I Feared Losing Us

ABOUT US- Episode 11

I stopped at Olamide’s workplace that afternoon with a small box in my hand. The receptionist recognized me and offered a polite smile, but I stayed put in the waiting area.

It didn’t take long before he appeared from the hallway as his eyes caught mine immediately, and I watched that familiar softness spread across his face.

“You’re here,” he said quietly, his gaze shifting briefly to the box in my hand before resting back on me.

“I thought I’d stop by,” I replied, suddenly feeling a little shy even though I’d done this many times before.

He stepped closer, took the box from me carefully, and pushed open the door to his office. “Come in, babe”

When we got in, I settled into one of the chairs while he opened the box on his desk. He picked up one of the cupcakes, studying it for a moment before taking a slow bite. I tried not to stare too hard, as I waited for his reaction.

When he finally swallowed, his eyes met mine. “This one tastes… right.” he said softly. I was glad he liked it.

We sat together, sharing cupcakes, talking about little things, then came the knock.

One of his interns stepped in carefully. “Sir, someone is asking to see you downstairs.”. Olamide’s brows drew together slightly, not in annoyance but in quiet thought. “Did they mention their name?”

The intern shook his head.

Olamide glanced at me, his expression softening again. “I’ll just check quickly. Don’t go anywhere.” I nodded, watching as he rose and left the room.

Minutes passed, then more minutes. My phone screen couldn’t distract me for long. The waiting started to feel heavier than it should. Finally, curiosity pulled me up from the chair. I slipped out of the office and walked quietly down the hall and. From the staircase, I saw him outside.

He wasn’t alone.

There was a woman who stood close to him as her hands moved in desperate gestures. Olamide stood still, his face was calm but unreadable as he listened. Something in my chest dropped, wondering who she was.

I froze, watching for only a few seconds before retreating quickly. I hurried back to his office and as I sat down I felt anxiety crawl over me.

Storms of questions raced through my head. Why did she look so desperate? Why did he look so heavy? Who was she to him? Was she his ex? Does she want him back?

Just like that, the calmness I had felt when I first walked in was gone, completely gone really.

When Mide came back to meet me, he looked calm, almost too calm. The kind of calm that made my stomach twist, because I knew him well enough to see through it. He was fine on the outside, but inside? Not even a little bit.

The air between us felt different and heavier. I forced a small smile, telling him I had to rush to work. The lie slipped out before I could stop it. He frowned, confused, reminding me I didn’t even have work today. My throat tightened as I muttered something about a sudden call. He sighed and didn’t press further.

“Okay, babe. I’ll come pick you up later.”

I nodded, whispering, “Alright,” but everything already felt off.

At work, I barely did anything. I sat at my desk, shuffling papers, staring at my laptop, but really I was lost in thought. I kept wondering if Mide would talk to me about it or keep it buried. The silence of not knowing pressured me.

Later in the evening, when I stepped out to see him waiting by the car, he was smiling at me. I knew that smile to not be real. Still, I tried to return it, though my own face betrayed me.

The drive home was unusually quiet. Every second in that car stretched long and uncomfortable. I wanted to ask, I wanted to know but fear kept my lips sealed.

When we reached my place, I turned to him just as he turned to me. “Babe..” we both spoke at the same time. I motioned for him to go first.

He goes ahead to tell me everything.

Abby, his ex, had gone to him desperately, explaining how her husband,the same man she had cheated on him with was now trying to take control of the logistics business they both managed in which ninety percent of the capital was hers, but he wanted full ownership. He had been secretly stealing money, looking for ways to access all the accounts, and he wanted a divorce while ensuring she lost control of everything.

He explained how manipulative her husband had been, sometimes even physically aggressive, and how she felt trapped, not knowing what to do.

Hearing it all, I could see the tight set of his jaw and the quiet tension in his shoulders. He must have been so upset at everything she had done to hurt him, yet he still felt sorry for her situation. That mix of anger and sympathy was frustrating.

My chest tightened. I had been freaking worried about him all this time. I was worried about how heavy all this must feel on him, how much it was affecting him. Watching him process everything, remaining calm on the surface, made my heart ache. I wanted to reach out and hold him, to tell him it was okay to be upset, to show him he wasn’t carrying it alone.

He kept looking at me as if my tears worried him more than his own troubles. He pulled me close, whispering that he was fine, that he could handle it but I knew he wasn’t fine.

He admitted he didn’t know what to do and that Abby wanted a divorce and ownership of her business. Through the blur of tears, I steadied my voice, telling him it was fine, if he decides to take the case and that I was with him, he didn’t need to worry about me.

But he still looked at me with that deep worry in his eyes, the kind that made my chest ache. He knew how fragile I could be, how easily I overthought and I hated that he was right.

He was only going to handle the business aspect as that is his area of expertise and was going to assist her by referring her to a colleague concerning the divorce but honestly, that's still hell of work. I nodded and told him I was fine with that and at least, I thought I was.

Weeks passed. Four, maybe more. He gave me updates on the case, never left me in the dark, but somehow the space between us kept growing. It wasn’t about communication really because he still told me things. It was the absence of us.

I felt insecure, exhausted and was constantly overthinking. I wondered if this distance was the beginning of something worse and yet, I knew he was worried too. He knew me, understood me too well, and I could feel his own guilt in the way he looked at me when we managed to see each other.

Then one evening, unexpectedly, he showed up at my apartment. When I opened the door, surprise nearly knocked the breath out of me. He stood there, tired in his work shirt, but smiling softly, as though just being there with me gave him life.

“Hey, babe,” he said, voice warm despite his exhaustion.

My throat tightened. “Hi.” My voice cracked, betraying me.

He looked straight into my eyes and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head quickly. “It’s fine. It’s fine.” but it wasn’t. My trembling voice gave me away.

“Simi…” The way he said my name broke me.

He looked straight into my eyes, and his voice was quiet, almost trembling. “I’m sorry,” he said again and it's not because he had done anything wrong, but because he hated seeing me hurt, anxious, and scared. He was sorry that the situation with the case, with Abby, had made things so hard for us both. My chest tightened, and I felt my tears start again, not from anger, but from the raw weight of how much he cared.

And then it all came pouring out. How I felt us drifting, how I worried about him, how I missed him so much it hurt. I confessed how scared I was that his exhaustion and my insecurities would build a wall between us. I told him I wanted to be strong, that I wanted to be okay with it all, but deep inside, I was terrified.

Before I could finish, he pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly it felt like he was piecing me back together.

“I’m so sorry about how everything made you feel, Simi. I’m so sorry,” he whispered against my hair, his chest rising and falling with mine.

“I miss you too,” he said, his voice breaking. “I freaking missed you. Not seeing you all the time was slowly making me lose it. I missed you so much, Simi and I love you.”

He held me for a long time steadily even as I trembled against him. My tears slowed, and in the quiet that followed, I finally lifted my head to look at him. His eyes searched mine, worriedly and tender all at once.

I brushed at my face clumsily and whispered, “But how are you, Mide? Are you good? I'm so worried about you, Babe”

Then he sighed softly, “I’ve been exhausted. Work, Abby’s case, and everything has been heavy but now being here with you, I feel fine.”

“I’m so proud of you,” I whispered. “You’ve worked so hard.”

His lips curved into a half smile tiredly but warm.

“Come here.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead before gently pulling me against his chest.

“I missed you like crazy,” he murmured.

“I missed you too.” and in that moment, all the fears of losing us melted away.

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Writer’s Note

This episode is dedicated to Sweet Abike. Thank you for being intentional, patient and for taking this story dear to your heart. You’re a wonderful person.