THE evening settled in slowly, draping the resort in a soft, golden twilight that seemed heavier than usual, almost reluctant to let go of the day. Amelia walked toward the bar as if by habit, but the weight in the air made her pause, just for a second, as though she already felt the tug of the impending end of her trip. Ifeanyi was behind the counter when she arrived, his usual calm greeting waiting for her. She returned it lightly, trying to appear casual, though there was a subtle tension she couldn’t quite disguise.
They sat together after he finished serving, the usual banter flowing easily at first— light observations about the sky, the music in the bar, the tourists wandering the paths. Then, inevitably, the conversation shifted, as it always seemed to do, toward something deeper.
