"Lily, do not cling to the door. Aunty dislikes that." Valery steadied herself behind the steering wheel, occasionally stealing glances at her niece to ensure she was not playing with the locks.
She smiled, seeing the six-year-old pick up the stuffed frog, which had been ignored a while back. They loved the Muppets. Although Miss Piggy was her favourite, Lily adored Kermit the Frog.
It was only a short time until they reached the mall. Valery slowly followed the other cars through the entrance, quietly peering around for a good place to park. Once she found her spot, she reeled over, initiated the brakes and turned off the engine.
"Come, little Kermit." She opened the door for Lily.
A few steps forward, Valery recalls leaving the grocery list behind. "Lily, stay right here!" She said sharply and ran back to the car.
"Where the hell did I put it." Valery combed hastily through the front seats. She hated handling pieces of paper, yet her elder sister refused to get a small notebook for the grocery list, no matter how many times she nagged about it. "Ha! Gotcha." Valery bent down to pick up the neatly folded sheet beneath Lily's seat. Lily had been holding on to it earlier, glaring at the letters as if she understood what they meant.
All was well when Valery locked the car and turned around; that was before she saw Lily walking towards the entrance on her own, not minding the road. Struck with fear and obviously out of reach, Valery yelled- waving her hand, telling Lily to stop while she dashed towards her. A car was approaching rather recklessly down the narrow road.
Worried she won't make it on time, Valery tried signalling the diver to slow down, but it was useless. The driver had drowned the car's insides with loud music and was also not paying much attention.
Out of nowhere, a figure swooped in and grabbed Lily out of harm's way, frightening the child, who did not understand what was happening.
Shaken by the ordeal, Valery ran faster and grabbed Lily, who was put down by her saviour.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME!! ARE YOU A DODO BIRD? WHY DO YOU LOVE RUNNING INTO DANGER LIKE THIS!" Valery panicked.
"Excuse me, but the fault is yours for not keeping a better eye on her." The stranger called her out on her mistake. "Had I not seen her earlier, that bastard would have run her over and not even looked back. "
Valery sighed, forcing out a breath of relief. "You're right. I should have been careful. It's okay, baby, don't cry. I was wrong to have left you like that. Come to Aunty. I'm not angry, okay." She tried to comfort Lily.
Valery reached out, slowly grabbing Lily's hand and pulling her closer to hug her. Then she rose to her feet to address their helper. "Thank you very much, I...I... Derrick?" she stammered after getting a proper look at the man. It took him less than a second to recognize her as well.
Derrick's eyes widened as his lips curved upwards. "Violet. I mean Valery," he said, not knowing how to process this rush of mixed feelings coursing through his veins.
(Three hours later.)
*Music in the background*
The song played repeatedly, intoxicating Valery's mind as she drove on the highway. She was a massive bowl of emotions until it got sour, and she wanted them to disappear.
Derrick had accompanied her to shop for groceries that afternoon and spent about forty minutes with her in a coffee shop. Lily was treated to cheesecake and chocolate milk, which made her forget about the incident.
Valery was still determining how it would all end, exchanging contacts and acting friendly again. Nothing had changed about Derrick; he was taller, a bit bulkier, and more handsome, but he still had those eyes that once made her heart flutter.
'I know it ain't easy, giving up your heart.'
Valery sighed as the song spelt out the obvious.
Lily's little feet ran into the house as soon as the door was shut. Her mother and baby brother should be waiting for them inside. When Valery put the bags on the counter, Jennifer was in the kitchen, preparing the stew with the few ingredients at home.
"You took your time," Jennifer said.
"I bumped into a friend along the way, and your daughter nearly gave me a heart attack." Valery chose to leave out the crucial details. There were days she wished she did not have to tag her niece along, and Jennifer felt it. At least Kofi was yet to crawl and get on her nerves as much. But that's how kids are; sometimes, they can't be controlled or coaxed into staying out of harm's way. You just have to step up as an adult and be ready to shield them with your life.
"I'm heading home." Valery sorted herself out with a bottle of water.
"Stay and have supper with us. My husband will be an hour late, and you know I hate eating alone."
"That's why you have children, Jennifer," Valery said, holding a mischievous smirk.
Jenny pursed her mouth, resisting the urge to throw a ladle at her younger sister. "Someday, when you get out of this no-dating phase and have to raise two beautiful kids like mine, I will be there to throw shades back at you. Mark my words, Val." Jennifer pointed her saucy wand at the offender, who gladly laughed at her pains. "Seriously, you're not going anywhere, so strap Kofi to your back and come help me finish." She stirred the pot of stew.
"Okay, big Sis, but know I won't be here till Eric comes home," Valery said on her way to the living room where Kofi was lying in his rocker.
Supper turned out great; they even got a glass of wine over a TV series they enjoyed watching. Valery ended up staying till her sister's husband returned from work.
She got to her apartment roughly at ten and hopped into the shower. Wearing nothing underneath her morning coat, Valery sat on the bed with a phone in hand, going through her messages to see if any surprises were waiting for her. Sure enough, there was.
A text from Derrick, asking her out on a proper date...
Valery kept herself busy at work, moving from one patient to another and closely monitoring the hospital chart. Minimal time for lunch breaks, rest and certainly zero tolerance for distractions. And that's what some of the doctors at Klimov Hospital wanted to be, an unwanted distraction. Her shift ended at four in the afternoon. From there, she headed home to shower and fall on the couch. On most days, Valery did not have the strength to cook, so she ordered takeout from her favourite restaurant. There were days Jennifer came to her rescue, but she chose to burden her sister once in a blue moon. After the serenity came another beeping text from Derrick. Benson threw her neck at the armrest of the long couch, biting on her bottom lip as she read it. Nearly a week had passed, and she was still adamant about replying to Derrick's text. Years ago, she promised not to get too close to him or be trapped by his nature. It was an emotional affair, and sincerely, she was not ready to drown
Ten Years Ago... High School. Valery, just like most students with a social life, hated Mondays. Mondays meant math class, and math class meant pop quizzes. Most days, she hid in the school library when overwhelmed. It was on the third floor, and Valery's class sat on the fourth. It was only a matter of not getting caught, but then again, she was as innocent as they came based on looks, and using the washroom was always the go-to excuse. On one Monday, while trying to skip the class, she almost comes face to face with the teacher at the staircase. Valery turned around naturally and quickly ran right. She would have nowhere to go except her classroom if she took the other way. At the far end was an abandoned room nobody used. Although that was the first place she thought of, she had never been to the old classroom- not with the stories surrounding why it was never used. For the sake of her life, Valery convinced herself that they were fake tales to scare students. At the turn of
Present day... It was the smell of strong coffee that stirred her awake. When her brown orbs were half-lidded, a mug was hanging in the air... No, there was a hand holding onto it. It took a few more blinks to open her eyes, but she nearly bolted out of her skin when she realized that this was not her room. "Slow down; you're at my place." Derrick chuckled at how she took that hot mug, peering around as if she had been kidnapped. He sat on the bed and pushed the tray he brought along closer. "I didn't know what you would like, so I made your old favourite. Omelettes with two slices of bread, fried chicken franks and a chocolate bar in case you want dessert." "Thanks." Valery did not know what to say; the situation was weird. 'Hold on, am I naked?' Her thoughts went wild when she suddenly looked down at her chest. "Do you not remember what happened last night?" Derrick tilted his head to the side, searching for her lost gaze. Valery was not going to pretend that she did not re
Ten Years Back...High School. Valery was average regarding weight and did not hide her love for food. Plump cheeks and a sharp jawline. Although her head was well-rounded and small, her thick black hair made it look twice its size. She had small eyes and a cute nose that complimented her appearance. Valery had dark brown skin, soft and glossy. Her lips were full and tainted with a light shade of pink on the bottom. She went for the usual during lunch break; Jollof rice with fried chicken and potato salad. With much delight, she dug in, but an approaching presence made her lift her head after a few bites. "So, where were you during the fourth and fifth periods?" Margret was curious. As much as they told each other everything, Valery knew not to mention where she was. Margret loved being a matchmaker and had already shipped her with many of their mates. Being paired with Derrick was the last thing she needed. Margret sat down with her tray and dug into her food. Valery: "I was at t
Present Day... They had dinner, but they barely finished it. This meeting was more about talking, not eating. Derrick avoided difficult questions, his go-to method of preventing Valery from shutting herself out completely. He saved his feelings for her for a later time when she would reciprocate them wholeheartedly. "Look, I think I should clear the air about this." When the conversation veered off track, Valery took a deep breath and looked Derrick in the eye. "I am a wreck from what happened years ago. I have been in four or five relationships after high school, and it's always been complicated because I made them so." She did not want to beat about the bush anymore. "That makes the two of us. It's been hell trying to replace you." Derrick didn't have to say I love you to get her to understand that. "Derrick..." "No, let me finish." Derrick was ready to be upfront like she expected of him. "I get it if you want to take things slow. I will understand if you want to stay frie
During busy work hours, Valery got a call from the nurse at the reception. "A delivery guy is asking for you, Dr Benson," she said. Valery did scratch her head for some seconds, trying to recall if she had any agenda that would require one. "Did he say where or who it's from? You know what, direct him to my office," said Valery. Moments later, a grand bouquet of fresh flowers hijacks her office. It came with a second parcel in a white paper bag and a note. 'Flowers for my African Violet, to keep her company.' Valery read the note with some enthusiasm. She appreciated Derrick's effort to impress her with classic romantic gestures. However, the door swung open just as she unwrapped the small parcel. "Val... Oh wow." Anita Blankson from ICU walks in, forgetting to knock as always. "No one told me there was a new Juliet in town. Aww, these are lovely." Anita skedaddles to the flowers to admire them closely. Valery rolls her eyes as the drama queen at her workplace invades her privac
It was odd. The hours moved sluggishly while they were glued to each other. Derrick was sweaty, yet the air conditioner was on full blast. Nursing a boner to a woman he simply found divine was torture. He wanted to take her badly, but Valery was the one to bring him peace and steer him away from his old habits. It would be wrong to ruin that. He was a man; this was the best way to prove it. A hand hooked around her neck, Derrick controls Valery's tongue but not how hard her privates grind against his crotch. It was an amusing factor of how much they had grown. The Violet from before would crawl into the ground at the thought of being intimate. But this version was okay. A little kinky but sweet. "Is this what you truly want, Violet?" Derrick could die from those steamy gusts. "You're stalling," Valery said. "I want to be careful with you," Derrick responded, hands never leaving her cushioned skin. "I won't break if you bend me over," Valery said with an innocent face. It made
Years Back... High School. Being out of school was okay if all you had to do was lie in bed, eat and watch TV. No one forces you to do chores or run errands, and no one fights with you over the single couch. The downside was being behind in academics and missing friends. Margret could come over any day, but it wasn't enough to cure the restless, lonely days. After the accident, Mr York was put in a tight spot. The school's board of directors issued an investigation into the matter, and the outcome was not good. There were rules concerning the discipline of students and how far the staff could go. Hard labour was not allowed- not per the school's standard. It was an unlawful act forced on students, and the principal was penalized for allowing it to happen. Valery's case may have come out because of the severity of her injuries and the period it took place. It encouraged other students to speak up about their unfortunate moments, that went unnoticed. Mr York was let off the hook wit