Chapter 12 - Chapter 3: Shadows from the Past

By the fourth month of pregnancy, Naomi's symptoms intensified: backaches, cravings for sour things like tamarind, and occasional spotting that scared them into a rushed clinic visit. The nurse advised more rest and nutrition they could barely afford. "This pregnancy dey stressful," the woman said. "Make una try reduce tension."Tension came from everywhere. Mama started calling Zion's old number (he had changed SIM but rumors spread through family WhatsApp groups). Aunty Bola left voice notes: "Zion, Naomi, where una dey? Mama dey worry die. Come back make we talk." Each message reopened the wound of guilt.One night, after a power outage left them sweating in the dark, Naomi broke down fully. "I regret everything, Zion. The kisses in the kitchen back home, the shower sex, the way we kept fucking even after knowing it was wrong. We're blood. We got ourselves pregnant. Now we're suffering here while Mama searches for us. What if she finds out? She go curse us."Zion pulled her into his arms on the mattress, both of them naked and vulnerable. "I regret it with all my heart too. That balcony kiss ruined us… but saved us at the same time. I love you more than I fear the shame." Their reconciliation turned passionate. Naomi rode him slowly in cowgirl, her growing breasts bouncing, tears streaming as she ground deep. "Even if it's sin, I can't stop wanting you," she moaned. Zion sat up, sucking her sensitive nipples while thrusting upward. They came together hard, clinging desperately, whispering apologies and love.External pressure grew when a distant family friend spotted Zion shooting a vlog near Agege and messaged Mama. The calls intensified. Zion deleted messages but the fear remained. Neighbors whispered — "That fine girl belly dey big small. And dem no dey visit anybody. Wetin dey sup?"Financially, things got tighter. Zion took a risky gig editing a low-budget music video, traveling far in traffic. He returned exhausted but with ₦40,000. They used it for antenatal supplements and more bole for Naomi's cravings. Intimate moments became their only escape — standing sex in the shared bathroom during late nights when others slept, or lazy missionary on the mattress with the fan whirring. Every orgasm carried emotional weight: pleasure mixed with "we shouldn't be doing this" tears.They talked deeply about the future. "If the baby comes, how we go explain to am?" Naomi asked. "That her father na my half-brother?" Zion had no easy answer, only promises to protect their small family.