Dee Osah

If Eden had known how much she would enjoy being married to Daniel, she would have convinced him to marry her sooner. Being Mrs. Eden Keshi was everything she ever hoped for.

Lying in bed and talking about the future with Daniel was her favorite pastime. Today, after some especially exhilarating morning activities, Eden traced the white gold band on her husband’s ring finger. She kissed his hand, then snuggled into the crook of his arm, and he responded by pulling her close against his warm bare skin.

“I feel like a million bucks,” Eden said, with a contented sigh.

“Your net worth is literally more than that,” Daniel mumbled, still sleepy. His hand lazily stroking her back sent hot shocks of pleasure down her legs.

Eden propped herself on one elbow and her hair fell like a curtain over him. She needed to trim it, but Daniel loved how long it was, so she kept putting it off.

“Did you like your Christmas gift?” Eden asked. “I can put it on again for you.”

His gaze darkened with desire. “You’re amazing, Eden Kane Keshi.”

“I aim to please, Daniel Sensei.” Eden had legally changed her name months before the wedding, and Daniel insisted that she keep Kane as her middle name, which pleased his father-in-law to no end. That was probably when her dad really started to soften toward Daniel.

With many tears and kisses, Eden finally managed to convince Daniel not to return to Nigeria. By the end of July, just three months before his visa expired, they had gotten married at the courthouse, so she was able to file for him two weeks later. They were currently waiting for his green card to be approved.

In October, they held their official wedding in front of God and about 300 guests. It was an outdoor wedding at a dream venue—a ranch belonging to one of Eden’s mom’s old friends. Eden had insisted on doing a Nigerian traditional ceremony, and Daniel’s parents and sisters had flown in from Nigeria and Germany for the wedding. Eden’s side was well represented too. Her mom and Roman cried enough for everyone, and her dad graciously attended with Eva as his plus one. Even her stepmom and Evelyn showed up for the reception. To the onlookers, the Kane family was a unified front celebrating the happy couple.

It was a lovely wedding, but for Eden, the honeymoon was the main course. She couldn’t wait to get her husband alone. She had left the honeymoon details entirely up to Daniel, and since they couldn’t leave the country until he got his green card, Daniel had surprised Eden by taking her to a secluded romantic cabin in Colorado. It was the best gift ever. Alone with Daniel, they had released all the pent-up desire of months past. With all that angst, it was a miracle that they had even abstained until their wedding night, but her steadfast partner had kept them on the straight path. It was worth the wait though. She never imagined sex could be so…much fun.

“I love you,” Daniel said, now wrapping his arms around her.

Eden smothered his next words with her lips. During these past two months, she felt like a woman who had found a well and never wanted to stop drinking. Sometimes, she would get completely lost in their little world, and she loved how he gave her the freedom to be herself.

Daniel sat up on the bed. “Let’s eat something, woman.”

Eden groaned. She was hungry, but her husband looked too good for them to leave the bedroom. Toned bare chest with his locs freed to rest on his broad shoulders, he was a walking Calvin Klein commercial.

“Now,” Daniel said, pulling her from the bed into his arms and carrying her to the kitchen, where he set her down on the wooden floor. But Eden grabbed him and jumped on top of his back. “Eden Keshi.” His low but firm tone warned her to behave, though there was a smile in his voice. He liked it when she was playful. “Want some of your cereal?”

Eden shook her head. She was craving spicy food. “What about designer stew?”

“For breakfast?” Daniel opened the fridge. “We’re out.”

Eden snapped her fingers. “Maybe I can ask Aunty to teach me when we go see her later.”

He looked entertained. “You really want ofada stew for breakfast?”

“I’ll eat it with some bread, then make a sardine sandwich.” Eden peeked in the fridge. “My mouth’s watering just thinking about it.” Daniel had introduced her to a variety of spices and Nigerian dishes, and these days, she found herself craving spicy food more and more. Even now, she was suddenly hungry for a plate of coconut jollof rice with fried sweet plantains, one of her favorite things to eat.

“That doesn’t sound…” His brows furrowed like when he had a thought. “Wait, when’s your follow-up visit with your doctor?”

“They’re supposed to call me if I need to come in.” Eden checked out the veggie drawer, hoping to see something delicious tucked away. “I told you it wasn’t a big deal. They just wanted to run some blood tests.”

Daniel grabbed her hand and drew her to him. “Don’t get feisty with me, pretty lady. I’m just reminding you that we need to be careful.”

“It’s funny you saying that while holding me like this.” She glanced down at the sliver of space between them.

“I’m serious, Eden. We agreed we would wait to have kids. That was what you wanted.”

He made it sound like it was entirely her idea, which it was. But, as usual, he was right, and that only made it more annoying. She’d insisted that she wanted at least two years alone with him to fully build their relationship before they became parents.

Eden hooked her arms around his neck. “We’re too careful. Where’s that wild man from our honeymoon? You should let him out to play sometimes. I’m not going to break, y’know.”

Daniel clenched his jaw. She knew that look. After their first night together, he had freaked out the next morning because of the bruises on her body, and she had to remind him all over again how it wasn’t his fault that she bruised easily, though she could see how that would mess with him.
“When’s your period, Eden?”

She felt herself flinch. He knew her period was late, but he didn’t know how late. She’d been thinking about it too, but her period was sometimes irregular, especially when she was stressed. And because the stress was showing on her, her sharp-eyed husband had been paying even more attention to her.

Eden weaved her fingers in his locs. “Your guess is as good as mine. But let’s not wait until the next one comes.”

“You’re a handful.”

His low voice against her ear meant he was close to giving in. He just needed a little nudge. “That’s why you have two hands,” Eden teased. “And you wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m perfect for you and you for me. My amazing husband, have I told you today how much I adore you?”

Trying not to laugh, Eden watched the emotions play out on his face. What man didn’t like being praised? But Daniel wasn’t like most men. She’d never met anyone more in control of their emotions. It used to bother her how he would suddenly stop the two of them in the middle of their passionate makeout sessions, but once they got married, Eden got to see a side of her famously disciplined husband that no one else saw. She loved being the only one who could bring it out of him.

Earlier that morning, she had woken up to Daniel gazing at her like she was a dream come true. Other times, he would look at her in sheer adoration, especially when they made love. It was the most powerful feeling, knowing that a man who hardly ever wanted anything, wanted her so badly that he would throw all of his inhibitions out of the window. After the election last month, the country was in chaos, but Eden felt like she was in paradise.

“You said you felt dizzy yesterday,” Daniel said, massaging the back of her head.

“It’s just my eyes acting funny,” she hummed, totally relaxed under his touch. “Nothing new.”

“Then let’s get your eyes checked out. We’ve been pushing it looking at charts so much.”

Eden slid her hands down his back. “I’ll do anything you want. Just take me to bed and make me fly.”

Daniel blinked. Catching him off guard was another one of her favorite hobbies. “What happened to your designer stew and sardine sandwich?”

“I’m hungry for something else now, my love,” she nipped at his ear.

Without another word, he swooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. It never took much convincing to get him to fold. Thank God they were on the same page about that part of their marriage. She’d heard about women losing their libido once they got married or pregnant, which was exactly why she wanted to take her time with Daniel.

“What if you’re pregnant?” Daniel asked her later on.

They were laying down in their dark bedroom with moonlight peeking from the slightly open curtains. “You really think I am?”

“The weird cravings, the migraines, the lightheadedness…”

“Weird cravings?” she snorted. “What’s wrong with sardine sandwiches? I’ve seen you and Aunt Lydia eat that before. She’s not pregnant, and neither are you.”

“But not with designer stew as a dip. What about the other day you were putting salt on your ice-cream?” Eden could hear the disgust in his voice.

“Don’t knock it till you try it. Me and Eva have been eating ice-cream like that long before you met me.”

Daniel sighed. “Eden, from what you told me, you haven’t had a normal period since the week before our wedding. Meaning you were probably super fertile during our honey moon, and we weren’t holding back in the cabin.”

Of course he remembered when her last period was. Daniel stayed on top of everything concerning Eden; it was almost as if he’d taken a secret crash course with Kimani about how to manage her every idiosyncrasy. Thankfully, he could relate to her migraines since he dealt with his own on occasion, but even when he didn’t quite get what was going on, the man still showed up to take care of his woman.

He was right, though. Eden’s last period had arrived a week before their wedding, after taking its time coming and threatening to dampen their honeymoon. She had pretty much forced it into existence because she was so looking forward to her wedding night, and her period finally came on the day Daniel was moving his things into her house. The next day, he had come by to make her tea and tuck her in blankets and heating pads. He’d even rubbed her feet and cuddled with her.

They say good things come to those who wait, and Eden was living proof of that. She had waited for a man like Daniel, and God didn’t disappoint. Her first time with Daniel was unforgettable. In their secluded cabin in the mountains, with the fireplace crackling near the bed, her husband of a few hours had unleashed all the passion she’d seen simmering in his gaze during their five-month-long engagement. Eden had cried because she wished it had been her first time with any man, because he was perfect, because she’d never felt so alive, so free, so loved. Daniel treated her like a gift from God Himself, and she loved all shades of this man.

“It wouldn’t be a bad thing,” Daniel mused in the quiet of the night. Christmas day was already over, and their plans to visit family and friends could wait another day.

“No way,” Eden shot back, turning to face him. “We’ve only just begun, and there’s no rush. We’re still young. Aren’t we having fun?”

“Maybe too much fun.” He chuckled. “With Vessels picking up new investors, and us learning to navigate personal and joint goals—”

“Is this a work meeting? Should I get dressed? Should you?” Eden trailed a finger along his chest. “I could put on that white pantsuit you like just so you could take me out of it.”

He kissed her hand. “I’m serious. I just keep thinking that we’ve got all this time to figure things out by ourselves. And then I hear someone laughing.”

Eden raised a brow at him. “Who’s laughing? You?”

“Maybe. Or Him,” he gestured toward the roof. “He sometimes laughs when I’m running away with my thoughts.”

Eden gaped at this man who sometimes spoke in riddles. “You’re saying God laughs at you? Maybe you and Him need to do some therapy. God doesn’t laugh at me.”

“Not at me,” he said, with a patient smile. “It’s just that He’s the one writing our story, our future, so sometimes, that means those plans are different from what we might expect.”

Eden felt her stomach roll, and a protective hand flew to her belly. What if there really was someone in there? She did recently have another dream about the little boy and girl she’d seen that one time on the TV during her brief breakup with Daniel.

Eden closed her eyes. “I want to have your babies, Daniel. All five of them. But there’s plenty of time for that later.”

“We’re not having five kids,” he deadpanned.

“I’m just saying. See how exhausted Tari and Judah are with Nona—” She giggled when he grunted. “Exactly. That time will come for us, but it doesn’t have to be now, right?”

He pinned her on the bed. “Then we should discuss contraceptives with your doctor.”

“Pulling out isn’t working well for you, Mr. Keshi?”

“Do you know how hard it is not to get lost inside of you?”

This man and his words. He knew how to make her feel weak and needy.
“It’s not a fool-proof plan, Eden.”

“I know, but you hate condoms, and I told you I don’t like how my body responds to birth control. It freaks me out.” She sighed, wondering why they were talking about this right now. “I’ll try to do something about my period. Maybe take some of those teas.”

“Or we limit how many times we—”

“Absolutely not.” Eden yanked herself from under him. Why were they arguing about lovemaking when they both thoroughly enjoyed their well-deserved reward for waiting for each other? Why did some things have to be so complicated with him?

“Are you scared?” Daniel asked, peering at her with concern.

“Scared of you wanting to limit our sexy time? Yes, Daniel. It’s a terrible idea.”

“I meant about any of our children being born with…albinism.”

He spoke the word in a low voice like it was the last thing he wanted to say. They’d never talked about it, but she had danced around the subject many times. The chances of their child having albinism were high, especially since she was convinced—for no logical reason—that Daniel was a carrier for the gene too.

“Are you?” Eden whispered.

“I don’t think so,” Daniel replied in a quiet, thoughtful voice. “I can’t say I don’t feel sad when you talk about your childhood. Your dad did the best he could and still couldn’t shield you from the pain you endured. It would be tough to have our child experience that, but we would love him or her regardless, and God would help us give our child a wonderful childhood.”

“Amen,” was all Eden could manage, tears in her eyes.

When Tuesday arrived some days later, Daniel accompanied Eden to the private clinic. Her doctor had requested a follow-up visit. Eden’s appointment was for 9am. Then they planned to pick up some food from a new Nigerian restaurant on the other side of town. Eden had already called the restaurant to place the order for a catered tray of coconut rice, a tray of ofada stew, and another tray for efo-riro spinach stew.

As they drove to the clinic, Eden studied Daniel’s profile. She liked when he wore his hair with his locs pulled back so she could admire his square jaw. Her husband was the finest man she’d ever laid eyes on.

“You know I’m a simp for you, right?” Eden said without hesitation, raising their joined hands to kiss the back of his palm. “This morning, I knew the exact moment you left the bed. Is it weird how close we are?”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s weird.” Daniel’s face spread wide. When he beamed big like this, her heart always raced. “I finished the revised draft last night,” he announced.

Eden had guessed that was what he was up to while she slept. He was always sneaking off to work on the revision of his manuscript. Months ago, she had read the second draft and begged him to hurry up and publish the first book of his series loosely based on his life before salvation. But Daniel wanted to take his time to do the story complete justice, which was his way of honoring the real-life characters of his past.

“Chasing Shadows is going to touch a lot of people,” she affirmed with a proud smile. “Can’t wait to get my personal hardcover copy. And finally set things in motion for the most stubborn pair we know.”

“Let’s get them to approve the draft first,” Daniel said, as if he was dreading it.

“Of course they’ll approve. Thandi needs to know the story about her parents. Imagine the healing you’re giving everyone by writing about y’all’s past.”

“Remember it’s mostly fiction.”

“Based on real events,” Eden said with a pointed stare. When he didn’t reply, she massaged his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, baby.” When her man set his mind on something, he was sure to get it done.

After her dad returned Eden’s initial $5 million to her, Eden had transferred the money plus another five million to Vessels, and Daniel and Judah had ended the year with roughly $4 million profit from her combined ten million investment. The Vessels Foundation was well on its way. They had already started their first big project to build a school in southeastern Nigeria where IB lived with her husband Tonye.

Eden checked the car dashboard. It was her phone ringing, and her dad’s caller ID flashed on the screen. Eden glanced at Daniel’s gentle smile. He tapped the green icon to accept the call. Eden rested a hand on his leg, and he placed his hand over hers. Since marrying Daniel, she had started getting along more with her family—even Evelyn—because Daniel was always pushing her to connect with them. She truly had married a saint.

“Princess,” Eva cooed on the other side of the line. “Where’s Daniel?”

Eden laughed. Was it her, or was her youngest sister just as obsessed with her husband as she was? “He’s here.”

Daniel greeted her warmly, and Eva went on for several minutes about skiing. Somehow polar bears entered the conversation, then Eva said her goodbyes, though not before a quick “I love you, Eden-Daniel.”

Eden and Daniel were still laughing when her dad hopped on the call. “Eva misses you,” he noted, sounding quite happy.

“We miss her too. How’s Christmas in the Alps going?” Eden asked, praying he didn’t have any bad news to report. This year, her stepmom and sister had whisked him to their vacation home in Switzerland. Dad claimed he went along to spend more time with Eva, but Eden knew it was because he was getting soft with age.

“Crowded,” he replied. “Have you booked your appointment? Don’t wait too long.”

Daniel nodded. Funny how they seemed to agree on micromanaging the details of her health. She still hadn’t gotten her new eye prescription. The migraines were getting more frequent.

“I’ll get to it,” she said, squeezing Daniel’s hand. “We’re on our way to the clinic.”

“Clinic?” her dad choked. “For what? Are you alright? What’s the matter?”
Eden smiled at the concern in his voice. “Just a routine follow-up with my gynecologist, Dad.”

He was quiet a moment. “Wait, are you…pregnant?” Dad asked, his voice cracking with emotion. “It could explain why you’re having more migraines. God, I’m so not ready to be a grandfather.” Eden eyed Daniel, wondering how much her dad knew about her migraines. Had they been talking behind her back? “When was your last period?”

“Dad, ew,” she groaned. “Not having this conversation with you. Please go back to your vacation. We’ll talk later.” She tapped the end call button and faced the window with a pout.

“He’s not wrong,” Daniel said.

Eden couldn’t help smiling. He was being all serious now and acting like he wasn’t the main culprit, when he had practically flung the box of condoms across the room on the very first day of their honeymoon.

As if reading her mind, Daniel’s guilty eyes met hers, and Eden burst out laughing. The thought of being pregnant only two months into their marriage didn’t make sense. Sure, they had moments where protection was the furthest thing from their minds, but for the most part, they were careful. God wouldn’t mess with their plans like that, right?

The car dashboard was flashing again, but this time it was Daniel’s phone. Bart Teka was calling.

“I’ll call him back,” Daniel said.

“No, pick up. It might be important.”

Daniel answered the call, and Bart’s voice sounded on the line. He didn’t seem like his usual energetic self. “Sorry I haven’t called you back,” Bart said. “Just knew I couldn’t talk to you without letting you know…”

“Know what?” Daniel asked. “Did something happen?”

Bart took a moment to respond. “I just found out something crazy, bruh…that Tonye is my cousin.”

“What?” Daniel muttered, looking at Eden, who sat wide-eyed, doing her best to stay quiet.

“My biological father is Nigerian,” Bart spat. “He’s Tonye’s father’s brother. Can you believe that? Abe and Phoebe broke the news to me, and Junior has the evidence to back it up. The whole thing is crazy.”

Eden covered her mouth in shock before realizing that her own phone was buzzing. It was a long text from IB telling Eden that Geri wasn’t able to leave Nigeria because her baby’s condition had gotten worse when Geri tried to take him with her on the private plane. The boy was now in critical condition.

Eden felt her stomach sink. Last month, she finally sorted out Geri’s case, and Geri had gotten two new American passports for herself and her child. How had things turned out so horribly?

“What happened?” Daniel mouthed, with Bart still talking. He must have seen the fear in her eyes because he suddenly informed Bart that Eden was with him and that they were on their way to a doctor’s appointment.

“Is she pregnant?” Bart asked.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Daniel replied. “We have to talk about your stuff in person, so we’ll stop by your place later in the evening, okay?”

“Cool,” Bart said, and wished them a good report from the doctor, telling them not to worry about him because Eden was more important right now.

Once Daniel ended the call, Eden showed him IB’s text message, and as expected, her husband didn’t panic. His calmness at the situation helped calm Eden down too. Since they couldn’t do anything about it, they started praying for Geri’s son, asking God to protect him.

When they arrived at the clinic, Daniel took Eden’s hand as a nurse led them to an examination room where they took her vitals. Daniel’s fingers laced hers, silencing any doubt in her heart. “It’s gonna be okay, Princess.” He gave her a confident squeeze.

They had prayed, so now it was time to trust God. But as they waited in the room for her doctor, Eden’s anxieties ramped up again. “I thought we came just to hear about my blood results,” Eden said. “Why would they tell both of us to come in here?”

Daniel held her hand without saying anything, and just being in his presence was enough to reassure her. It was pleasant having him there in the room, her partner for life. She couldn’t help leaning in to kiss him.

A knock sounded on the door, and Eden’s doctor strolled in. She was a middle-aged woman with a cheerful voice that always made Eden relax.

“I’m glad you two came together,” Dr. Fields said, with a kind smile.

It seemed an odd thing to say, but the doctor was probably used to couples coming to see her about birth control. “Yeah, we wanted to discuss contraceptives,” Eden said.

Dr. Fields was clearly amused as she looked between them. “We should talk about your labs first.” She pointed Eden to the ob-gyn chair.

The door opened, and a nurse wheeled in a machine Eden couldn’t stop staring at. This felt like bad news. She should have come by herself instead of dragging Daniel along. He smiled at her, but she knew he was worried too.

“Your last period was before your wedding?” The doctor flipped through a chart.

“A week before.” The nurse was prepping some gel-like substance and other medical instruments.

“Are we doing an ultrasound?” Daniel asked.

Dr. Fields nodded. “I’d like to confirm, but it looks like you’re about two months pregnant.”

“I’m what?”

“You’re pregnant,” Dr. Fields repeated.

Eden gaped at Daniel, who gave her an I-told-you-so look. Blood rushed to her ears. “But we were careful.”

The doctor put on rubber gloves. “Both your urine and blood samples showed elevated levels of hCG. Which could either mean you have liver problems, or you’re pregnant.”

“And the ultrasound will show you for sure?” Daniel didn’t even bat an eyelash.

“Yes, it will,” her doctor replied. “Eden, dear, please sit back and raise your blouse.”

Eden numbly leaned back against the chair and lifted the hem of her top. Her heart was racing as the doctor applied a cold gel on her belly and droned on about the process of the ultrasound, her voice like a faraway echo in Eden’s ears. She could barely hear what the doctor was saying. Eden drew in a sharp breath as her doctor placed the instrument on her skin, gliding it across her abdomen.

Daniel clutched her hand and nudged his chin toward the monitor, making her face the screen. The sound of static broke the silence, like rushing wind and water. What if the tests were wrong? What if she wasn’t pregnant? And why did the thought of not being pregnant make her feel so sad?

“Here we go,” the doctor said, tapping the screen with her other hand. The muffled sound of a fast rhythmic beat suddenly filled the room. “This is your womb, Eden. And you see that little blob?”

“Is that…?” Daniel’s voice was shaky.

“That’s your baby. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Keshi.”

Eden’s throat felt tight, and her vision fogged. She needed new glasses. She blinked rapidly to clear her view of the little peanut-shaped fetus in her stomach. Such a little thing was going to develop into a whole baby, living inside of her. A drop slid down her cheek, and she felt Daniel squeeze her hand, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the screen, from their baby.

“Oh, what do we have here?” Dr. Fields said, staring at the screen. “Sorry, I…” Eden winced as the woman pressed down on her belly. The instrument glided along her abdomen, as if searching for something.

“What is it?” Eden found her trembling voice. Was something wrong with their baby?

“Well, I’ll be.” The doctor chuckled softly as the sound of two beats in counter-sync grew louder, pounding against Eden’s eardrums. “Eden, you’re expecting twins.”

“God.” Daniel sounded like he was choking. “Twins? How?”

Eden’s own gasp escaped her lips. They were so not ready for anything like this. She turned to her husband’s shocked face. With his palms on top of his head, he looked like a little boy trying to process the unimaginable.

“Daniel Keshi, what sort of super sperm do you have?”

The End.