BUKKY POV
I didn't cry when I heard.
That surprised me the most.
Akanni Lucas and Mira—official. The city buzzed, but inside me, there was only stillness. I sat quietly, my palm resting on my belly, listening to the soft rhythm of a life growing within me.
After him.
The words came to me slowly, like a title finally making sense.
After Akanni, I learned what peace looked like.
Demi walked into the room then, unsure, cautious. He had been that way with me lately—gentler, softer, almost like he was afraid to break something fragile.
"You're quiet," he said.
"I'm thinking," I replied.
He waited.
"I realized something today," I continued. "I didn't fail at love with Akanni. I just arrived at the end of that chapter."
Demi sat beside me, his hand finding mine. No pressure. No demand.
After him, Demi became patient.
After him, Demi became kind.
After him, Demi stopped competing and started loving.
And I won't lie to myself—Akanni changed me. He showed me depth, ambition, fire. But Demi… Demi showed me safety.
"I can't ask for more in a husband," I said quietly.
Demi turned sharply. "Bukky—"
"I mean it," I smiled. "After Akanni, I didn't want chaos anymore. I wanted consistency. I wanted someone who stays."
His eyes softened. "I'm here."
"I know," I said. "And that's enough."
People always expected comparison.
They wanted to know who was richer, stronger, more powerful.
But that wasn't the story anymore.
Akanni was the fire.
Demi was the shelter.
And I needed shelter.
My parents noticed it too—how Demi moved around me now, how he listened, how he cared for me like something precious, not something to control.
"You chose peace," my mother whispered one night.
"Yes," I nodded. "After him."
Because love doesn't always come first.
Sometimes, it comes after you've learned what you can no longer tolerate.
When news broke about Akanni planning something big for Mira in June, I smiled—not out of loss, but understanding.
He found his person.
I found mine.
And that was the real victory.
After him, I stopped proving.
After him, I stopped explaining.
After him, I chose quiet happiness.
Demi stood beside me, his arm around my shoulders, protective but not possessive.
"I'm not Akanni," he said suddenly.
"I know," I replied gently. "And I don't need you to be."
Because After Him was never about replacement.
It was about arrival.