The small Lagos apartment was filled with the golden light of late afternoon. Claire sat cross-legged on the living room floor, helping Alex Jr. build a tower with colorful blocks. At five years old, her son was a whirlwind of energy and questions, his emerald-green eyes — so strikingly like his father’s — sparkling with every new discovery.
“Mummy, look! It’s taller than me!” he exclaimed proudly, clapping his hands as the tower reached his chest.
Claire laughed, the sound warm and genuine. “It’s incredible, my love. You’re such a good builder.”
These moments grounded her. After five years in Lagos, Claire had built a life that felt real and meaningful. She taught literature at a respected international school, wrote freelance articles, and had slowly turned her secret passion into som
