***
This chapter is sappy as hell. Bring your tissues.

Play your favourite love song.

I'm listening to Olufunmi by style plus

Leave a comment please, I'm begging.
*****

"Jude did you bring in the mail?" Liz asked, while her fingers plucked off the pliable flesh from the fresh tangerines Jason had spent the whole of yesterday looking for.

Jason who was putting away the groceries he just brought paused midway.

Jude?

Did Liz just mistakenly call him Jude? Like Jude her Physiotherapist male friend who moved back to London?

He shrugged it off, with a scowl trying not to dwell on it.

"Babe these tangerines are so divine," Liz began rattling off, eyes rolled back in sheer delight as she plopped part of it in her mouth.

Jason rolled his eyes, still puzzled about the mistake but willing to accept that he must have misheard her.

So he dropped it and instead said, "do you know how much you were crying for it? I feel like you could have locked me outside if I didn't bring it yesterday." Jason chuckled at his own joke, knowing it was partly true.

"Is it not what your baby wants." She answered pouting. Liz got up from her position on the dinning table with a naughty smirk on her face.  She sighed loudly and stretched her back, her large belly protruding in front of her with a sharp pain travelling from her spine to her legs.

"That reminds me Jude, Pamela asked if you were done with what she discussed with you."

At the point, Jason couldn't hold it anymore. "Who the fuck is Jude?"

"Jason, why are you shouting?"

"Why are you calling me another man's name?" He walked towards her eyes flashing with anger. "At first I thought I heard you wrongly but you're really calling me another man's name?"

"No I didn't. I either call you mismatched eyes, baby daddy or Jason."

"Yes, but you called me Jude. I know what I heard Elizabeth."

"Why are you calling me Elizabeth? My name is B, star or  baby and I didn't call you Jude!" Liz got up from the couch and began to walk away.

Jason sighed heavily trying to calm himself down, "Yes you did. My question is why? Is he that important to you that you will forget my name but not his?"

"I didn't call you Jude. Why will I do that?"

"Yes, Valentina, why will you call me Jude?" Jason asked and hissed angrily.

"Valentina?" Liz asked and chuckled in disbelief.

Jason didn't answer, instead choosing to leave her at the bottom of the stairs and walking back to the kitchen to the groceries he abandoned earlier.

"You're so petty babe. I just hope you know you promised to make me dinner tonight, " Liz answered and made her favourite puppy face.

Jason rolled his eyes deciding not to answer and started bringing out the stuff for preparing dinner.

********

Pregnant Liz was annoying.

Pregnant and bored Liz was trouble.

Pregnant, bored Liz who spent hours watching tiktok videos was the combination of trouble and

After being home all by herself all day, and tired of hearing him say he was going to come home soon.

She had only wanted to prank him for fun but he had withdrawn through out dinner and immediately after eating, he had went to his study.

Liz got up with a tired sigh, her bump becoming too heavy for her back and waist. She needed this baby to be out soon. Her feet made soft noises again the Persian rug at the foot of the bed and immediately Leo shot up, following his master carefully as she went to look for her sulking husband.

Jason had on his anti blue light glasses and he looked so sex,she waddled a d perched at the edge of the table.

"Jude, aren't you coming to bed?" She asked with a smirk and reaching forward to touch his face, but he only pulled away.

"It's okay o. Sulking Thomas, it was just a prank I saw on tiktok and I was bored and tired of waiting for you so I decided to prank you." Liz explained reaching for him and he only pulled away again.

"Stop now Zaddy," Liz whined.

Jason didn't answer, choosing instead to type furiously on his keyboard.

Liz who wouldn't take no for an answer, got up and moved towards his laps.

She sat down astride him allowing the blue robe she had on part in the middle giving her room. She sighed in contentment, knowing he wouldn't let her fall.

"Come down, I'm busy." His voice was gruff.

"I'm serious it was just a prank." Liz said, tugging at his beard.

"I have heard." Jason answered.

"If you have heard, why are you not smiling?"

"Ha-ha-ha" Jason burst out in a dry laughter, that lacked mirth and humor.

Liz rolled her eyes and pressed her hands against his neck.

"You sound like a cackling chicken. Quack, quack, quack." She demonstrated while squeezing his neck.

"Okay, so do you want to choke me?" Jason asked, since she still had her arms wrapped around his neck.

Liz hissed and loosened her grip, letting her hands trail to the muscles around his neck and working her fingers through it, making sure she was kneading and rolling the muscles between her fingers to release the kink in them.

Jason sighed in relief at the relaxing effect the massage gave him but didn't say anything.

Liz kept at it, till the muscles were soft and pliant.

"I'm sorry. It was just a joke,albeit an expensive one."

Jason raised his eyes to meet hers, staring at her with the full intensity of his mismatched orbs. As usual, Liz felt unnerved by the glare in them.

She was still so amazed by his blue-grey eyes, and doubted if it will ever stop intriguing her. His gaze was met full on with her answering one, till she saw the doubt and accusation in his.

She scoffed in disbelief, "it was just a joke Jason Tolulope Matthews."

"Was it? Was it really a joke or a slip up?"

Liz was beginning to get irritated. 'it was a prank. I could get my phone and show you some of the videos online. Why won't you believe me?"

"You have always liked him," Jason started before he was rudely cut off, "of course I liked him, he is my friend."

Liz got up from his laps and he instantly missed the weight. How good it felt to always have any kind of body contact from her.

"Just forget it. I understand that you were joking." He plastered a fake smile, that she could see beneath.

"No you don't. You want to ask me why of all male names I chose Jude. Well, I chose it because your names both start with the letter -J, no other reasons."

"Okay," Jason answered, running his hands over his face and sighing.

He wanted to drop it. He wanted to really drop it but all night the what ifs were creeping in.

He cheated, so it made sense that somehow she wanted to also. It made sense right?

But why did hearing another man's name out of her lips really cut him deep. He didn't even want to imagine if she actually liked him.

They had promised, not to hide anything from each other, not even their fears or thoughts. So before he opened this can of worms, he mustered the courage and asked her when she got to the study door, "are you guys together?"

Liz didn't expect it. So she swirled sharply on her heels turning back to meet his gaze and Jason threw his head back avoiding hers.

"Where is this coming from? It was just a prank, calling  my husband another mans name to see his reaction." She answered.

"I know but, I can't keep thinking that I did cheat with Tiara but the thought that you would want to do it back even for revenge is eating me up."

Liz sighed and walked back towards him going back to sit on his laps and his arms went around her midriff hugging her to him. 

"Did you read the letters I gave you?" She asked.

Jason opened the drawer and brought out the six letters Liz had given him when she came to his office.

Jason handed them to her, "Read it to me please, when you brought them I was scared of what they would contain and so never opened them."

Pamela searched through the stack of letters opening each one and dumping it, till she got to the fourth one. Her heart thudded loudly in a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

This one, the fourth letter was special. That one had all of her heart in it?

Thirteen Reasons why!

The heading is strange right? I know you're confused thinking of that series of the girl who died and all the reasons why she did what she did.

You're probably thinking how this hits too close too home seeing that I tried to kill my self,

But it isn't.

Jason visibly relaxed, when she added that part. She curled her fingers into her hair and he leaned into her fingers.

Also, this isn't thirteen reasons why I love you.

Jason rolled his eyes at her.

After refusing to go to church for the first two weeks I was in Abeokuta, iya Agba dragged me to one midweek service. I remember so clearly as I write now, when I learnt that I knew nothing. Nothing about what I had professed for so long.

"Wait," Jason said cutting her short.

"You went to Church?" He asked surprised.

Liz smiled. "Will you let me continue Monsieur?"

Jason nodded.

"Most of you don't know what Love is" he began and I scoffed.

Of course I did, Love was that sweet sure feeling I got when I was with you. Love is me wanting to be with you, Love is needing someone more than air, more than life.

Boy I was so wrong!

1 Corinthians 13, has 13 verses did you know?

This is 13 definitions of what love truly means.

1.  Love endures with patience and serenity.

Meaning on days, when there are no butterflies I am not hasty to cast you away. With utmost peace in the beauty of what we have I endure. Your shortcomings as I do mine, I extend grace.

2. Love is kind and thoughtful

Love is going the distance to make life easy for you. In the little things, in the big things. Love is being kind to you when you hurt me. It is me being gentle with you.

3. Love is not jealous or envious.

I had an issue with this one. Of course I don't want to share you, of course I should feel jealousy over you because you're mine. This one is right. The jealousy, is to ever think your success isn't mine. To think you do not compliment but instead get stuck on envying the many graces and gifts stuck inside you.

4. Love does not brag. Neither is it proud or arrogant.

5. Love isn't easily provoked (overly sensitive or easily angered).

To be overtly sensitive is to believe that all things revolve around my feelings,and all things should be catered to my feelings. This is why communicating how whatever was going on was always so difficult for you.

Liz raised her head from the paper, "This is as much as pregnancy allows o. Cause blame it on my hormones for making me oversensitive."

Jason chuckled at that part, and licked his lips. He was feeling so overwhelmed with the amount of emotions this woman was invoking.

6. Love does not take into account A wrong endured.

You hurt me Jason. You really did.
So what this means is that if I truly love you, I shouldn't hold this over you head in every conversation. I shouldn't hold your shortcomings over you every time we have a falling out. It means I shouldn't find another man to kiss senseless just so you could know how much it hurts to share someone you love.

"Got that part right?" Liz asked staring straight at his red rimmed mismatched eyes.

Jason nodded in understanding and buried his face into her bosom not wanting her to see him cry.

7. Love bears all things.

Regardless of what comes. I'm sickness, in health, in poverty, in wealth.

8. Love believes all things.

  Love looks for the best in each one even on your weak days, something about you makes me remember that you are my lover.

9. Love is not self seeking

A part of me should always seek to serve you the same you way you do me. In this circle where none of us is diminished.

10. Love hopes in all things

11. Love doesn't rejoice with injustice.

    Meaning I have to treat you right and fair. As much as I will treat my self.

12 Love blooms in the truth.

Love is sound. Not funny or deceptive.

13. Love never fails; never fades away or end.

  This means I can't really fall out of love. This means that there are no off days. Just me and you till infinity and beyond.

So how do I merely fall in love with you mismatched eyes?

To 'fall' sounds accidental, like it isn't my choice.

To fall in love sounds so fleeting. Like I can be rescued, like I can reach out and be pulled out from the abyss of what I feel for you.

Like it would absolve me from not being intentional to make it bloom and strong.

So when I say I love you, Jason Tolulope Matthews know that it is the butterflies and more. Know that love is my choice.  Who am I to say what the future holds? With all my imperfections and fragility I'll fight; for you, for us, if you'll let me. As long as you'll let me.

I choose you. I'll keep on choosing you.

Your absence truly is heartbreak.
I love you, Truly, madly deeply.

Elizabeth.

Liz could feel the tears hit her cheeks and the wetness of his own tears on her blouse.

Jason raised his head to kiss her lips.

"I love you too star. I love you."

*****

One more Epilogue and it's good bye.

Love,
Orex.