The next few days in Abuja were like a gentle breeze in Destiny's life calm, warm, and full of new beginnings.
She woke up each morning excited not just for her writing, but for the quiet possibility that each day might bring Ethan closer to her heart.
One evening, Destiny sat at a cozy café in Wuse 2, waiting for Ethan. She wore a simple peach dress, her laptop open beside a steaming cup of cappuccino. Her heart fluttered as she glanced at the door.
Moments later, Ethan walked in, his smile lighting up the room.
Ethan: "Hey, writer of the year."
Destiny: (laughs) "Don't start teasing me. You know I'm still learning."
Ethan: "Learning? You? Destiny, your last story had over 30k reads in a week. That's not luck that's talent."
Destiny: "Maybe, but I still feel like I have a long way to go."
Ethan: "That's what makes you special. You stay humble even when you shine."
They smiled at each other a quiet, lingering moment that neither of them tried to break too soon.
After ordering dinner, Ethan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
Ethan: "I've been thinking, you should publish your stories as a full book. You've got enough material already."
Destiny: "You really think so?"
Ethan: "I don't just think so i know so. I actually talked to a friend at a small publishing house here in Abuja. She's interested in reading your work."
Destiny blinked in surprise, her heart pounding.
Destiny: "Wait, you did that for me?"
Ethan: "Of course. You deserve to be seen, Destiny. The world needs your voice."
For a moment, she couldn't speak. Gratitude and emotion flooded her chest.
Destiny: "Thank you, Ethan. You've believed in me more than I believed in myself."
Ethan: (softly) "That's what happens when someone sees your light before you even notice it's shining."
Their eyes met a spark, deep and quiet, something real.
That night, Destiny went back to her hotel room with her heart full. She placed her hand gently over her belly and whispered:
"Baby, things are really changing… Mommy is finally smiling again."
She opened her laptop and wrote for hours the words flowing like never before. Every scene she wrote seemed alive with new emotion, new strength, new hope.
The next day, she received a message from Ethan:
"Meet me at Jabi Lake this evening. I want to show you something."
Curious, Destiny arrived just before sunset. The sky was painted gold and purple, and a gentle breeze danced across the water.
Ethan was standing near the railings, holding two cups of ice cream.
Ethan: "Vanilla for you, chocolate for me. I remember from Lagos you said vanilla reminds you of home."
Destiny: (smiling) "You remember everything."
Ethan: "I try."
They sat together, watching the sun dip below the horizon.
Ethan: "You know, Destiny, sometimes life closes doors just so better ones can open. I think… you're walking through one of those doors right now."
Destiny: (quietly) "I used to think I lost everything. But now… I think I found something worth holding onto."
Ethan: "Maybe we both did."
He reached out, gently holding her hand. She didn't pull away.
The world around them was silent just the wind, the water, and two hearts finding peace after a long storm.
That night, Destiny couldn't sleep not from anxiety, but from gratitude. Her career was blossoming, her heart was healing, and for the first time in a long while, her future felt like a sunrise.
She opened her journal and wrote:
"Maybe the winds of change weren't meant to break me they were meant to carry me home."