Silence the unspeakable error

a boulder, pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. Her smiles were forced, her laughter

ther's gentle inquiries "Is everything alright, Amaka?" were met with the same

a palpable presence, a constant reminder of the lies she told to keep them hidden. The weight of he

a bubble, separated from the world around her by a thin membrane of secrets. Her relationsh

e tension, but they didn't know what to make of it. The family's dynamics shifted, like a puzzle with a

very conversation, every meal, every moment together was tainted by the secrets she kept. Amaka fe

her's eyes, once warm and encouraging, now held a hint of disappointment. Amaka's sibling

ulse with every heartbeat. Amaka felt like she was suffocating under the wei

he touch sparked a memory, one that Amaka had kept hidden for far too long. She felt a lump

tension between them. Amaka's mother, Nneoma, seemed to sense her daughter's unease, but she didn't press the issue

watching her, waiting for her to crack. She felt like a fragile egg,

refused to lift. Amaka's heart ached with the weight of her secrets, se

he feeling that her mother was hiding something from her, that there wer

ite understand. She felt a pang of guilt for not being able to open up to

as drowning in the silence. She longed to break free, to shatter

fear of being rejected, of being

n them felt like a living, breathing thing. It pulsed with unspoken

irring the pot, but her mind was elsewhere. She was trapped i

, soft and gentle as it was. "Amak

did her mother want to talk about?

e living room. The air was thick with anticipation, and Ama

something's been bothering you, Amaka," she said, her voice soft b

tell her everything, to unburden herself of the secrets she'd been carrying for

comforting. "Amaka, I know you're strong, but you don't have to

nted to believe her mother, to trust that she would understand and

lking about, Mama," Amaka stamme

on't lie to me, Amaka," she said, her voice low and urg

ver her. She couldn't tell her mo

trying to pull her hand away

voice firm but desperate. "I know you're hiding something. And I know i

She wanted to believe her, to trust that she would understand and

ng for answers. But Amaka's mask was fi

ng in defeat. "Okay, Amaka," she s

She knew she'd hurt her mother, but

t's finish dinner," she said, her voice a litt

ver her. She followed her mother back to the kit

the feeling that she'd just made a terrible mistake. She'd p