I’ve been meaning to talk to you. ”
“You’ve been gone for days. You haven’t said a word. ”
She turned slowly.
“There are things I needed to understand before I could explain them to you. ”
“Things? You think I wouldn’t want to be part of this? This is our family.
”
“You don’t know what it’s like to carry this weight. I didn’t want to burden you. ”
“You already have. You dropped it on me without warning.
And now you’re telling me you’re moving to Nigeria. What do I do with that? ”
Her voice softened. “I’m not leaving you behind.
I’m building a future for us, for our kids. But I need you to trust me. ”
“How can I trust you when you’ve kept me in the dark so long? ”
“Because I love you.
And I’m asking you to stand with me. ”
He looked at her. The distance between them felt enormous. But something in his chest shifted.
“I don’t know if I can,” he said. “But I’m willing to try. ”
The next few days were slow. Jada included him in calls, showed him documents.
He listened more than he spoke. She told him about her father, the pressure, the fear of failing. He held her hand at night. One evening she came to him with a proposal.
“I’ve been offered a deal in Lagos. But I don’t want to do it without you. If we’re going to make this work, we need to be united. ”
Malik’s heart raced.
“What are you asking me? ”
“I’m asking you to come with me. To build this together. ”
He thought about the life they had.
The suburban house, the routine, the safety. All of it slipping away. But he thought about Jada standing in the kitchen, her eyes tired but determined. “I’m in,” he said.
“Wherever you go, I’ll go with you. We’ll figure it out together. ”
She smiled. A real smile.
They sat on the couch, hands entwined. The future was uncertain. But for the first time in weeks, Malik felt like he was no longer standing on the sidelines.
He was ready to face it with her.