A/N: Guys, I'm really working on making my updates more frequent and regular.

Anyways, enjoy.

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Ijeoma

Christmas day

"Hey... we're here" I heard Noah whisper to me as he shook me gently awake.

My eyes slowly fluttered open to see him looking at me with a smile on his face. A yawn made its way out my throat and I used my hand to cover my mouth. I stretched out all the tense muscles in my body before finally looking out the window at my surrounding.

Zozo and I were spending Christmas with Noah's family and they decided that it be held in his house. It was the first time, Zozo will be meeting his entire family and I was kind of nervous about how the whole thing would go.

In my desire to impress his family, I woke up at an ungodly hour to bake a red velvet cake in their honour and also for Jesus too which was why I was trying to catch up on my sleep on the way to his house. Zozo was also asleep in her car seat in the back, Noah got a car seat for her even though I told him it wasn't necessary because here in Nigeria, we hardly use car seats for children unless it's a baby.

We got down from the car, Noah moved to grab Zozo from the back while I grabbed the cake and icing equipment. I wasn't able to complete the icing decorations back at home so I decided to complete it at his house. Luckily for me, his family hadn't arrived yet so I had some time on my hands.

As we walked up to the front door, I admired the edifice that Noah called his house, it was breathtakingly beautiful. The off white and chocolate brown color of the house was brilliantly combined, giving the house a creamy, edible look. His neighborhood was admirably serene and calm filled with lovely looking houses like that of Noah's. A complete opposite of the washed up, spirogyra lined, haphazardly roofed houses filled with annoying, noisy and nosy neighbours in my neighbourhood. It was like I had stepped into another dimension.

I was genuinely surprised to know that Noah had a retina scanner installed at the front door. It wasn't something you see on a normal basis; it was more of keys and lock holes or padlocks.

The interior decor of his house was another ball game entirely, it was gobsmackingly beautiful, the light shade of yellow walls and cream plush sofas in the center of the living room gave it a warm, relaxing ambience.

"It's funny how we've been dating for months now and this is the first time I'm coming to your house" I said as I admired my surrounding.

"Yeah, that's true" he said like he was just realizing it himself. "Well, we are both living very busy lives"

I nodded. "You have a very beautiful home" I said truthfully

"Thank you" he said with a smile. "Let me drop this sleepy head in one of the rooms"

"Kay. Where's your kitchen? I need to get on this cake right away"

He pointed to a door opposite the staircase before heading upstairs with Zozo in his arms.

I walked over to the said door and turned the door handle open. The kitchen was very clean and tidy with a very spacious working space which was something I liked.

A thermocool double door refrigerator stood at the corner of the kitchen, a couple of drawers which I suspected held plates, pots and other kitchen utensils, a split unit air conditioner was keeping the kitchen cool and taking out any stale hot air present. I could totally see myself living here; it was basically heaven on Earth.

I walked over to the counter and placed the cake on the marble countertop. Heading over to the sink to wash my hands and get to work. I turned the hot water faucet and warm water came spriting out and a relaxed sigh escaped my lips.

A lot of people had both the hot and cold water faucets but once you turn them on, cold water comes out of both the faucets. With everything I'd seen so far, from the exterior to the interior parts of the house, I couldn't help but wonder how wealthy Noah was because everything about this house screams lots and lots of money.

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I was half way done with the icing decorations on the cake when Noah walked into the kitchen. My muscles were cramping so I decided to take a break for a couple minutes, plopped up on one of the high stools by the counter and grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruits on the counter.

"How's it going?" he said as he walked in.

"Good" I said taking another bite of the apple

"Stop" he said suddenly sounding alarmed. "Where did you get the apple from?"

With my mouth frozen in place and the apple in my hand halted mid-air, I looked at the fruit bowl as indication.

"No... no... no... it's poisoned. It was placed there for rats" he sounded alarmed.

My eyes widened in horror as I rushed over to the waste bin in the corner hidden away from public eye, threw the half-eaten apple and spat out the apple contents left in my mouth. I was literally dry heaving into the bin when I heard Noah's laughter.

"I was just joking. You needed to see your face" he said in between laughs obviously having a good time.

I slowly lifted my head from the waste bin and nodded it mischievously with a wicked smile plastered across my face.

"Just have in mind that I'll do my own back"

The laughter immediately died. "I was just messing with you, no need to revenge"

"That's your business. Me, I sha no that I'll do my own back" I headed over to the sink to washed my hands and get back to work. (I know that I'll get you back)

"Babe, for something as little as that you want to revenge, that's petty" he said with a smile.

"So now I'm petty, okay oo. I've counted it too" I said feigning seriousness.

"Ah ahnnn" he drawled out as he approached me.

"What?" I said, eyeing (running your over someone from top to bottom continuously, usually done in anger) him playfully.

"I'm sorry" he said advancing towards me like a predator would do a prey.

In an instance I knew what he wanted to do and I started moving back to get away from his wicked fingers.

"Stop oo" I said holding my hands out to prevent from getting closer.

"Stop what? What am I doing?" he said feigning ignorance whilst coming closer.

My back hit the counter that lined the wall all around and I realized I was trapped, Noah had a wide smile on his face.

"Stop, I'm seriou-"

Noah grabbed me and started tickling me before I could even complete my statement. I immediately burst into a fit of laughter amidst trying to get his hands away from me. I was really regretting why I ever told him about how ticklish I was.

"St-stop, stop. Pleasssee" I said amidst my laughter.

"Say you won't revenge" he said as he assaulted me with tickles

"Okay. I- I won't re- revenge"

"Do you promise?"

"Y- yes, I promiseee. Noah stop"

"Okay, say you love me so much and you can't live without me" he was really enjoying himself.

I on the other hand had been so tickled that I feared I would pee on myself. I was able to grab a hold of his hands and pulled it away from me but he was struggling to get free and resume my torture.

"I swear if I pee on myself, I'm going to kill you"

"Just say it and I'll stop" he stopped struggling.

"No" I said defiantly.

"Then you only have yourself to blame" he quickly freed him hands and got back to work.

"Okay, fine. Fine, I'll say it" I said trying to pull his hands back. "I love you so much and I can't live without you"

"Aww, I knew you couldn't" he said dramatically before releasing me.

I gave him a stink eye as I tried to catch my breath. He didn't seem to mind it because he placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"Anyways, I came here to tell you that my family is on their way" he said, walking over to the fruit bowl and picking up an apple.

"What? I'm not done with the cake? And what about food? I totally forgot about food" I panicked

"Calm down. My mom is taking care of that. She doesn't expect me to cook since I'm always busy so she got one of our family friend who cooks for parties to make us food" He grabbed a plate from one of the cupboard fixed on the wall and a table knife from one of the drawers on the floor.

"Oh thank God" I heaved a sigh of relief as I placed my hand on my chest.

I watched him cut the apple into small pieces. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cutting it for Zozo. She's awake by the way" he said picking the plate of diced apples and heading for the door.

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I was done with the cake fifteen minutes later and I headed to the room where Noah kept my bag. It held the dress I was going to where to meet Noah's family, I didn't want to sweat in it or get frosting all over it, that's why I didn't have it on earlier.

Zozo was downstairs with Noah watching one of those children friendly stations. I gently released my braids which was made a few days ago from its scrunchie at the nape of my neck and put into a bun at the top of my head.

It took me ten minutes to freshen up and get into my dress, a simple short sleeved off the shoulder denim gown that stopped at my knee. I was in the process of doing my light, natural make-up when I heard the front door open and close, some shuffle of feet and indistinct chattering.

They were here.

I applied my lip gloss, applied some mascara to my lashes and spritzing my perfume on my neck and behind my ears before heading out.

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