February 28

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JANUARY, 2021. ABUJA, NIGERIA.

Aabaan gently closed the Qur'an, placing it back on its rehal before rising to fold his prayer mat.Just as he turned towards the bathroom, his phone buzzed with a message. It was Auwal. He typed out a quick reply, set the phone aside, and continued on his way. Moments later, the steady rhythm of the shower echoed in the bathroom.

Emerging in a black robe, he carried out his nightly routine with quiet precision before slipping into a pair of new boxer shorts and collapsing onto the bed.

The moment his body met the plush mattress, his thoughts wandered to Jaiyana and Ummi, but exhaustion quickly took over, pulling him into a deep slumber.

Hours later, something stirred him—a familiar perfume, so rich and intimate, enveloped him.
Aabaan groaned, convinced it was a dream. But the scent persisted, paired with the unmistakable sensation of hands roaming across his most sensitive places. Alarm bells rang in his mind as his eyes fluttered open.

In the dim light of the bedside lamp, there was no mistaking the figure before him. He had seen that face every day for thirteen years.

"What are you doing in my room at this hour?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the thick air.

"And why are you touching me, Ammi?!"
He pushed her away, recoiling as he noticed her attire—a sheer, flimsy piece of lingerie clinging to her figure. His voice wavered as he turned away.

"Why are you dressed like that? Cover yourself!"

"Oh, come on, sweetheart," Ammi cooed, her voice sickeningly sweet, her lips curving in a slow, deliberate smile.

"I had a terrible dream, and you were in it. It was so bad I couldn't bear to sleep alone. And with your father out of town... I'm all alone."

"If you were that scared, you should've gone to Nana's , Sumayya's or Husna's room! not mine!" Aabaan spat, his tone laced with disgust.

"They're young, darling," she whispered, her fingers tracing his hard muscular biceps in a way that made his flesh crawl.

"How could I seek comfort from them? I came to you, knowing you'd give me the comfort I need. Don't you think?"

"Ammi, stop!" Aabaan jerked away, his voice rising with a mix of disbelief and revulsion.

Her lips twisted into a sinister smile as she lay back on the bed, her body draped seductively across the soft sheets. Her fair skin and her full cleavage-exposed desperately to him.

"Don't act like you don't know what this means," she purred, slipping off her lacy panties and spreading her legs wide. Aabaan instantly turned his face away, every fiber of his being recoiling.

"Get out of my room," he growled, fury igniting in his voice, a tone she had never heard from him before.

"Oh, come on," she taunted, her voice dripping with seduction. "You're a man—you can't resist a goddess like me. Even after having three children, I know my body is something others crave. And here I am, offering it to you willingly. You won't refuse me, Aabaan. I've desired you for thirteen years, and tonight... tonight, I'm not leaving until you're mine."

Aabaan stared at her, speechless, the shock rendering him motionless. Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. Thirteen years. For thirteen years, this woman-whom he had regarded as a mother-had harbored these dark desires. Suddenly, all the signs he had missed became painfully clear. Her lingering embraces, her affectionate touches—all those times he had thought were innocent. How could he have been so blind?