Winnie sat in the back seat of the Uber, gazing out of the window and wiping her tears as the city passed by. She was seated behind the driver, making sure he could not see her; she was not in the mood to answer questions.

Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, all fueled by last clash with Nicky. Since that morning, he had not even looked at her, much less spoken to her. It felt degrading that after sacrificing her pride to try and make him happy, this was the response she was getting. Through a myriad of tears and breakdowns, she was slowly coming to the conclusion that any efforts to mend their relationship would ultimately head nowhere.

I’m not going to exert any more energy following the advice of Nicky’s parents. He’s clearly not ready to cooperate, and I can’t keep trying if he won’t meet me halfway.

As the Uber navigated through the busy streets, she silently cursed Nicky for his dismissive attitude. She felt weary of the frustration, of being unheard and unappreciated.

Damn you, Nicholas! I just wanted to be a good wife to you. That’s all I wanted. But you just keep treating me like crap. Well, it’s fine. If that’s how you want it, fine. I’ll go get a lawyer myself tomorrow morning. And honestly, you can have all the property. I’m not gonna ask you for anything. Just take yourself and let me be free. I’m just tired. So freaking tired…

Just as Winnie was deep in her thoughts, doing her possible best to not let her sniffs be audible, her phone chimed with a notification.

She picked it up and saw a Mobile Money notification.

From Nicky.

Puzzled, she furrowed her brow, wondering if it was some sort of mistake. “What’s this for? Did he accidentally send me money?” she muttered to herself.

She looked at the message for a few moments, then shrugged off the confusion, assuming it was a glitch or an unintended gesture.

“Whatever. He was probably sending it to someone else or something. When he comes home, I’ll just tell him about it and send it back to him. Let me not touch it before he comes and screams all sorts of terrible things at me.”

***

As Winnie’s Uber pulled up to the curb in front of their home, she couldn’t help but notice Nicky’s car already parked in the driveway. Naturally, she was confused.

Ah, but what’s he doing home so soon? Doesn’t he usually get home much later than this? What’s going on?

Curious, she paid the driver and approached the front door, her mind racing with questions.

As she opened the door, a small note on the ground caught her eye. She picked it up and read it.

“Hi Mrs. Koomson. Just thought I’d surprise you.”

If she was a bit confused and curious then, she was even more confused and curious.

“What the hell is going on here?” Winnie wondered aloud as she stepped into the house. The next thing she knew, her nostrils picked up the aroma of kontomire stew – a familiar scent that warmed her heart.

Following the enticing smell, Winnie made her way to the dining room.

There, on the table, sat an earthenware bowl filled with the very dish she loved – ampesi with kontomire stew and avocado. Prepared just the way she liked it.

Winnie couldn’t help but feel a mix of surprise and confusion.

Just as she was trying to piece together what was happening, Nicky appeared from the living room with a smile on his face.

“Surprise!”

Winnie’s face was one of bewilderment. “Uhhh, what’s going on? Why are you home, and what’s with the note and the kontomire stew?”

Nicky was still smiling as he answered, “I just wanted to do something special for you, Mrs Koomson. I know we’ve been going through a rough time, and I wanted to make amends. Besides, one good turn deserves another.”

Winnie’s confusion melted into a mix of emotions – surprise, curiosity, and a hint of warmth. She looked at the food on the table, then back at Nicky.

Stuttering, she asked, “D-d-did you… Did you cook this?”

Nicky nodded. “Yep, I did. I know it’s your favorite. I thought we could have a nice meal together and, you know, talk after.”

Winnie’s guard softened as she took in the effort Nicky had put into surprising her. She couldn’t deny the sincere gladness in his eyes.

She shook her head. “It’s… it’s such a nice gesture, Nicky. I…I didn’t expect this.”

“Yeah, I know. I know. I just wanted to give you a bit of a surprise. Let’s sit down, enjoy the meal, and maybe we can talk about us.”

As Winnie sat down at the table, she was wholly bedazzled at this unexpected turn of events. She had been hurt and upset that day, ready to just throw in the towel and prepare to say goodbye to fixing this marriage, only for this to come up. What a surprise.

What a pleasant surprise.

***

Winnie finished off the last of the kontomire stew, feeling an extreme satisfaction. Nicky must have taken the instructions from Sweet Adjeley and followed them to the letter, because that really hit the spot. As she drank the bottle of water brought to her in the course of the meal, Nicky, who had been watching her with a hopeful expression, finally spoke up.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Winnie.”

Smiling widely, she nodded. “It was really good, Nicky. I didn’t expect this. Did you follow Sweet Adjeley’s recipe or something?”

“Yep, the one and only. And trust me, I made sure I follow it to a T.”

“Uh-huh, I can tell, coz this one diɛɛ, ei! Wow! Thanks, Nicky.”

“You’re most welcome, Winnie.”

Silence reigned for a few moments, with neither party looking like they knew what to say. Not surprising, since anger had been the only reason they opened their mouths to speak to each other for months.

Then Nicky took a deep breath, his sincerity evident as he spoke. “Umm… Winnie? Can I be honest?”

She turned to him attentively, nodding.

“Winnie, I… I’m tired. I really am. I’m tired of all the fights and squabbles. I’m tired of always walking about with rage in my heart… it’s draining. So flipping draining. I did this because… I’m tired of always fighting with you. And… and that aside… Winnie, I miss us – the way we used to be. I’ve been silent these past few days because… I’ve just been thinking about how we used to be, and how we are now, and I… I miss us. We used to be so happy together, so in love. And I want that back. I want it back.

“So… before you came in, I was thinking… maybe, this weekend, we could have a day out, just to try and recapture what we have as a couple.”

Winnie looked at Nicky, excitement in her eyes. Everything he had said, she felt the same way, and it was such a relief to know that they were now on the same page.

And the mention of a day out had caught her off guard, and she loved the sound of that.

She excitedly replied, “A day out? That sounds great, Nicky! What do you have in mind?”

Nicky shrugged. “I was thinking of something fun, like… err, go-karting. What do you think?”

Winnie’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Go-karting? That sounds amazing! I’m in!”

Nicky smiled. “Great. Let’s make it a day to remember. So, I’ll make the enquiries tomorrow and let you know, alright?”

“Sure, sure. No problem. Umm, I’ll need to wash this…”

“Oh, no, no, no, you relax. You just had a heavy meal. Relax, let me wash it.”

As Nicky excused himself to take the earthenware bowl to the kitchen, Winnie’s heart was in a whirlwind of emotions.

She had not seen this coming. She had written off the money sent as some mistake she’d tell him about once he returned, but now it was clear it wasn’t the case. It was intentional, as he himself had confirmed while she ate.

All these unexpected gestures – the sweet note, the ampesi with kontomire stew and avocado, and now the idea of a day out – had completely shifted her perspective. Instead of anger and resignation to a failed marriage, she felt an overwhelming sense of excitement and affection for Nicky. An affection she hadn’t felt in months.

Now, the prospect of fixing their marriage didn’t seem so impossible.

“Wow. Maybe… maybe there’s hope for us after all.”

Oh, praise the Lord! Things are finally looking up…