Paper Hearts | ✓

✍ Chapter Twenty-three✍

Twenty-three | Reconciliation

There is no love without forgiveness and
There's no forgiveness without love— Bryant H. McGill

~•~

Kemi walked up to the security guard at the apartment gate and relayed her personal details. He returned her smile and led her into the reception hall. Kemi sat on a row of co-joined blue seats as she watched the burly middle-aged security man speak to the pretty receptionist. After a few minutes, the both of them looked up at Kemi who gave them a shaky smile from the corner where she sat.

The receptionist who was wearing a white shirt over a black pencil skirt and black flats walked towards Kemi and smiled. Kemi could not help but admire the blond wig that suited her fair skin perfectly.

"Good afternoon ma'am," blondie smiled cheerfully. Kemi noticed the tag on her breast that read Lola, she looked back at her and responded.

"Good afternoon to you too. Is he ermm..."

"He has been expecting you, right this way please," Lola said leading her to an elevator that stood out by the corner of the small reception. Kemi took a deep breath as she watched Lola punch some buttons that would probably led them to his flat. The receptionist didn't try to start a conversation and that was fine with Kemi who needed space to think.

She had called Kelechi yesterday and requested to meet with him. Kelechi had been surprised because earlier this year, she had stopped by the office to drop her resignation letter. She had thought it was the best thing to do then, the farther away from Nnamdi she was the better right?

Wrong!

Kemi had been miserable for the past two months. Working for her mother had turned out to be a great distraction but her life had been monotonous. Kemi woke up everyday feeling incomplete—like if she was missing something.

Sharing her feelings with her mom had helped, the woman was the reason she was trying to make up with Nnamdi. As expected she was frightened, feeling bad about how she had pushed him away every time he asked to speak with her so she had decided to ask Kelechi for help. Kelechi had been more than happy to help her out and requested to see her in his house.

So here she was, stepping out of the elevator and walking towards his apartment with legs that felt like jelly.

"Here we are!" Lola said with that same cheerful voice. Kemi nodded her thanks and stared at the apartment door reading the numbers 205 over and over again.

When she realized that Lola was still standing beside her, Kemi smiled and said, "I'll let myself in. Thank you."

Lola turned and headed towards the elevator. Looking over her shoulders, she smiled and mouthed the words 'Good luck' obviously noticing Kemi's anxiety.

Kemi laughed and waved at her as the elevator doors slid shut. Then she wondered why she was nervous, it wasn't as if it was Nnamdi that she was coming to meet. With that in mind, she raised her knuckles and knocked on the door moving back a little when it pushed open.

"So it wasn't locked," she muttered. Kemi ran her hands through her shoulder length hair and adjusted her pink skirt.
Hoping that she wasn't overdressed in her white satin blouse over her baby pink flared skirt, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.