...But God said So

Chapter 19: The Problem With Parents

Three days later, life was beginning to feel normal again.

At least as normal as it could.

Ife was recovering well.

The color had returned to her face.

She was no longer sleeping half the day.

And most importantly, she had regained her ability to disturb Lily in peace.

Which meant she was healthy.

Unfortunately.

Lily sat on the living room floor, sorting through receipts and counting cash.

The television played in the background.

Neither woman was paying attention to it.

Ife was busy scrolling through her phone.

Then suddenly—

"Oh no."

Lily didn't look up.

"What happened?"

"Oh no."

Lily sighed.

"If you're dying again, please do it quietly."

"Ife dropped her phone."

"My parents."

Lily froze.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

She looked up.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

Lily pointed a warning finger at her.

"I don't like this conversation already."

Ife groaned and covered her face with a cushion.

Lily knew that reaction.

Very dangerous.

"What happened?"

"My mother just texted."

"And?"

"They bought their tickets."

Silence.

Lily blinked.

"What tickets?"

"Abuja tickets."

The room became very quiet.

Then—

"No."

"That's what I said."

"When?"

"Next week."

Lily dropped the money she was counting.

"No."

"I know."

"No."

"I know."

"No."

"I KNOW."

The two women stared at each other.

Completely horrified.

Because they both understood what this meant.

Questions.

Visits.

Family dinners.

Pretending.

More pretending.

Lily stood up immediately.

"I'm moving out."

Ife sat up.

"You cannot move out."

"Watch me."

"Lily."

"I'm serious."

"Where will you go?"

Lily opened her mouth.

Then paused.

Good question.

"I'll figure it out."

"No, you won't."

"You're very unsupportive."

Ife laughed despite herself.

Then her phone vibrated again.

Both women stared at it.

Nobody wanted to touch it.

The phone vibrated a second time.

Then a third.

Finally, Ife picked it up.

A voice note.

From her mother.

Lily immediately moved away.

"No."

"You have to listen too."

"I absolutely do not."

"You're involved."

"I reject the involvement."

Too late.

The voice note was already playing.

"My daughter, your father and I are so excited. We thank God for your recovery. We can't wait to see you. And please, tell Lily we are looking forward to seeing her too."

Lily froze.

"Oh, wonderful."

Ife laughed.

The voice note continued.

"Such a lovely girl. Very responsible. Very respectful."

Lily nearly choked.

"Who is she talking about?"

"You."

"No, seriously."

"You."

"That woman has never met me."

"She's met you."

"Not the real me."

The laughter died immediately.

Silence settled between them.

Neither woman spoke for a moment.

Then Lily sat down again.

"Why don't you tell them?"

Ife looked up.

"Tell them what?"

"The truth."

The room became quiet.

Much quieter than before.

Lily shrugged.

"I'm serious."

Ife looked away.

"So am I."

"Tell them."

"And say what?"

Lily spread her hands.

"The truth."

Ife laughed softly.

But there was no humor in it.

"You make it sound easy."

"It is easy."

"No."

The answer came immediately.

Too immediately.

Lily noticed.

Ife noticed too.

For the first time since the conversation began, her smile disappeared.

"What if they look at me differently?"

The question hung in the air.

Heavy.

Painful.

Honest.

"What if everything changes?"

Lily didn't answer.

Because for once...

She understood exactly what Ife meant.

The fear.

The hiding.

The pretending.

The constant pressure of making sure nobody saw the parts of you that felt unworthy of love.

Neither woman spoke.

The silence said enough.

Then, unfortunately, Ife's phone vibrated again.

Both women groaned.

Another message.

This time, it wasn't a voice note.

It was a text.

Ife opened it.

Read it.

Then closed her eyes.

"Oh no."

Lily's stomach dropped.

"What now?"

Ife slowly turned the phone around.

The message was short.

Very short.

Yet somehow devastating.

"We'll attend church together on Sunday. It will be wonderful to worship as a family again."

The apartment went silent.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Then Lily stood up.

"No."

Ife nodded.

"No."

"Exactly."

"No."

"I know."

Lily began pacing.

"This is how it starts."

"What starts?"

"The suffering."

Ife laughed.

Despite herself.

Despite the panic.

Despite everything.

She laughed.

Then she looked at Lily.

And Lily looked back.

Both knowing the same thing.

For the first time in years, neither of them would be able to hide behind photographs.

They would actually have to walk into a church.

And somehow...

That thought unsettled Lily far more than it should have.

Because the moment she heard the word church...

One face immediately came to mind.

Pastor Joshua.

And she hated that.