“Babe, I am home, where is my pretty wife, you heart is back home,”
Her husband announced, as he walked up the stairs, Nicole quickly got off the tub, washed up, and wiped her face to remove all evidence of crying even though she knew he would figure it out anyway, she dried herself as he opened the door to the bathroom, trying to fix her sad mood.
“You were here? Why didn’t you answer me?”
He asked, he looked happy and was smiling so brightly, his happy mood influenced hers a little and she smiled, her mood lifting for the first time since she left her parents house
“Sorry, I wanted to be done so that I can be out,”
She said, the thought of her family house made her sad again but she tried to keep her mood light.
“Why? You don’t want me to join you?”
He teased, his smile and happiness was everything, it gave her a further lifting, she smiled at the memories of the times they shared the showers filtered in, most times, they did more than bathing, she blushed at the memory.
“You know we might not end up bathing soon if you had joined me, anyway welcome back,”
“You know me too well, but not today, because today we are going out,”
He revealed what she realized must be the reason he is so happy.
“Wow,”
She said, not like she wasn’t excited to go out with him, just that she was too down emotionally to react more.
“Baby? Are you okay? Have you been crying,”
He asked, holding her face, tears gathered in her eyes again betraying her plea not to drop, what could she do? She was hurt.
“Hey, Nicole honey what happened?”
He asked softly as he wiped the tears off her eyes.
“Natalie hates me,”
She cried out.
“What? Why? Why will she hate you? You didn’t do anything wrong to her,”
“She does, she hates me, she is never going to talk to me, we had a fight today,”
“Hey, calm down, one at a time, don’t cry please,”
“I am trying not to but I am hurt,”
“I know, but it will be fine, you guys are siblings, not just any siblings, you guys are identical twins, I am sure she will come around soon, remember your twin bond can’t be broken,”
Rafael consoled but Nicole wasn’t sure if they still had that bond, Natalie had said nasty and unhealthy things to her, even went as far as threatening her, she was going too far.
“Okay, that’s it, let’s go,”
Her husband said holding her hands and pulling her with him out of the house.
“Where are we going?”
She asked, trying to free herself but he held onto her.
“We are going out,”
He said as he opened the door to his car, making sure she was sitting with her seatbelt on before he got into the car too.
“Where are we going? I told you I don’t want to go out,”
She complained.
“You can’t lock yourself at home crying because your sister and you fought, no that’s not how it works, you are going to love my surprise, anyway my job is to keep you happy, it’s like I knew you weren’t happy that’s why I got off work early.”
Rafael said but he didn’t even answer her question.
“I asked, where we are going to Mr. Man.”
“And I said it’s a surprise,”
“You are full of surprises,”
“That’s my area of specialty I think, anyway you are going to love it,”
He said, he stayed quiet as he made a turn leaving their estate completely, he made a few more turns before he parked at a house that looked more like a showroom under construction, it look like they were done and it just need to be revealed, she liked the place, it would be God if she gets a place like this for her works, so that people can see them on display, of course, that would only happy if she can use Nicole instead of Natalie but her twin said she won’t give back her name until she did the right thing which includes letting go of Rafael and Nicole wasn’t going to do that.
“We are here,*
Her husband announced pulling her out of the car with him, what was he doing here, what was day here for? Maybe the place was his, she concluded following him.
“Do you like this place?”
He asked when they stood at the entrance of the building, she looked around and nodded, the building was in a good location, if she was to open something like this then she would do it where people comeby much and where her works can easily be seen and admired.
“Nicole?”
“Oh, yes, it’s absolutely beautiful,”
She replied.
“Do you see yourself making your own outdoor studio, or should I say your own art gallery?”
“Yes, of course, who wouldn’t? Do you perhaps own the building or know the owner?”
She asked out of curiosity.
“No, I don’t own it,”
He said and she let out a disappointed breath if only he did.
“And yes I know the owner,”
He added and her face lighted up with hope, maybe the owner might lend it to her.
“Wow, really? That’s good, I will really love to meet with the owner of this place is not already taken,”
“Well, you have met the owner already,”
He disclosed, smiling.
“Wow, really? Is it Margaret’s property too”
“No, it’s not,”
“Then who is it? Who is the owner and why do you think I have met with this person?”
She asked confused, he was still smiling.
“Yes, you have met the owner because the owner is you,”
He revealed pointing at her, it took a while for his words to sink and she jumped in excitement.
“Are you sure? You really are going to give me this? It’s practically a full building,”
“Yes, baby it’s all yours,”