A few minutes past six, they finally wrapped things up. The assessment was complete, and the little chameleon had been fed. Their research and project write-up were ready-polished and prepared for submission to the Biology teacher for evaluation.
Olivia was getting ready to leave, while Michael busied himself tidying up the scattered paperwork. He gathered the loose sheets into a file folder, then carried his laptop upstairs to his room.
When he came back down a few minutes later, he found Olivia still seated, staring intently at the project's paperwork, a ballpoint pen clutched between her teeth.
"Have you not done enough already? I thought you were gonna leave." he asked with a playful edge in his voice as he descended the steep stairs. "You've been at it for hours. I thought we were done."
He glanced down the stairs and noticed the takeout box still untouched on the table. The fried rice and chicken strips sat sealed and cold.
"You barely touched the food," he said, his voice soft but curious. "Don't you like it?"
She looked up toward him, then quickly away. "No, it looks great, actually. It's just... I don't really eat out. I don't go out much, so..." Her voice trailed off.
His eyes stayed on her, searching-curious, maybe even concerned. The silence that followed wrapped around her like a strange fog.
Feeling the weight of it, she shifted and spoke again, trying to ease the awkwardness. "I was just going through the papers... checking for any mistakes. I like to be thorough."
"Well, you're at my place now," he said, gently taking the papers from her hands and setting them aside. "So you have to eat something. We can't just let good food go to waste. If you don't, I'm not letting you leave."
She raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Eat something," he repeated, softer now. "Or at least try the wine. It's a Rosé Dolce Demi-Sec, straight from Italy and non-alcoholic-you'll love it."
She sighed in surrender, trying to hide the amusement in her eyes. "Fine... just one glass."
She popped open the bottle and carefully poured two glasses, her hands trembling slightly as she passed one to Michael. When their fingers brushed, she felt a jolt-small, but unmistakable.
Michael noticed. His eyes caught hers for a moment, studying the nervous expression that flickered across her face. She quickly looked down, wishing the floor would just open up and swallow her whole.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle. "Your hands are literally shaking. Are you cold? I can turn down the A.C."
She shook her head, forcing a small smile. "No, I'm good. There's no need for that."
Olivia tilted the glass to her lips and drank it all in one go. She set it down with a soft clink and offered a faint smile. "I have to go now, it's getting dark. My mom's probably going to start calling any minute-she can be very overprotective. Still treats me like I'm five." She let out a small chuckle.
"Anyway, I'll see you in school on Monday, yeah?"
"Yeah," Michael replied, watching her as she reached for her bag.
Just as she turned to leave, he called out, "Hey... Liv. Can I call you that?"
She paused, her hand on the doorknob, then glanced back over her shoulder. "I guess you can."
"You know," he said with a smirk, "you're actually fun to be around... when your face isn't buried in a textbook or you're not going off about some science stuff. You should loosen up a bit. You'd be surprised how many friends you'd make."
She raised a brow. "So... we're friends now?"
"Of course."
She gave a half-shrug. "Your loss. I don't keep friends for long. They never really stick around, I tend to scare them off. Everyone thinks I'm just some obnoxious nerd who doesn't know how to have fun... and honestly, I'm fine with that. You should be too."
"Well, I'm not fine with it," he said, crossing his arms with a mock challenge in his tone. "And together, we're gonna fix your socializing issues."
Olivia laughed softly, shaking her head. "Okay, Michael. Just... don't say I didn't warn you."
"Bye, Liv."
"Bye."
The drive to Alfred Garden Estate, Ojota, was a short one-just twenty-five minutes-but to Olivia, it felt like an entire day dragging itself along. The driver, a middle-aged man with a face carved by irritation, seemed to be having a rough one. He blasted the A.C. and hummed loudly to a Yoruba song playing on Lasgidi FM. Koloba Koloba by Adewale Ayuba filled the car with energetic rhythms she couldn't connect to.
To Olivia, it was pure torture. She wasn't one for music-especially not local tunes that grated against her silence. Each minute in that car stretched endlessly.
Relief washed over her when the car finally pulled up in front of her house. She paid him quickly and stepped out, ending the ride with barely a word, breathing like she'd just escaped a cage.
Olivia's life was, for the most part, simple. She was the second child-and the only girl-in a family of four. Her elder brother, Adam, was in his final year at Covenant University, Lagos, studying Computer Science. He had graduated from Brandol a few years earlier, and from the way things were going, Olivia would likely be joining him at Covenant soon enough.
She had always admired Adam-his quiet determination, his drive. He'd passed his SSCE in a single sitting and carved out a solid path for himself at one of the country's top universities. Olivia had never doubted him for a second.
He was her one and only role model. But despite Adam being the older, more accomplished sibling, everyone knew Olivia was her mother's favorite-and maybe, just maybe, she didn't mind that one bit.
Regina showered Olivia with love-especially on her birthdays. Every year, without fail, she gifted her a new designer dress, each more extravagant than the last, worth millions of naira. It wasn't just about the gifts; it was about what Olivia meant to her. She loved her deeply-not just as a daughter, but as the bond that mended what once seemed broken beyond repair.
After Adam's birth, Regina and her husband, John, had a falling out so intense it nearly tore their family apart. The love they once shared felt like it was fading, slipping silently through the cracks. The warmth between them turned to cold distance.
John would come home from work in silence, barely acknowledging his wife. Some nights he went straight to bed without a word, skipping dinner altogether. It was as if they were vanishing from each other's lives.
But Olivia's arrival changed everything. Her presence breathed life back into a weary marriage.
One day, John left for work-and never came back. No calls. No notes. Just silence. Days slipped into weeks, and weeks dragged into months, yet there was no sign of him. The spark that once lit their home had long fizzled out. Regina was left to pick up the pieces, raising Adam alone and nursing the ache of abandonment.
Then, nearly a year later, everything changed.
When she found out she was pregnant, Regina was stunned. A part of her felt broken, but another part-a deeper, quieter part-held onto hope. This child, unexpected and pure, became her light in the middle of that long, dark tunnel.
Word of the pregnancy reached John, and for the first time in months, something inside him stirred. He was overwhelmed with emotion-joy, guilt, longing. He left for Lagos the very next day, heart racing with the need to make things right.
When he walked into the hospital room and saw Regina cradling their newborn daughter, his breath caught. She was perfect.
But Regina wasn't ready to forgive. As he stepped forward, she pulled the baby closer to her chest, her expression hard and unreadable.
"You don't get to hold her," she said, voice cold but trembling. "You left. For seven long months, you left me and Adam... like we meant nothing."
It tore Regina apart every time Adam looked up at her with those hopeful eyes and asked, "When is Daddy coming home?" She would always say "Soon," forcing a smile that never reached her heart. But deep down, she feared he never would.
At the hospital, John tried to apologize-tried to explain-but she wouldn't hear it. Her heart was still heavy with hurt. Seven months of silence couldn't be undone with a few words. Still, after much persuasion and for the sake of her newborn daughter, Regina gave in. She didn't want her little girl growing up in a broken home.
Eventually, the family came back together. John made peace with Regina, moved back in, and began putting in the work.
At first, it was Olivia-their little miracle-that held them together like glue. But over time, as they talked more, fought less, and committed to couples therapy, something deeper began to grow. The love they once lost slowly found its way back.
It felt just like the good old days. After the kids had gone to bed, Regina and John would stay up late, talking softly, laughing over old memories, and rediscovering the comfort of each other's company. It felt right. It felt like home. It feels good to have him back, Regina often thought to herself in quiet gratitude.
That was why they named their little miracle Olivia-a name that meant peace.
Because peace had finally returned to their once-fractured family.
Regina loved Olivia more than anything in the world. The little girl had brought light back into her life, had stitched back the torn seams of their love story. And maybe that's why, in time, she grew fiercely protective of her-hovering, shielding, watching. Not out of fear, but from a love so deep it scared her.
"Princess, you're home late. Did anything happen over there? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Regina sprang to her feet the moment Olivia walked through the door, her eyes scanning her from head to toe.
She'd been curled up on the couch watching Wura, barely paying attention to the plot anymore once the time ticked past seven.
"I'm fine, Mom. It was just a long drive," Olivia replied, brushing past her gently. "The traffic wasn't smiling this evening."
She dropped her bag by the corner and sank into the plush red sofa with a deep sigh, her body slumping like she'd just run a marathon.
Regina hovered a bit, arms folded, concern still etched on her face. "You sure? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Just tired," Olivia said, forcing a small smile. "I'm starved. Is there anything to eat?"
"Of course," Regina said, already heading toward the kitchen. "There's some jollof rice in the fridge. Just warm it up in the microwave and you're good to go."
"Okay, Mom."
Olivia dragged herself to the kitchen and reemerged a few minutes later with a steaming bowl of jollof rice and two juicy pieces of beef. She settled onto the couch, legs crossed, and took a bite, sighing in relief.
Regina watched her, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "So... how was your day, baby girl? This classmate of yours... is she...?"
Olivia looked up mid-chew. "It's a boy, Mom. And he has a name... Michael," she interrupted.
Regina raised an eyebrow, her smile stretching wider. "Ah. Michael. Doesn't sound... familiar." She slowly turned her eyes from the TV and fixed them on Olivia, her curiosity now fully piqued. "Hmmm... that's a first. What's he like?"
Olivia twirled her fork in the rice absentmindedly. "Well, he's... nice. And smart. But..."
"But what?" Regina leaned in just a little, her tone still gentle, but attentive now.
"He's got some... stuff. Issues with his mom. It's complicated."
Regina gave a knowing chuckle. "Most kids do. We're just lucky enough to have found our rhythm, you and me."
She smiled at Olivia, a soft warmth in her eyes.
There was a brief pause, then Olivia narrowed her gaze. "Don't just sit there watching me choke on my food. What do you think?"
"I don't know," Regina said thoughtfully. "It's the first time you've told me you're friends with a guy. I find it really weird, but at the same time... I know you're growing up. You're maturing, and you'll need to start making your own choices."
She paused, then added softly, "You'll need to have relationships with your male counterparts-even intimate ones. It's part of life. But I haven't met him yet. Until I do... my fingers are crossed."
Olivia let out a long yawn and stretched lazily. "Alright mum, I'm gonna go hit the shower. All this talking is making me sleepy. After that, I'll probably watch a little movie before I crash. I'm so tired... Hoooaaah. Good night, Mum. I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night, darling," Regina smiled. "Sleep tight."