BUKKY POV
We barely rested before heading to my family's place.
Christmas at my parents' house was louder, warmer, more chaotic.
My mother hugged Akanni like she had known him forever. My father shook his hand firmly, pride clear in his eyes. My little sister circled Akanni—sorry, us—excitedly, already calling him bro-in-law despite no official announcement yet.
Mira came in with us, and I was grateful for it.
She didn't feel like an outsider. She felt like family—someone you didn't have to explain.
"What's your relationship with my sister?" Toke asked her jokingly.
Mira smiled. "I'm the friend who knows all the secrets and keeps none."
Everyone laughed.
Dinner stretched into the night. Stories flowed. Music played softly in the background. Akanni helped my father with drinks, then sat listening as my mother spoke about marriage, patience, and partnership.
Later, we sat outside under the Christmas lights.
Akanni leaned toward me. "You're happy."
"I am," I said. "I really am. I can't believe I am actually into relationship"
He squeezed my hand.
Mira watched us quietly, her smile small but sincere.
And in that moment, I understood something clearly:
Love wasn't threatened by understanding.
It was strengthened by it.
Christmas ended with prayers, hugs, and promises to meet again before the year closed.
As we drove to his home, the city glittered around us.
And I knew—
this was only the beginning.
Monday
AKANNI POV
The first day of the year began in church.
The kind of service that didn't feel rushed—where prayers stretched long and people spoke gratitude slowly, as if afraid to spill it too fast. Bukky sat beside me, calm and radiant in soft colors. A few rows behind us were Leke and his wife, and beside them sat Mira, composed as ever.
When service ended, greetings overlapped, hugs were exchanged, and before long, we all headed back to my parents' house.
By the time we arrived, the compound was already lively.
Charles had arrived earlier with Diana—his girlfriend—arguing playfully by the gate about who forgot what. Segun was there too, standing with my dad near the garden, already deep in discussion like they never really stopped working, even on a public holiday.
"Big bro!" Charles called when he saw me. "Happy New Year o!"
"Happy New Year, bad boy," I replied, pulling him into a hug. "You brought your headache again?"
Diana laughed. "At least he's consistent."
Inside the house, my mum had already changed into a lighter wrapper, commanding the kitchen like a woman reclaiming her throne. Bukky joined her almost immediately, listening, asking questions, learning. Mira followed not long after, sleeves rolled up.
Busayo hovered for a moment—watching.
Then, with a quiet sigh, she joined them too.
That alone told me a lot. She has not fully come to terms with me being with Bukky.
Outside, Segun, my dad, and I sat together. Leke joined shortly after, while Charles drifted in and out, pretending not to listen but clearly absorbing everything.
"The year will be demanding," Segun said. "But I think we're better positioned now."
My dad nodded. "Stability comes when people finally know their place." The words hit me, but I choose to remain silent.
I glanced toward the kitchen.
Bukky moved with ease—not forcing presence, not shrinking either. The way she fit into spaces without trying to own them did something to me. My family noticed too.
They had already come to terms with Mira and me not being what they once believed we were. Most of them accepted it with grace. My parents especially. Even my dad, who valued order, respected honesty more.
Busayo… she was slower.
She had grown attached to the idea of Mira being permanent. Letting go of that vision hadn't been easy for her. But even she was beginning to see that this wasn't loss—it was transition.
Only one person had always known the truth from the start.
Charles - My brother.
He had seen through the arrangement long before it ended.
And now, watching watching my mum laugh with Bukky in the kitchen, I knew she felt
relief more than regret.
Food was served mid-afternoon.
Everyone ate together—Segun beside Busayo, Charles teasing Diana, Leke's wife laughing with Bukky and Mira. The maids joined too. It felt like a house that remembered how to breathe.
Conversation flowed.
Leke and I drifted back outside later, business and the studio talk slipping naturally into life talk. Segun joined us briefly, offering insight about the next MLB season, before excusing himself.
Inside, I caught snippets of women's conversations—Bukky and Diana talking about ambition, Busayo listening more than speaking, Mira contributing calmly, honestly.
There was no rivalry.
Just acceptance.
As evening crept in, people began to leave. Charles and Diana left first. Leke and his wife followed. Segun hugged my parents, linking his hands with Busayo and promised to return soon.
Mira stayed behind a little longer, helping my mum tidy up.
Before she left, she turned to me.
"Happy New Year, Akanni," she said softly.
"Happy New Year, Mira," I replied.
There was peace between us now. Real peace.
Later that night, Bukky and I sat on the balcony alone, at my place, the house just felt to quite, Mira is out of it now.
"This feels… full," she said.
"It is," I replied. "For the first time in a long while."
She leaned into me, and I held her there.
The year had begun.
And this time, it felt right.