Nnenna watched Emily's face, softening. "You say my life is easy," she said, quiet but fierce. "Do you know how I got here? Do you know that every day I choose this? I look for reasons to be glad. I let myself smile. I say what I feel instead of locking it inside."
Short pause. A steady breath.
"I work hard. I guard the people I love. I treasure what I have."
She met Emily's eyes. "And I still fall sometimes. But I get back up. That's how I live."
"You can't just drift through life and expect things to go your way," Nnenna said, her voice steady but firm. "You can't give up on people and still expect to find friends and family. You can't build walls, create stereotypes, and judge everyone by them."
She took a breath, her tone softening. "What about the people you haven't met yet, the ones who are ready to love you? Or those who were once bad but decided to change? They all deserve a chance to prove themselves."
