"Are you ready to talk about what happened three years ago?" The therapist queried and Mimi only stared at her.

The reoccurrence of her bad dreams throughout the previous weeks which had been reopened by Alex who kept on calling her, the way he got her number still baffled, he'd sent the picture of his dick to her several times till she blocked him, wondering why he decided to just be a devil to her life, she'd been unable to sleep peacefully as those memories kept on coming back.

Most times she always screamed in the middle of the night and she feared sleeping, having the bad dreams, screaming and even seeing Benita, it was as if Benita wanted to punish her for not revealing the truth. Her mom had informed the therapist about the happenings and after few questions she'd ruled her case as traumatic mutism but no one knew what brought about the trauma, with questioning from her mother, siblings and even the therapist, all she did was stare at the person without any attempt to talk.

Mimi walked out of the hospital in despair, her mother had accompanied her to the hospital that day because she'd been worried sick about her Mimi's case was going from bad to worse.

"How was it?" Sindara queried as she opened the door for Mimi to get in.

Mimi ignored her mother's question and stared out through the window, Sindara decided not to pester her again so far she won't budge, immediately they got home, Mimi left for her room.

"How was it?" Fara questioned with her tone laced with concern as she watched Mimi enter their room, they were all worried about her, since the holiday started none of them had slept peacefully.

"I don't know," Sindara replied as her eyes trailed Mimi.

"What did the doctor say?" Lara asked and Sindara turned to her.

"I don't know, Mimi's isn't replying, she keeps staring at her just like every other time."

They all sighed at this, Lola who had been sleeping got up and headed towards Fara room only to see Mimi crying.

"Mimi, Mimi, what's wrong?" She rushed to Mimi who was still crying.

"Mummy," Lola shouted and Sindara rushed into the room with Lara and Fara.

"She's crying, did anything happen at the hospital?" Lola turned to their mother who bent down to hug Mimi who kept on crying.

"No," she shook her head while consoling Mimi who looked like she won't stop crying.

They all stayed with her till she finally sniffed and placed her head on the bed.

"Mimi, what happened?" Fara asked.

Mimi glanced at her before closing her eyes and turning to the other side.

"Let's leave her to sleep," Sindara mumbled but it was audible enough for the kids to hear, she rose to her feet and glanced at the sleeping Mimi.

They all glanced at her before walking out the room closing the door quietly.

**************

"Mimi, come and watch film," Lara opened the door quietly as she strolled into the room.

Mimi shook her head in response.

"But you've been in the room since morning doing nothing but staring into space, just come and join me, the film is interesting," Lara pestered and Mimi sighed before getting up.

"Good," Lara smiled as she wrapped her hands around Mimi leading her to the living room.

For the past few days, they'd been trying to cheer her up and bring her out of her sour mood.

On getting to the living room, Mimi looked around while wondering where Lola and Fara were, she expected them to be in the living room with Lara.

Lara who noticed her looks understood quickly, "They went out."

Mimi furrowed her brows as she sat on the two seater while Lara joined her.

"I don't know where they went to, they just told me they were going somewhere, I did ask them the location but they avoided it," she explained and Mimi nodded before fixing her gaze on the TV.

She didn't have any interest in the movie so she hardly enjoyed it, halfway through, she was getting bored out of her mind and even Lara who invited was already dozing off. Quietly, she got up, switched off the TV before walking out of the house.

She didn't know when her legs led her to the swimming pool, on getting there, she stopped on her tracks and her eyes widened upon seeing Christian. When did they get back?

He was quick to notice her presence, so, he just waved at her and she joined him at the edge of the pool.

He noticed the curious look on her face and smiled before talking, "School would be resuming in few days right?"

Mimi furrowed her brows. She didn't know the holiday had almost ended, in her mind she believed they still had like a week and some days but in reality they only had three days.

"So, you didn't know? Is that how you enjoyed the holiday so much?"

She smiled faintly, he was quick to read her expression.

"So, we had to come back home to prepare for resumption," he explained and she nodded in understanding.

Mimi lowered her head to look at her legs that were making some movements in the water.

"You enjoyed the break right?" He questioned and she turned to look at him. Did she enjoy the break? Not at all.

She nodded with a faint smile and he smiled.

"I enjoyed mine too, we visited lots of places at Vietnam but then my parents were just too lovey dovey, spending the break with them was something else, I wonder why they took a break from work gan," he complained and Mimi chuckled. Why he was against his parents display of affection amused her.

He should even be happy his parents showed him what a real family should be like unlike hers. Sometimes she do wonder if her parents were forced into the marriage, it was such a loveless marriage accompanied with abuse, she shook her head slightly not wanting to remember her life then.

"Are you okay?" Christian queried and she nodded before glancing at his hands which rested on her shoulders, somehow, she didn't feel uncomfortable with it.

He wanted to say something but the sound from his phone stopped him, he glanced at her before bringing his phone out from his pocket.

"What!" He exclaimed immediately he picked his call and Mimi snapped her head towards him.

"Really? You don't mean it?" She heard him say as a wide smile appeared on his face, that made her realise it wasn't a bad news.

"Okay, I'm coming," he dropped the call and she gave him an inquisitive look.

"My grandparents are around," he announced and she gave him a questioning look. What's the big deal in that? Well it might be to him, she was never ecstatic to see her grandparents, not like she really had one, her mother was an orphan and their dad, his mother only came to frustrate their mother's life.

"We haven't seen them in a year, they left for Canada last year for a vacation, you can understand why I'm happy now," he explained and she nodded even though she didn't see any reason for his excitement.

"See you later," he flashed her a grin before hurrying off while she stared at his retreating figure till she couldn't catch a glimpse of him again.

"Soil," Christian shouted as he rushed into the house, his grandma turned away from Cherry who was straddling her, his eyes twinkled as he enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm out of breath oo," Soil joked and Christian withdrew from the hug to take in her look, she looked so different from last time. She now carried a haircut tinted in gold and was a bit chubbier.

"My boy is now grown up, you look so handsome," she complimented and he smiled sheepishly at her.

"What of grandpa?" He asked while looking around the living room.

"You finally remembered me," his grandpa's voice came from the stairs, Christian looked up to see his grandpa descending the stairs with his parents and Christy.

"Grandpa," he ran to him and he laughed before hugging him.

"Don't hug the life out of my father oo," Jimi teased and Christian chuckled.

After some seconds, they all settled down before Christian talked.

"So, when did you guys get back?"

"Almost an hour ago or so," Soil replied and Christian's lips stretched into a huge smile.

"So, you came here directly?" Christy queried.

"Yeah," Soil and Grandpa replied in unison.

"Wow, that's how important we are," Cherry commented and Christy glanced at her then she eyed Christy.

"We didn't expect you at all, why did you come back?" Christy queried.

"So, you don't want them to come back abi?" Cherry asked with raised brows.

"I wasn't talking to you," Christ snapped and Cherry hissed.

Grandpa and Soil smiled at their banter.

"We decided to come back because we missed you guys," Grandpa replied.

"Awwn," Christy and Cherry cooed before eyeing each other.

"Soil," a voice, no two voices  came from the door and they all snapped their heads to the direction of the voice only to see Tife and Mirabel rushing in with their parents along with Uncle Hanmi and his family.

It would surely be a long day or rather few days, Christian groaned at the thought.