Five Years Later
In Goreangab lived a young woman named Victoria, though most people simply called her Vicky.
She lived with her mother and her two younger siblings in a modest home filled with laughter, kindness, and the sort of warmth that made people linger longer than they meant to. There was something about Vicky that drew people in. Maybe it was the softness in the way she spoke, or the way she made everyone around her feel seen, but whatever it was, the people in the neighbourhood considered themselves lucky to know her.
Vicky loved children with all her heart.
Whenever she had free time, she spent it with them—playing, teaching, organising little events for the children around the area, never asking for money, never expecting anything in return. To her, their laughter was enough.
That afternoon, the sun hung brightly over Goreangab, wrapping the yard in gold.
Inside the house, Evan was in the kitchen putting together a quick lunch, humming to himself as the sounds of laughter and playful shouting floated in from the backyard.
Then the front door opened.
Tonia stepped inside, her smile as bright as ever.
She had recently gotten married, but nothing about her warmth had changed. If anything, marriage had only made her glow even more.
"Evan, how are you?" she asked, placing her bag aside.
Evan glanced at her and grinned. "Let me guess... you're looking for my sister?"
"Yes," Tonia said, settling into a chair. "Even if she's gone out, I'll wait for her."
Evan laughed and shook his head.
"How many years have you been friends with my sister and you still don't know her? There's a saying that blind people are led by sound to their loved ones, but you're not blind."
Tonia let out a small laugh.
"I know," she said, smiling as she rolled her eyes. "She's in the backyard, isn't she?"
"Exactly."
Tonia shook her head fondly. "Vicky can be really childish sometimes. Today she left work early just to spend time with the street kids."
"That's my sister for you," Evan said with a chuckle. "She's probably covered in dust right now, looking like one of them."
And he was right.
Outside in the backyard, Vicky was in the middle of a noisy game of hide-and-seek, her clothes dust-stained, her laughter rising with the wind as she played with the neighbourhood children as if she were one of them.
"One, two, three, four, five..." she counted, eyes tightly shut as she faced the wall.
Behind her, little feet raced across the dusty yard as the children scattered to find hiding spots.
"Are you here?" Vicky called dramatically.
No answer. She smiled to herself.
That only meant they had hidden well.
"Okay, I'm coming! You better hide properly—I'm on my way. Faith... Emily, where are you? Dangi?"
She moved carefully through the yard, pretending to search harder than she really was. Nearby, Emily struggled not to burst into laughter as Vicky stood right beside her hiding place, clearly pretending not to notice.
"Emily, my baby..." Vicky sang sweetly. "I have lollipops. And your favorite too—koeksisters."
Emily nearly gave herself away.
Just then, a childish laugh echoed from the other side of the yard.
Vicky turned at once and marched toward it, only to find Tonia standing there with a grin on her face.
Vicky stopped and stared at her in disbelief.
"Are you serious?" she groaned. "I'm going to lose for the ninth time."
The children burst out of their hiding spots, laughing and cheering like tiny victors returning from war.
"Tenth time," Vicky corrected dramatically, dusting herself off. Then she narrowed her eyes at Tonia. "Thanks to someone who claims to be my best friend."
Tonia folded her arms with mock pride. "I'm Vicky's best friend, not the friend of whoever is trying to control her." Then she tilted her head. "I heard that when someone goes through trauma, their mind sometimes acts like an eight-year-old. Did that happen to my Vicky?"
Vicky gave her a look. "Just stop it, Tony. Can't you see the kids are happy? Don't you like those cute smiles on their faces?"
Tonia's expression softened as she looked at them.
"They're really cute," she admitted. "And I can't wait to have mine."
Vicky turned to her, then pretended to frown. "That's actually one thing I'm mad at you about. You've been married for a year, and still my best friend is not here."
She looked away with exaggerated disappointment.
Tonia smiled quietly, then reached into her bag and held something up in front of Vicky.
Vicky blinked. Her eyes widened.
"Wait... this..." Her voice lifted with shock. "Are you pregnant?"
Tonia's smile deepened, glowing with joy.
"Yes," she said. "Finally."
The reaction from Vicky was immediate.
"What? Tony!"
She grabbed Tonia and pulled her into the air in a tight, joyful hug.
"I'm so happy for you!"
Tonia laughed, holding onto her. "My predictions finally came true."
Vicky pulled back just enough to look at her properly, eyes bright with genuine happiness.
"You can finally rest," she said, half-laughing, half-emotional. "And so can I."
Tonia laughed harder. "All those times you kept saying, 'Tony, you've put on weight. Tony, you're glowing.' I went to the clinic today, and it's confirmed."
"I'm so happy for you," Vicky said again, more softly this time. "Honestly, you don't know how long I've hoped for this."
Emotion rose between them, and they hugged again, tighter this time, as though the moment deserved to be held still.
"Thank you, Vicky," Tonia said quietly.
Vicky frowned a little. "For what?"
Tonia looked at her with eyes full of old gratitude.
"You worked so hard to make sure Sam and I found our way back to each other. You helped us sort out our differences. You pushed us toward marriage, toward understanding, toward love. Now we're grown, we're building a family, and instead of always needing your support..." She smiled through the emotion in her voice. "We want to support you too."
Vicky's expression softened.
"Sam must be happy about this," she said.
Tonia gave a sheepish smile. "I haven't told him yet. I wanted to tell you first."
Vicky stared at her. "Why? I'm not your husband. This is important to him. I can't be more important to you than your husband."
"Just stop it, Vicky," Tonia said, brushing that away at once. "You're my VIP, and you know it. You saved me from my evil aunt, and for five years now I've been happy and standing on my own two feet because of you. Do I really need to explain further why you're my VIP?"
Vicky's face gave in, and she opened her arms.
"Just bring it in," she said warmly. "I'm happy you're starting your own family. Just be a great mother."
Tonia hugged her tightly. "I'll be a great mother to my unborn baby... and to you too."
Vicky laughed. "What?"
Tonia pulled back and looked at her more seriously now.
"You always look out for others, but not yourself. You stopped talking about your Prince Charming."
Something shifted in Vicky's face.
Not pain exactly. Something quieter. Heavier.
"Tony..." she said softly. "What can I say? Prince Charming doesn't even exist. It was just a dream. Graduate, work, and marry someone who loves and values me." She smiled faintly, but it didn't hold. "But even though I graduated, I still don't have a stable job. And right now... my mom is all I can think about."
Tonia's features softened.
"Vicky, your mom will be alright. You just need to have faith. I'm with you, and even your mom wants you to keep living your life. We all do. We want you to start thinking about yourself too."
Vicky looked away, calling the children inside while her thoughts sank somewhere deeper.
"You talk as if I'm selfless," she said after a moment. "Mom has been in and out of the hospital for the past five years. I need her to get better. Otherwise..." She exhaled. "Otherwise, I'd just be lying to myself."
Tonia watched her for a second, then stepped closer.
"You know what? I understand you, Vicky. I really do." Her voice gentled. "I just get worked up because you keep putting aside your own pain, your own responsibilities, your own dreams, and instead you lose yourself in taking care of other people... or in playing with children so you don't have to think too hard." She gave her a small, apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't drag you into this. I'm just worried about you."
Vicky turned back to her, and this time her smile was real.
"I'm happy you're worried about me," she said. Then her expression brightened. "But now you're pregnant, so come on. Let's go inside so I can make you some soup. My baby should have her first meal from me, right?"
"Her?" Tonia laughed as they started walking inside. "Who told you it's a girl?"
Vicky grinned. "Should we bet on that too?"
"I can't bet," Tonia said. "I want a girl too. There's just one tiny problem—Sam keeps talking about how his son will be just like him. Smart like him, handsome like him, this and that... blah, blah, blah."
Vicky laughed.
"They say a man's suggestion always dominates," Tonia added.
Vicky waved that away at once.
"They say this, they say that. I don't believe everything people say." She bumped Tonia lightly as they stepped into the house. "I believe in what Vicky says. And you should believe in yourself too."
And just like that, the laughter returned.
Warm. Bright. Ordinary.
The kind of ordinary that looked simple from the outside, but for people like Vicky, it was hard-earned. And precious.