slow rise and fall of his chest. His face, small and flushed, was buried beneath the weight of a fever that had persisted despite her desperate effort

" the nurse said gently, plac

without looking. "I

l fall

but distant. "I've fallen a

rce loyalty of single mothers, the ones who looked

beside the bed. Her fingers found her son's, ti

?" he

Ray. I'm

t came out crooked.

an any knife. She brushed back his

iet. Like the nights whe

r silence was so loud, that her child, barely f

," she whispered. "I'm

m wh

s hand. "From

walked out, a little slower than usual, his teddy bear tucked under his arm. The Harmattan breeze kissed

eful bites, she watched him like he might vanish if she blinked too long. She h

taring back looked unfamiliar. Her hair had grown again, longer than she'd kept it in years. Her eyes were darker,

still

e publishing house where she'd finally landed a stable edi

man with lips always painted blood re

're

ma. I

ust do the work. I don

e tone anymore. Lagos taught her that

as something healing in marking up other people's stories. It was like

nch break, he

ls

ne made her

. In case of emergencies. But deep down, some part of her was afraid that cutting him off completel

sage wa

Raymond. I

hat her colleague, Bisola, wav

dey o

er phone. "Yes

sn't okay.

f pretending fatherhood now that the dust had settled. He'd given her not

r office mailbox. No name, no return address. Insid

nds tr

itten in the same scrawled ha

uture. Th

laced the cheque in he

retu

t in anger. B

ever repair w

the kitchen table, coloring with br

o I have

on landed

beside him. "You do. But he

he go

es

ou go a

art sh

voice shaking. "I'l

atisfied, and went

ked up the phone and dialed her therapist

t's time,"

ome b

ant to ta

s like stepping into a wo

ow what love is any

ove yo

s diff

hy

choose him. He hap

ead. "And that makes h

makes it

know what love is. Maybe you've ju

was

came. Silent

let

ud, chaotic, relentless. But for the first time

s faci

of

e ache, the si

ad ahead didn't fee

kenness, she was learni

th

beginning o