The morning sun cast a warm glow on the Koomson household as Nicky prepared to leave for work. He had woken up to a text reminding him about some work that needed to be done before midday that day, so he was in a bit of a rush, going through his regular morning routine for the day, minus his usual cup of coffee.

Stepping out of the guest room, he grabbed his briefcase in the dining room and headed towards the front door, ready to make a quick exit. As he reached for the doorknob, though, Winnie’s voice, surprisingly soft, stopped him in his tracks.

“Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”

Nicky sighed, untouched by the lack of aggression, as he turned to face Winnie. “Look, I’m running late, Winnie. Can we not do this right now?”

Winnie shook her head, a dark expression covering her face and driving away the softness. “It takes two seconds to say goodbye, Nicky. Two freaking seconds. Is it too much to ask for a simple goodbye?”

Nicky rolled his eyes and dismissively blurted, “Fine. Goodbye, Winnie.”

Winnie crossed her arms, frustration etching lines on her face. “Why are you always so dismissive? Is it too hard to show a little consideration?”

“Consideration? Look, I’ve got a busy day ahead, Winnie. I don’t have time for all these shenanigans right now.”

“You never have time! You didn’t have time last night to appreciate the effort I put into making your favorite meal.”

Nicky’s eyes narrowed, the reference to the previous night’s dinner hitting a nerve. “Oh, please, let’s not do this. What’s your problem? I ate the meal, didn’t I?”

“But did you appreciate it? Did you even say thank you without sounding like you were forced to?”

The tension in the room escalated, and the familiar script of their arguments played out once more.

“I said thank you. What more do you want? Give you a trophy for best beef jollof in Ghana or something?” Nicky questioned, his sarcastic tone biting.

“I want you to actually mean it, Nicky. I want you to care about us, about our marriage,” Winnie replied, her voice returning to the soft tone she started with.

Nicky dismissively waved her away. “Massa, massa, massa! We’ve been through this already. I’m not going to start it again. Please! I need to go to work.”

Again, Winnie’s voice switched to an irritated one. “You’re always running away, Nicky! That’s all you ever do! Maybe you should stop and face the issues in our marriage.”

Nicky’s frustration reached its peak, and he stormed towards the door. “I don’t have time for this right now. We’ll talk later.”

“That’s what you always say! You can’t keep avoiding this, Nicky!” she shouted.

“Whatever!”

Nicky slammed the door behind him, leaving Winnie standing in the hallway, the echoes of their shouting match lingering in the air.

***

Winnie stood in the hallway, consumed by a whirlwind of emotions as she stared at the door that had just been slammed shut. Anger, hurt, and frustration boiled within her as she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to contain the storm raging inside.

“What kind of heartless, selfish man is this?” she seethed, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. “Dismissive, cold… it’s as if I don’t even matter to him. And I wasted my time doing basics for him? What the hell?”

Overnight, she had hoped that this would be the start of a change of sorts. That at least, the nastiness would begin to dissuade and at the very least, a stiff civility would begin between them. For the first time in a while, much to her own surprise, she had hoped there was a chance… a tiny little chance… to save this marriage.

But nope, a simple request that he say goodbye turned into another ugly clash. So much for hoping for the best.

“For him, it’s so easy to just walk away,” she continued, her words dripping with bitterness. “No regard for all the damage he’s causing, all the pain he’s inflicting. I make some effort and all he tells me is if I’m asking for a trophy! I put some effort into making him happy and he couldn’t even be bothered! I’m tired! I’m so freaking tired! All I wanted was to be a wife to this man, is that a crime? I’m tired… I’m tired…”

A choked sob escaped her lips as tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision while she sank into a nearby chair, her strength faltering under the crushing weight of her emotions.

“I just want my marriage back!” she cried. “Is that too much to ask? I’m tired! I’m tired of waking up and always fighting! I’m tired! I’m tired!”

The floodgates finally burst open, and her body wracked with sobs of anguish. Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked as she surrendered to the overwhelming tide of emotion that threatened to engulf her. As her cries echoing off the walls of the empty room, the mask was off.

For all her fury and frustration, Winnie was simply one unhappy woman, strained by all the negative emotions and harsh words spoken by her and against her. Underneath all that wrath and stubborn pride lay a vulnerable soul who just wanted to be loved the way she ought to.

And the realization that her initial effort seemed to be in vain was crushing. It felt like this truly was the end of the road for them.

***

Nicky sat at his desk in the office, the residue of the morning’s clash with Winnie still lingering in his mind. Frustration tugged at him as he stared at the computer screen, trying to focus on his work. It was ten o’clock, and he was almost done with the assignment he had been tasked to complete. But that early morning clash stayed on his brain.

“She’s always nagging about something,” he grumbled to himself. “Always picking something to nitpick about. Can’t she see I’ve got enough on my plate without her adding to it? Hoh.”

As he rounded up on the work, though, a little voice spoke up.

But you can’t deny, though, yesterday’s beef jollof was really on point.

He nodded reluctantly to himself. Despite the tension that accompanied the meal, he couldn’t deny the deliciousness of the dish. “Yeah, yeah, it was, to be honest. The only other time I’ve really, really enjoyed it like that was the time I went over to her place…”

As he chewed on the memories, images began to flash before his eyes…

“Herh!! Babe, I swear walahi, you really do this chow! My goodness!”

Winnie laughed out loud as Nicky downed the jollof she had taken her time to prepare for him. “Awww, I’m glad to hear that, my love. It was carefully prepared with a special ingredient.”

Looking up from his plate, he had an eyebrow raised and a knowing smirk. “Lemme guess… TLC, right?”

She giggled and nodded. “Exactly.”

“No wonder it’s so on point! Thank you for this edziban, babe. I’ve not finished it yet, but chale, I must thank you for it now.”

She smiled sweetly, then rubbed Nicky at the back of his head. “You’re welcome, honey. You know I’d do anything to make you happy…”

As that memory passed by, another one zoomed in without permission.

A throwback to Nicky’s last birthday as a single man.

A surprise party organized by Winnie herself. In collaboration with their friends and Agyeiwaa. The surprise when he entered the house was huge enough, and the food was seriously good. But one thing everyone, especially him, remembered so fondly…

… was the sweet little speech Winnie had for him before he cut the cake…

“Nicky, you’re fun to be with, and you always know how to make me laugh. And I might be known as a hard girl, but nobody else sees and cuddles my softer side more than you do. I love the way you dote on me sometimes, make me feel like the baby girl I am. I love it. You pamper me like no other. And those forehead kisses?”

She giggled and looked away shyly. He knew how much she loved those.

“I love the way you care about me as a whole. The hottie that I turned out to be, I’ve encountered guys who make it too obvious with their behaviour that it’s just my body they want to play with. Nothing more than that. But you… you go beyond that. Lord knows how poorer I would have been in so many ways if I didn’t have you in my life. Going out of your way to help me finish my project work, pushing me to start this Masters degree, encouraging me when I was having those issues in the Children’s department in church. I’m just awestruck at how God gave me a man who’s not obsessed with my body, but who’s interested in helping me walk in my purpose. I couldn’t have asked for more.

“Your family has embraced me, just as mine has embraced you. AJ is the sis I never had, and your mother is an absolute gem! You already know how highly my dad speaks of you, so no long tins. You naa, you know.”

Winnie took a deep breath, then reached out to hold his hand. “Nicky babe, all this is just to say, happy birthday. I love you. So much. You mean more to me than ampesi with kontomire and avocado, and you know that’s a big deal for me!”

Nicky shook his head, a grin on his face as some people laughed, those who were fully aware of her love for the local delicacy.

“I love you, Nicky. I wish you all the very best this day. Thank you for making me the happiest chic on earth for the past two years and four months. I wouldn’t have it any other way. God bless you so much, my love, and may He establish you, continue to lead you on the path He’s set out for you and make you a blessing to your generation. Can’t wait to spend forever with you.”

Suddenly, he was transported to yet another enduring memory.

The two of them having dinner on the rooftop of Roots Apartment.

The day he officially made his feelings known…

Nicky and Winnie sat across from each other at their table, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of affection as they feasted on the delicious meal before them. As they each took bites out of their plates of pasta, Nicky felt a surge of nervous anticipation rush through him.

This was it, the moment he had been waiting for. The perfect opportunity to express the depth of his feelings for Winnie and to take their relationship to the next level.

Straightening himself, he cleared his throat, drawing Winnie’s attention away from her meal.

“Winnie,” he began, his voice soft, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

Winnie looked up, her eyes meeting his with anticipation. “What is it, Nicky?” she asked, her voice tinged with excitement.

Taking a deep breath, Nicky reached across the table, his hand finding hers. “I want you to know that you mean everything to me. Since I met you, life has been nothing short of awesome. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

Winnie’s heart swelled with emotion at his heartfelt words, her breath catching in her throat as she listened to him speak. She had known from the moment they met that there was something special between them, but hearing Nicky’s declaration of love filled her with so much joy.

With tears glistening in her eyes, Winnie squeezed his hand tightly, her voice choked with emotion. “Nicky, I…” she trailed off.

Before she could find the words to respond, Nicky pressed on, his determination unmistakable in his voice. “I want you, Winnie,” he continued passionately. “I want you so bad. Nothing less than having you by my side will ever suffice. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Watching her breathe in and out, he knew those words had touched the right nerves. Aside her stunning looks, she was everything he ever wanted in a woman, and he just had to make her his girl, else he’d live a life of regret for the next few years.

She nodded. “Yes, Nicky,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion, “yes. My answer is yes. I want you too.”

A smile spread across Nicky’s face, joy and relief pouring over him as he realized that his feelings were reciprocated. In that magical moment, he knew that he had found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

With a sense of elation coursing through his veins, he leaned in closer to Winnie, his heart pounding excitedly as he pressed his lips against hers…

His attention totally off the work in front of him, for the first time in a long time, a pang of sadness replaced the anger within him.

Things used to be so sweet and awesome between them. How had things deteriorated to this point? The realization that they had allowed their once-loving relationship to slip into a turbulent state hit him. Once so deeply in love, they had now become strangers locked in a bitter battle with no proper end in sight.

Shaking his head in wonder, Nicky found himself questioning silently, “How did we end up here? Where did we go wrong?”

Hmmm, is this where the tide turns? Their past seems pretty cute. Makes you wonder how it got here…