Claire stood barefoot in the small, tiled bathroom of her modest Lagos apartment, the late afternoon sunlight filtering through the frosted window. The humid air clung to her skin, but she barely noticed it. Her eyes were locked on the white plastic stick resting on the edge of the sink.
Two pink lines.
Clear. Undeniable.
Positive.
The pregnancy test slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered into the sink. Claire’s legs gave out. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the cool floor, knees drawn tightly to her chest. Her breathing came in short, ragged gasps as the reality crashed over her like a tidal wave.
She was pregnant.
With Xander’s child.
A sob tore from her throat, raw and broken. She wrapped her arms around her still-flat stomach, as if trying to shield the
