The pain hit Claire like a storm in the middle of the night.
She had been lying on her small bed in the Lagos apartment, one hand resting on her heavily rounded belly, when the first strong contraction ripped through her. She gasped, clutching the sheets as another wave followed quickly after. Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the fan spinning lazily above her.
She was alone.
Adaora had gone to visit family up north for a few days, and Claire hadn’t wanted to worry her. She had prepared as best she could — a small hospital bag, numbers for local midwives, and a quiet determination to face this on her own terms.
Another contraction tore through her. Claire bit down on her lip to keep from crying out too loudly. She managed to call the midwife she had been seeing, a kind older woman n
