It was the weekend and I was in my closet folding my clothes. The breakup with Yah had gotten to the press and my week had been full of drama. Dave kept showing me stories and speculations everyone was making up, still no one got it right. Most people agreed it was because of the stripper incident.

Yah and Ben had done well, they didn't slander me but they made Yah the focal point. Yah had come out to say he wasn't in the right frame of mind for a relationship and people ate it up, some praised him for being mature enough to admit it. It wasn't the mess we'd thought it would be. I was pitied, he was pitied. Everyone wished us well and gave cliché advises like how we'd get back together if it was meant to be. I was simply glad to have my life back.

I was folding the clothes I'd outgrown when I heard Chike call, "Sweet face?"

"I'm here in the closet," I said aloud.

Chike walked into the closet and sighed when he saw me on the floor. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Folding clothes."

"Come, I got you something." He helped me from the floor and I went with him outside.

"A treadmill? Why?" I asked. I hoped he wasn't expecting me to get on that thing.

"For the baby."

Oh, yes. Everything was for the baby.

"She's still in the womb, she doesn't need a treadmill," I said and walked back inside to the living room. I sat on the sofa and Chike sat beside me.

"You need to start exercising. I read it in a book that exercise is good for the baby, it makes delivery easier."

I wanted to tell him to stop reading because he was annoying me with his opinions. "Thanks, but I'm good."

Chike shifted in his seat and looked at me. His face was hard and his jaw ticked. "What's wrong with you? It's like you don't even care about the baby and you can't bother to hide it."

I was shocked by his outburst. "Why would you say that? You think I don't care about my baby? Like my own child?"

Chike rubbed his face and said, "I think you don't care about anyone, if it's not about your job then fuck it. The rest of us don't matter. Why do you think I was quick to claim my baby? I wasn't even sure you were going to keep her because everything is like an inconvenience to you."

"Are fucking kidding me?" I screamed out then lowered my voice, "You think I'd abort my baby? How do you come up with these shits?"

"It's obvious. You couldn't even stay with your new boyfriend for long. Please don't tell me you broke up with him because I told you to, that would be a fucking lie."

He was unbelievable. "Shut up, stop talking," I said.

"You need to hear it," Chike said and folded his arms. "You don't even want to know her sex, it's as if you don't want to be emotionally attached to her or anyone."

"I broke up with Yah because it was time to. We were never dating. It was all a publicity stunt to create a buzz, I bet you didn't know that before running your mouth," I said angrily. "And you said I don't love my baby, I talk to her every day and tell her how much I love her. Do I need to shout it from the rooftop so you can notice me?"

"Why didn't you tell me the relationship wasn't real?" Chike asked.

"Then what? That isn't the problem," I replied and put my hair back in a bun when it came undone.

"What is?"

"You're the problem," I said pointing at him. "You think everyone is like your parents, you called me a parvenu without even knowing my story. My clothing line was failing, I was losing money, I had my parents and staff to think about and you think I'm this bitch that goes around chasing money and breaking hearts for fun. Are you shitting me?"

"You never told me any of this." Chike was standoffish. It was as if everything I was saying wasn't getting through to him.

"It wouldn't have changed anything. You need to check yourself, Chike. Everything I ever did for you was from a place of love, I'll be the first to admit that I said some terrible things that should never have been said but I apologized. I was that mature, but you? No, you hurt me intentionally, with purpose."

"Nope." Chike shook his head. "You are the problem. You don't want to be made love to, you don't want to share anything, you don't want your sister and friends to know about us, you don't want to commit. You're just cold like ice, no feelings, no emotions, nothing. Then you say everything you ever did was from a place of love, how? For fuck's sake, I felt like some gigolo the whole time with you."

"And do you know why I'm cold? Do you ever give me the benefit of the doubt? Have you once thought, she was hurt in her previous marriage so it's normal that she's so careful? Have you?" I asked and continued, "You said I was whoring myself for money, did you think of any other reason besides that?"

"I gave you plenty of excuses and enough reasons. At that point, I was done being treated like garbage."

"You're an asshole, I-" I stopped talking when my voice broke, he wasn't going to see me cry.

Chike stood from the sofa and hissed. "Just look at you, you can't even cry. Put your pride aside and be human like the rest of us."

"I-I-I loved you, I was scared to love you. I didn't want to be hurt again and you did over and over again with your words. I don't know why you think the worse of me, what did I ever do to you?" I asked and put my face in my hands. My body shook as I cried into my palms. He was the worse.

"It's okay, sweet face," Chike said softly as he sat back and brought my head to his neck when I continued crying. "You just never show it. You have to start acting like you truly love me because I love you. It was horrible loving you, I felt like I was wasting my emotions on the wrong person."

"I was just so scared," I said into his shirt.

"You don't have to be. I'm not going to hurt you. I know I said the wrong things but that was because I felt hurt."

"But you think I'm evil, and you keep comparing me to your parents." I raised my head from his shoulder and looked at him.

"I was just insecure. I admit, I misread some of your intentions and I know I can be really mean."

"Yes, you can," I said and cleaned my eyes.

Chike took my hands in his. "But we can start over, like a clean slate. And it's not just for the baby but for ourselves too. I was excited when you said you were pregnant because I could use the baby as an excuse to spend time with you. I love you, like a lot."

"And I love you."

"I couldn't think straight for days when you sent that message saying we should end things. I guess I never really prepared myself that I could be without you. I just always thought we were going to make the fling a real deal."

"I was just so scared of being in love. I never planned nor wanted it, it happened and I couldn't stop being scared."

"I've always wanted to say how I felt about you, then I'd ask you out on a proper date and ask you to be mine. But when I decided to tell you, you introduced me as a mechanic. Gosh, I was so hurt and angry."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for never considering your feelings, I just realized I can be a bit self-absorbed and I'm trying to change that."

"I'm trying to change also. I said horrible things to you and I jumped to conclusions frequently, I know that's not how love works and I'm aware of that now."

I touched my belly and spoke, "I love her, I really do. I just like the curiosity that comes with not knowing the baby's sex, it's not because I don't care."

"That was insensitive of me to say. Of course you love her, I was just frustrated with everything."

"It's fine now."

"Can we start over?"

"Yes, but no more mean words," I said.

"No more," Chike concurred. "Come here."

I went into his arms and he caressed my belly.

"I need to go pee," I said and Chike laughed.

I got back from the bathroom and went into his arms.

"Would you like to meet my family and friends?" I asked.

"Absolutely, I would love to," Chike said and I brought his head down for a kiss. "Thank you," he said after the kiss.

"For what?" I asked.

"For loving me back, I thought it was never going to happen."

"Thank you too for loving me. I thought I was done with that after the divorce."

"So when am I meeting your folks?"

"I'll plan something, how about on Christmas eve or Boxing day?"

"That's perfect."

"Should I invite your parents?" I asked with hopes that he'd say yes.

"No."

"They need to know they have a grandchild on the way."

"I don't want to go crazy before my baby arrives, they don't have to be here."

"What if I told them about boundaries? No insults and condemnation, just plain love."

"My parents won't care about your boundaries, trust me."

"Let me handle them, will you?"

"Okay. Just keep us away from each other."

"Do you have any sibling?"

"Yes, my sisters. They all stay in Canada though," he said casually.

"Chike! You never told me about them," I admonished. "How many sisters do you have?"

"Four."

I looked at him in surprise. "Are you kidding me? Older or younger?"

"Way older, and married with kids. They're two sets of twins."

"Gosh, you have two twins in your family. That's a lot, wow."

"Tell me about it. My family has about two to four sets of twins in every generation."

"He! I'm scared."

Chike laughed and rubbed my arm. "You'll be fine and this angel is just one, you missed the twin mark." He became serious and asked, "Will you use the treadmill?"

"If you think it's necessary, I will."

"Thanks. I just want her to be healthy."

"I want that too," I said.

"I know," he said and bent to kiss my belly.