Embedded

Chapter Sixty Three.

Chapter Sixty Three.

"Eventually, you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is." X Gary Zakau.

••

Motherhood is something else. I feel like I keep learning day by day what it truly means and is to take care of another human being. There have been days where I just felt like shit and then there were days where I truly enjoyed listening to Nzwano jibberish her day away. It brought nothing but joy to my heart to have her with me day by day. I felt like someone's idol and nothing could tarnish that. Nothing could change how little miss here is viewing me with each passing minute.

Also, she was starting to look a little more like me now...or maybe I'm just starting to see the weirdest mixture of Bangi and I on her. What I loved though was seeing her smiling cause it looked just like her father's. The way she sucked on her tiny fists and drooled all over her daddy and I was the most heartwarming thing ever.

I'm obsessed...but I'm also gasping for a break.

Nothing screams responsibility like waking up in the middle of the night to attend to the same being that does not know her poop stinks.

I shake my head watching Bangi put her down for her nap in her crib ever so gently. It took longer to get her to go to sleep today and honestly I'm glad it wasn't on my turn.

"Success," he whispers and punches the air.
"Took you long enough," I say and focus back on the mirror in front of me while watching him from there.
"I'm sorry, but who'd she get that from?"
"Obviously you. I don't have anything to do with your baby's personality." I say tugging the hairs of this dangerously laid weave behind my ear. I looked amazing if I do say so myself. There was this newfound love I had within me and I appreciated it.

I mean who wouldn't drool over this sexy mother of 2?

"That baby over there is all you sthandwa sam," he stands behind me as I contemplate on which shade of lipstick I should put on.
"She can be all me as long as you're still taking me out to dinner tonight," I say.

I didn't whip out this gorgeous dress of mine just to stay home again like the last time we planned something like this. It was almost two weeks after a long back and forth with court cases and charges that were served to Zonke and her lover. I still cou-... Actually I believed it all. This is Zonke we're talking about here and her being sent away to prison for not only one but two murders shouldn't shock me that much anymore. Mr I'm-your-father got a reduced sentence but it still was a nice and satisfying one.
Perjury and being an accomplice in a crime are some of the ones that got him crusified too.
I personally would've loved to add the statutory rape in there cause what he did to Zonke was still wrong but...

"You hungry?" he rests his warm hands on my shoulders.
"Malinga I'm always hungry," I say.
Breastfeeding and pumping is no joke. "Please go get dressed, we leave in 10 minutes."
"Haybo who's taking who out here?" He asks and raises his eyebrows watching me attentively through the mirror.
"You are, but please go. I'm serious. I want this night happening," that was me desperate for an opportunity to ignite that before-baby intimacy between us.
"It will. Just let me admire my woman for a minute." he leans in and I can't help but roll my eyes.
"10 minutes Bangi."
"A lot can happen in 10 minutes," he says.
"Yeah, like us being late for our own reservation."
"Or making a sibling for that one over there."
"Bangi..." I burst out in laughter as I shake my head. I could see the humour written all over his face making it easy for me to brush this whole thing off. "...not happening."
"Intense. Use the red one. It'll bring out those beautiful eyes of yours," he pecks my cheeks making the heat from them spread all over my face.
"You have 9 minutes baba ka Nzwano."
"Fine. I'll leave since you want me gone so bad," he dramatically throws his hands in the air and backs away.