LOGINThe hours dragged on. Amara sat in the quiet living room long after Grace had gone, with only the dim glow of the hallway lamp keeping her company. Every little pop of the walls made her think someone was moving around. Around half past ten, headlights suddenly swept across the living room wall. Amara sat upright so quickly that Liam stirred beside her. For a second, she was sure it was Daniel. She hurried toward the window, but the car continued down the street without stopping. She stood there watching the red lights disappear into the darkness. Her shoulders dropped. "Where are you?" she whispered. It was past eleven now. Carefully, so she wouldn't wake him, she stood up and carried Liam down the hallway to the bedroom. She laid him gently in his crib, tucking his small blanket around him. He stirred for a second, letting out a soft sigh before settling back into his sleep. She stood over the crib for a moment, watching his little chest rise and fall. Her mind kept going back
Night began to creep in, and the house felt colder than it usually did. Amara sat on the edge of the living room sofa, holding Liam against her chest. The soft weight of the baby usually comforted her, but tonight she couldn’t relax. Her nerves were still on edge, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the woman across the street and the way she had stood there for hours, staring at the house as if she was waiting for someone.The wall clock clicked as the seconds passed. Seven o’clock.Daniel was never this late. He always came home by five. That was his routine, and Amara had gotten so used to it that anything outside it felt strange. She reached for her phone on the coffee table and tried his number again. The call didn’t even ring. It failed immediately, giving her a dead, hollow tone.She dropped the phone onto the cushions and stared at it for a few seconds, hoping it would suddenly ring.It didn’t.Suddenly, a loud, sharp knock echoed from the front gate.Amara jumped, pulling Li
Ever since she came back from Grace’s house, things had shifted. Amara had completely stopped bothering Daniel about trying to make friends or mingle with the outside world. She had intentionally distanced herself from Grace, realizing the woman was just a busybody who only cared about gossip. Looking back, Amara saw Grace as no different from any other nosy neighbour. They were all the same. She had learned her lesson about letting outsiders get too close.It was a quiet afternoon when Amara stepped out of the front door with little Liam strapped to her waist. She had a bag of trash in her hand, intending to toss it into the bins outside. But as she stepped onto the pavement, her eyes drifted across the street.Right opposite her house, standing barefoot behind a low pillar, was a woman dressed entirely in plain white.The woman stood there, watching her without blinking. Amara froze, her heart skipping a beat as she stared back for a few long seconds. She tried to make sense of who
Morning arrived quietly. Daniel was ready before eight, adjusting his cuffs while Amara packed his breakfast. Before he picked up his briefcase, she smiled."Remember I told you about Grace? I'll be spending a few hours at her place today. We finally found a day when we were both free."Daniel simply nodded."I'll take Liam with me. We'll be back before you get home."He held her gaze for a second. "Alright."That was all. He kissed Liam’s forehead, pressed a light one to Amara’s, and walked out at eight o'clock sharp. His SUV rolled out of the compound, and Amara watched until it vanished through the gate."Finally," she whispered, turning to the baby. "Liam... we're going to visit Auntie Grace today."She bathed Liam first, dressing him in a soft cream romper before rocking him to sleep. After laying him carefully in his cot, she hurried to the kitchen. Even though Grace insisted she didn't need to bring anything, Amara couldn't arrive empty-handed. She whipped up a pot of smoky jol
Saturday mornings were the only times the mansion felt almost normal. Daniel wasn’t locked away inside his office writing in his notebooks; instead, he sat in the sitting room with Liam perched on his lap, the little boy completely obsessed with his father.“Dada! Dada!”Every few seconds, Liam tugged at Daniel’s shirt, laughing uncontrollably. Amara leaned against the kitchen doorway, smiling. “I don’t think he even remembers that I’m his mother anymore.”Daniel chuckled. “He’ll always know.”“Oh really?” she teased. “The moment you leave this house tomorrow, let’s see who he’ll run to.”As if he understood every word, Liam reached for Daniel’s face again. “Dada!”Amara laughed. “See? I’m already losing the competition.”Daniel kissed his son’s forehead. “My little man.”Watching them together always melted Amara’s heart. For all of Daniel’s strange habits, for all the unanswered questions surrounding him, one thing she could never deny was how deeply he loved their child.After brea
Liam was growing faster than Amara had ever imagined, learning something new every single morning. One day he was struggling to crawl; the next, he was darting across the mansion so quickly that she had to keep a constant eye on him. He had become the life of the house. The once-silent rooms were now filled with cheerful giggles, tiny footsteps, scattered toys, and the innocent laughter of a happy child. Looking at Liam, there was no doubt who his father was. He was the exact image of Daniel—the same sharp nose, the same well-shaped lips, the same thick eyebrows, and eyes that carried that same strange, heavy calmness. Whenever people saw him, they smiled and said, *"That child didn’t even borrow anything from his mother. He’s his father’s complete photocopy."* Amara never took offense. She just laughed proudly. "My handsome little man." There was one thing, though, that amused her every day: Liam was completely obsessed with his father. No matter how long Amara carried him throug







