ONE MISTAKE AWAY PART ONE

PART Four

Aunty Bola teased nonstop.“Una two dey look like person wey get secret o. Naomi, you don dey fine pass your mama these days. Zion, close your mouth before fly enter!”Naomi laughed and glanced at Zion across the table. Underneath, her bare foot brushed his ankle again, lingering this time. Zion felt the spark but kept his face neutral.After dinner, while Mama and Aunty Bola washed plates and gossiped loudly about bank colleagues and the latest neighbor drama (Mr. Ade’s wife was accusing the woman upstairs of snatching her husband), Zion and Naomi cleared the living room. They bumped into each other reaching for the same remote. Bodies pressed close. Her full breasts against his chest for a heartbeat. His hands instinctively went to her soft hips.“Sorry,” Naomi breathed, eyes wide, lips parted.Zion’s grip tightened slightly. “No… my fault.”The heavy rain started that night — typical Lagos downpour pounding the zinc roof. Power went out again. They ended up on the small balcony with one rechargeable lantern between them, sitting on plastic chairs, the air sticky and thick. Naomi wore a short satin nightdress that kept riding up her thick thighs every time she shifted. Zion was in basketball shorts and a tank top.They talked — really talked — about the old fight, their complicated family, the father who sent money but never showed up, the mothers who pretended the other didn’t exist. Apologies came quietly and sincerely.“I overreacted last time,” Naomi admitted softly. “I no mean to call you selfish like that.”“I overreacted too,” Zion said. “I thought you were just trying to control everything.”She smiled gently. “Let’s start over, abi?”He nodded. A weight lifted.Then comfortable silence.