, brush your teeth, take your bath and eat breakfast." May pointed out.

"Well, I don't want to." Iby whined like a child.

"What do you want then?" Asked, his lovely wife.

He lied flat on her body like she was the bed with his head on her breast like her breast was his pillow. "I want us to be like this forever without any form of disturbances coming our way."

May smiled, "Mr. Iby, that's impossible," She murmured then tried to push him off her, "Get up! You are killing me with your weight."

He raised his head up and brought his face close to hers, "Kiss me first or else I won't get off of you."

As his lips got close to hers, she pushed his face away from hers, "No!"

"Why?" Asked Iby with surprise. His wife never turns him down.

"I will only kiss you when you've brushed your teeth. Your morning breath smells bad," she teased playfully.

Iby smiled at this, placing his head back on her soft breast, loving the feeling of it against his head, "I will only stand up after you've kissed me."

"No."

"Then we are going to lay like this for the rest of the day."

May thought of what to do. Then an idea popped up. She tickled him thinking it was going to make him stand up but after he laughed for a while, he began tickling her too. They rolled on the bed laughing hard. When they stopped, May was on top of him now. They looked each other in the eye for a minute after which they both leaned forward and kissed passionately like nothing else mattered in the world.

"Mom? Dad?" Maryam called out, standing in front of her parents room door that was widely opened. Her pupils were wide not totally out of shock seeing her parents making out but because Oyins had also seen them. He was just an innocent two year old child, she had to cover his eyes and hers too.

May jumped off of Iby as she heard her daughters voice. She saw that Maryam was covering Oyins eyes and this made her cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Mommy and daddy, good morning." Maryam greeted, opening her eyes and freeing Oyin's as she sensed her parents were no longer on the position they previously were.

"Morning, my dear." May replied.

"Morning, sweety." Replied, Iby, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Mom, Oyins and I are starving." Maryam complained.

"Sorry dear. Just go downstairs with your brother. I'll be there in like two minutes to join you guys and dish your food." May told her.

"Okay." With that simple reply, Maryam left the room.

May pushed Iby's chest playfully as he was about to stand up. It made him sit back on the bed, "See what your stubbornness have caused? Our kids saw us kissing."

"And so?" He asked her. Iby didn't wait for her reply as he drew her closer and kissed her again.

Within minutes, May was sitting on his laps, unbuttoning her shirt, forgetting the promise she made to her daughter. They would have done the expected but Iby had to stop her.

"We have this night and the next to make love. Right now, I need you to attend to the children." He said.

May said nothing as she admired his face. She grazed her fingers on his lips then stopped right at the small burn there, "You've not told me the story on how you got a burn on your lip."

"Well.. That. When I was little, I was addicted with sucking my lip or biting it. My mother warned me against it but I couldn't stop it. So one day, out of anger while I was lost and busy sucking my lip as usual, my mom whom was cooking with firewood, used it to burn my lip. From that day till now, I stopped sucking it with the fear that she would do it again. I didn't want to feel the pain." He explained.

"Ehya." May sympathized him, "Fear fear boy." She mocked.

"Taah.." He yelled, making a move to slap her but she dodged it and ran down the stairs, laughing Iby.

The rest of the day went well. Edric and his family had visited to celebrate the new year with May's family. Others like, Efua and Tina also visited. Meanwhile, Esther took Oyins and Maryam out to an amusement park in order for her to have fun with her nephew and niece.

Night fell quicker than everyone wanted it to so everyone went their separate ways. It was quiet and Iby was having his shower. May decided to pen down some things she wanted to share to the world someday when she was opportune to. Especially to young teenagers out there.

To anyone who cares,

Sometimes, our lives has to be completely shaken up, destroyed and rearranged just to keep us where we truly belong and this, I mean, if I hadn't been treated the way I was by Edric, I wouldn't have found the real love of my life which is, Iby. It is quite thrilling how Edric's abuse and treatment didn't stop me from loving another soul. Iby's love was enough to heal the wounds I had in my heart and I appreciate him greatly for this. I mean, ain't I so lucky to have him?

We are married with a kid. I am through with higher institution and have gotten a bachelor degree in business education. I teach in a government school where i am well paid for. Iby also got a good job as a manager in a bank. I am living a comfortable life with my husband and two kids. There is nothing more I can ask for.

Some people maybe be wondering why I forgave Edric and let him stay in my life instead of pushing him totally far off. It is because I believe a person needs to be loved the most when he deserves to be loved the least. While some are wondering why i still loved Iby even after learning about his past. Well, I am not in love with his past but his present so I see no reason to hate him for what he had done. I just want to let you all know that, no one can always make the right choice. Sometimes, you feel you are doing what's right but in another person's view, you are wrong. This and few other things that I have come to learn from my journey so far in life.

I want to plead with every teenager out there, especially females who are under eighteen to avoid early intimate relationship. It'd be better if you focus on your life first in order to avoid making mistakes like I did. Focus on your studies and how to become a better you. Eat your favorite meals and love yourself because the real love, starts from you. If you are able to accept and love you just the way you are, you'll also be able to give out as much love to others.

Also, to those women in an abusive marriage, I want to tell you that there is no love in abuse. I have seen few cases of young ladies on hospital beds who made up excuses for their abusive husband, hoping and saying, "he would change." He never did and they ended up damaged.

If your husband hits you continuously, divorce him because he doesn't love you and he doesn't deserve you.

Mother Teresa once said and I quote, "The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, and deserted by everybody."

So how then do you live with someone who makes you feel all of the above? All in the name that you love them?

Do not settle for a love you have to beg for. Do not be in a relationship with a man or woman who makes love feels costly or that you have to buy it. Love comes naturally. Don't force it. Love is free. It'd be a waste of time spending your whole life with someone who makes it feel expensive.

Also note that relationships last not because they were destined to be or last. Relationship last because two people made a choice to keep it, fight for it and work for it. Go for the one who shows you love and attention. Do things that lift your spirit and makes you happy. If you can do this, you will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.

T H E E N D.

I'll add more to this chapter with time. Thanks for reading to the end.