LOVE BEYOND BLOOD Episode 3

Loving Kola felt warm, but it also felt heavy. The more time we spent together, the more I noticed what was missing. We laughed, shared meals, and talked late into the night, yet I remained a secret. When he called, it was always in private. When we went out, it was always where nobody knew him. Each time he said, “Let’s keep it like this for now,” a small part of me broke.

I tried to understand him. I told myself maybe he wasn’t ready. Maybe he was protecting us. But the truth was harder to swallow I felt like something he was ashamed of.

One evening, after I delivered food to his house, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My heart was pounding as I spoke.

“Kola,” I said slowly, choosing my words carefully, “why don’t you show me to people? Am I not good enough?”

He was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, his words were gentle but empty. “Shewa, it’s not like that. Please, let’s just take things slow.”

That was when I knew. If I stayed, I would keep shrinking to fit into his comfort.

That night, I cried harder than I ever had. But by morning, I made a decision that changed everything I chose myself.

I told Kola I couldn’t continue a relationship that hid me from the world. He begged me to stay, promised things would change, but I stood firm. Walking away was painful, but staying would have destroyed me.

Instead of drowning in sadness, I searched for a teacher. I wanted to fix the thing that had made me feel small for so long my English. I started from the beginning, like a child learning to speak. Alphabet. Pronunciation. Sentence by sentence. Sometimes I felt foolish, but I kept going.

Learning wasn’t easy. I still helped my mother at the shop, still faced tired days and aching feet. But every new word I learned felt like a victory. Slowly, my confidence grew. I started speaking without fear, even when I made mistakes.

One afternoon, while I was in class, I looked up and saw Kola standing at the door.

Our eyes met, and everything I had buried rushed back.

After class, he came to me, his voice heavy with regret. He apologized not just with words, but with understanding. He told me he was wrong to hide me. He said he admired my courage, my determination, my growth.

“I want to be part of this journey,” he said. “Let me help you. Let me support you.”

This time, I didn’t rush my answer. I had changed. I was no longer the girl who begged for acceptance. When I finally agreed to give him another chance, it was on new terms respect, openness, and growth.

And for the first time, I felt like our love was standing on solid ground.

Continue reading Episode 4