CHAPTER 7: AFTER TORONTO
1005 Words
BRIDE FOR HIRE – CHAPTER 7: AFTER TORONTO
*9:00 AM. Friday. Canada Immigration Office – Toronto.*
The office looked exactly like the one in Lagos. Same bad AC. Same nervous sweat.
Only difference was Officer Martins had a Canadian flag pin now.
*Officer Martins:* “Mr. and Mrs. Bolanle. Please sit.”
Tobi’s hand found mine under the table.
His palm was sweating. Mine was ice cold.
*Officer Martins:* “We have reviewed your file. Joint account, photos, press conference. But we received an anonymous tip saying your marriage is fraudulent. Paid for immigration purposes.”
My heart dropped.
Amaka.
*Tobi:* “That’s a lie.”
*Officer Martins:* “Then prove it’s not. Tell me something only a real couple would know.”
Tobi looked at me.
*Tobi:* “Chinaza hates okra. But she eats it when I cook it because she doesn’t want to hurt my feelings.”
*Me:* “That’s true,” I said quietly.
Because it was.
He made okra soup last night in the Airbnb. I ate it and pretended not to gag.
Officer Martins wrote something down.
*Officer Martins:* “And Mrs. Bolanle, what’s your husband’s biggest fear?”
*Me:* “Being alone. Again.”
She nodded. Stamped the file.
*Officer Martins:* “Conditional approval. You’ll get your permanent residency confirmation in 6 months. Don’t separate before then.”
Tobi exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for 5 days.
*Tobi:* “Thank you.”
We walked out into Toronto cold.
It was October. Leaves were falling.
And for the first time, I realized I wasn’t going back to Lagos alone.
---
*12:00 PM. Airbnb – Downtown Toronto.*
*Me:* “We did it.”
*Tobi:* “We did it.”
We stood in the middle of the living room like we didn’t know what to do with our hands.
No Mrs. Bolanle. No cameras. No contract.
Just us.
*Tobi:* “So… now what?”
*Me:* “Now I call Auntie.”
Auntie answered on the first ring.
*Auntie:* “CHINAZA! DID YOU PASS?!”
*Me:* “We passed, Auntie. We’re approved.”
*Auntie started crying.*
*Auntie:* “Thank God! Thank God! Tell Tobi thank you for me!”
*Tobi took the phone.*
*Tobi:* “Ma, take care of yourself. I’ll bring her home for Christmas.”
*Auntie:* “You better! Or I’ll come to Canada and fight you myself!”
We laughed.
For 10 minutes, it felt normal.
Like a real family.
When I hung up, Tobi was looking at me.
*Tobi:* “She’s tough.”
*Me:* “She had to be.”
*Tobi:* “I’m glad she’s okay.”
*Me:* “Me too.”
Silence.
Then Tobi stepped forward.
*Tobi:* “Chinaza, can I kiss you? For real this time. No cameras.”
*Me:* “Yes.”
It was slow. Careful.
Like we were both scared to break it.
When we pulled apart, my forehead rested against his.
*Tobi:* “That didn’t feel fake.”
*Me:* “It didn’t.”
---
*3:00 PM. Toronto – CN Tower.*
Tobi insisted we play tourist.
*Tobi:* “If I’m stuck here for 6 months, I’m enjoying it.”
We took pictures. Laughing. Holding hands.
For the first time, it wasn’t for immigration.
It was for us.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
*Message:* _“Congrats on the approval, Tobi. Hope Chinaza knows she’s just a placeholder. Call me when you’re ready to come home. - A”_
Amaka.
I showed Tobi.
His jaw tightened.
*Tobi:* “Ignore her.”
*Me:* “Why is she doing this?”
*Tobi:* “Because she thought I’d come crawling back when this failed. She doesn’t like losing.”
*Me:* “And if she’s right? If this fails?”
Tobi stopped walking.
*Tobi:* “Then we fail together. But I don’t plan on failing.”
He kissed my forehead right there in front of the CN Tower.
Tourists stared.
I didn’t care.
---
*8:00 PM. Airbnb – Night.*
Dreame notification.
*“Chapter 6 posted. 210,000 reads in 6 hours.”*
*Top comment:* “THEY PASSED!!! AUNTIE IS HEALED!!! WHEN IS THE WEDDING FOR REAL?!!!”
I posted Chapter 6 at 8:05 PM.
By 8:20 PM, 45,000 reads.
Tobi was in the kitchen making tea.
*Tobi:* “You’re famous in Nigeria right now.”
*Me:* “We’re famous. It’s our story.”
He handed me a mug.
*Tobi:* “About that… I talked to my lawyer today.”
*Me:* “Why?”
*Tobi:* “Because if we want this to be real after 6 months, we need to make it legal. For real. No NDA. No ₦500,000. Just marriage.”
My mug paused halfway to my lips.
*Me:* “You want to marry me. For real.”
*Tobi:* “Yes.”
*Me:* “Why?”
*Tobi:* “Because I don’t want to let you go. Because when I’m with you, I don’t feel like I’m protecting myself anymore. I feel like I’m living.”
*Me:* “Tobi…”
*Tobi:* “Say no if you want. But I’m asking. Will you marry me. For real?”
I looked at him.
The boy who paid me ₦500,000 5 days ago.
The man who drove 6 hours to Ibadan for my auntie.
The husband who chose me over Amaka, over Canada, over fear.
*Me:* “Yes.”
He smiled. Real. No armor.
*Tobi:* “Good. Because I’m tired of pretending.”
---
*11:00 PM. Bedroom – Airbnb.*
We didn’t sleep.
Not because we couldn’t.
Because we were talking. About everything.
About Uniport. About Auntie. About fear. About what comes after 6 months.
*Me:* “What if we ruin this?”
*Tobi:* “Then we ruin it together. But I’d rather try and fail than never try at all.”
*Me:* “You’re crazy, you know that?”
*Tobi:* “Only for you.”
He pulled me closer.
*Tobi:* “Chinaza Bolanle. My wife. For real this time.”
*Me:* “Tobi Bolanle. My husband. For real this time.”
We kissed.
And it felt like home.
- Writer
