Chapter 13: The Hidden Wounds.
The sun streamed through the kitchen window, casting a warm, golden light across the room. The scent of fresh coffee filled the air, and for the first time in a long time, Ezinne felt at peace. The morning was perfect, her son humming happily as he ate his breakfast, and everything felt right. It was one of those rare moments when everything aligned—when joy wasn't just a distant dream but something that was tangible, right there in front of her. She poured herself a cup of coffee, savoring the simple pleasure. Her business was thriving, Chibuikem was excelling in school, and life seemed to be unfolding in the way she had always hoped for. She had come so far, she had fought for this. This happiness. This peace. But even in the light of this beautiful morning, there was something buried deep inside her a quiet ache that wouldn't quite let go. The deeper she went into her own healing, the more she realized there were still pieces of her past she hadn't fully faced. It was like a shadow that followed her, no matter how bright the sunlight. Sitting down at the table with her coffee, she gazed out the window, her mind drifting. Her father had died when she was only two years old, and though she had no memories of him, his absence had shaped her entire existence. Her mother had been a woman who could never quite manage to love her as she should have. Ezinne had been the firstborn, the one who was supposed to receive affection, the one who was supposed to be cherished. But instead, she had been met with indifference, neglect, and sometimes, outright cruelty. She had spent her childhood in the shadows, her siblings oblivious to the quiet suffering that had been her everyday reality. While they thrived under her mother's care, Ezinne had been cast aside. The whispers behind her back, the cold stares, the rejection, it had all cut deep, leaving invisible scars that no one had ever seen. It wasn't until she was older that she began to understand the magnitude of what she had endured. And even then, she had pushed it down, buried it deep inside, because confronting it felt like a battle she couldn't win. But now, as the warmth of her home enveloped her, she realized that it was time to face those wounds head-on. She took another sip of coffee, reflecting on how far she had come. She had a business that was flourishing, a son who was excelling in his studies, and a life that was finally her own. She had escaped the prison of her past, or so she thought. But the truth was, those hidden wounds, those fragments of her childhood that still haunted her were waiting for the right moment to surface. Chibuikem's laughter broke through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. She smiled as she watched him, his energy and innocence a stark contrast to the heavy weight of her past. He was everything she had fought for, everything she had dreamed of. As he finished his breakfast, he ran up to her with excitement in his eyes. "Mummy, can we go to the park today? I want to show you the new swing!" he said, his words tumbling out in a rush. Ezinne's heart swelled with love for her son. "Of course, my love. We'll go after I finish my work," she replied, brushing his hair back gently. But even as she smiled and responded, a small voice inside her was reminding her of the deeper work that still needed to be done. The pain from her past would never disappear, no matter how much she achieved in the present. It would always be there, lying dormant, waiting for her to acknowledge it. She stood up, taking one last look out the window before turning to her son. Today, she would take him to the park. She would enjoy the moment—the simplicity of it. The joy of being a mother, a woman who had fought for everything she had. But tomorrow..... tomorrow, she would finally take the steps she needed to heal those hidden wounds. She couldn't keep pretending they didn't exist. She had to confront them, to face the past that had shaped her, and to finally free herself from the chains of her childhood. But for now, as Chibuikem pulled her by the hand and led her out the door, she allowed herself to smile. For now, she allowed herself to feel the joy of the present, the joy of being free.