Glory stared at the picture on her phone for several seconds without moving.
The image had not changed.
Neither had the expression on Abraham's face.
He stood beside Christiana at the community stream, one hand resting casually by his side, his face relaxed, his smile genuine. Christiana stood close enough that their shoulders almost touched. She was smiling too, her face turned slightly toward him.
It was an ordinary picture.
That was what made it worse.
There was nothing scandalous about it. Nothing in the photograph that could prove Abraham had done anything wrong. No touching. No embrace. No obvious romantic gesture.
Just two people standing beside each other.
Yet Glory couldn't stop staring.
She zoomed in.
Then she immediately felt foolish and zoomed back out.
"What am I even doing?"
She dropped the phone on the bed.
For a few seconds, she tried to convince herself that Chiburuoma had been right.
Don't fight shadows.
She repeated the words silently.
If he is yours, he will show himself.
But the photograph had awakened something inside her that she could no longer easily silence.
It wasn't simply jealousy.
It was fear.
Fear that she had waited too long.
Fear that she had assumed Abraham would always be there.
Fear that someone else had arrived at precisely the wrong time and was beginning to occupy a space she had never officially claimed.
Glory stood from the bed and walked toward the window.
Outside, the evening had deepened. A few houses away, someone was playing music softly. Children were still moving around the street, their voices fading as darkness settled over Uyo.
She folded her arms.
"Maybe I'm making too much of this."
She said it aloud this time.
The words sounded unconvincing.
A gentle knock came from her door.
"Glory?"
It was Emem.
"Come in."
The door opened and Emem stepped inside, carrying her son's folded clothes. She looked at Glory for only a second before stopping.
"You look like someone just told you bad news."
Glory forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
Emem gave her a knowing look.
"You've been saying that a lot lately."
Glory looked away.
Emem placed the clothes on a nearby chair.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Glory."
There was something about the way Emem said her name that made lying feel pointless.
Glory sighed.
She picked up her phone and showed her the photograph.
Emem looked at it.
Then she looked at Glory.
Then back at the photograph.
"Okay."
Glory frowned.
"Okay?"
"Yes. Okay."
"That's all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Glory took the phone back.
"I don't know."
Emem sat down.
"You saw them together."
"Again."
"Again?"
"Yes."
Emem was quiet.
Glory began pacing.
"That's the problem. It's not the first time. I've seen them together more than once. And every time, Abraham looks..." She stopped.
"Looks what?"
"Different."
Emem waited.
Glory struggled to find the right words.
"He's lighter around her."
Emem's expression softened.
"And what about you?"
Glory stopped walking.
"What about me?"
"How does he look when he's around you?"
The question caught her off guard.
She thought about it.
She remembered Abraham laughing with her. The awkward moments. Their conversations. The way he had looked at her when they almost kissed. The warmth in his eyes when he said her name.
She remembered everything.
"I don't know," she whispered.
Emem leaned back.
"Then maybe that's what you need to find out instead of judging everything from one photograph."
Glory looked at her cousin.
"You're saying I should ask him?"
"No."
Emem smiled.
"I'm saying you should stop torturing yourself with questions you haven't asked."
Glory lowered her eyes.
Emem reached for her hand.
"You like him."
It wasn't really a question.
Glory didn't answer.
"You like him a lot."
Still, Glory said nothing.
"And you're scared."
This time, Glory nodded.
Emem squeezed her hand.
"Then don't let fear make you behave like someone you're not."
Glory looked at her.
"What if I'm already losing?"
"Then let him tell you that. Don't decide it for him."
The words stayed with Glory long after Emem left.
She sat alone again.
For the first time since seeing the photograph, she stopped looking at Christiana.
Instead, she looked at Abraham.
Not the man standing beside another woman.
Just Abraham.
And she wondered what he was thinking.
Across town, Abraham had no idea that a photograph had become the source of someone's emotional turmoil.
He was sitting outside his house with his phone in his hand, scrolling through messages.
The picture from the stream had already been sent into several community groups. Someone had taken it earlier that afternoon when a few of the corps members were gathering around the water.
Abraham paused when he saw it.
He smiled briefly.
He hadn't even realized someone had taken the picture.
Then his phone rang.
"Hello?"
It was Chika.
"Bro, where are you?"
"Home."
"You've eaten?"
"Not yet."
There was a short pause.
"You sound tired."
"I'm fine."
Chika laughed.
"Everybody in this family says 'I'm fine' when they're not fine."
Abraham smiled.
"How is your evening?"
"Good. I just came back from seeing somebody."
"Who?"
Chika hesitated.
"Nmeseoma."
Abraham's eyebrows lifted.
"Ah."
"Don't start."
"I haven't said anything."
"But I know that 'ah.'"
Abraham laughed.
"So what happened?"
"Nothing happened. We talked."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Chika became quiet.
Then he said, "She's actually a very nice person."
Abraham smiled.
"That's usually how it starts."
"Bro!"
Abraham laughed again.
"Relax. I'm only joking."
Their conversation continued for a few minutes until Chika finally ended the call.
Abraham placed his phone down.
He leaned back.
The compound was quiet.
For a moment, his thoughts wandered.
Glory came into his mind.
Then, unexpectedly, Christiana.
He frowned slightly.
He had noticed Christiana's beauty.
There was no point pretending otherwise.
Anyone with eyes would notice her.
But noticing someone's beauty wasn't the same as wanting them.
At least, that was what he told himself.
Christiana was new to the community. She needed help finding her way around. She had asked him for a simple favor, and he had helped.
Nothing more.
Yet he couldn't deny that talking to her had been easy.
She was confident.
She was cheerful.
She didn't seem afraid to speak her mind.
And she laughed easily.
Abraham shook his head.
"Don't complicate things."
He stood up and went inside.
The following morning, Glory woke earlier than usual.
She had slept badly.
Every time she closed her eyes, the photograph returned.
She finally sat up and looked at the clock.
6:17 a.m.
She had no reason to be awake.
Still, she got out of bed.
After showering, she dressed simply and went into the kitchen.
Emem was already there.
"You slept?"
"Not really."
Emem looked at her.
"Still thinking about the picture?"
Glory smiled faintly.
"No."
Emem raised an eyebrow.
"Okay."
They both knew she was lying.
Before Emem could say anything else, there was a knock at the gate.
Glory walked outside.
A woman from the neighborhood stood there holding a small basket.
She handed it over.
"Please help me give this to Mama Ekaette when she returns. I brought some vegetables."
"Okay."
Glory thanked her and returned inside.
For the first time that morning, she felt normal.
Then her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her heart skipped.
Abraham.
She stared at the name.
Emem noticed.
"Answer it."
Glory hesitated.
"Why are you looking at it like it's a bomb?"
Glory answered.
"Hello?"
"Good morning."
His voice.
Just hearing it softened something inside her.
"Good morning."
"I hope I didn't wake you."
"No. I was already awake."
"Good."
There was a pause.
"I wanted to ask if you're around later."
Glory's heart began beating faster.
"Why?"
"I need to drop something off."
"Okay."
"I'll come around."
The call ended.
Glory remained still.
Emem watched her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You are smiling."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Glory touched her face.
She hadn't realized she was smiling.
Later that morning, Christiana stood in front of the mirror at the corpers' lodge.
She adjusted the simple earrings in her ears and looked at herself.
She wasn't dressed in her NYSC uniform.
Instead, she wore a simple cream-colored blouse with a long dark skirt and flat sandals. Her hair was neatly pulled back, and she had barely used any makeup.
She picked up her handbag.
One of the other corps members looked at her.
"You're going somewhere?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
Christiana smiled.
"Just out."
The girl laughed.
"You've been saying 'just out' a lot since you came here."
Christiana shrugged.
"Maybe I'm enjoying the town."
She stepped outside.
She knew exactly where she was going.
By late morning, Abraham was standing outside his compound when he saw Christiana approaching.
She smiled when she saw him.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
"I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all."
She stopped near the gate.
"I actually wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"I've been trying to find a place where I can get fresh fruits and vegetables without going all the way to the main market."
Abraham nodded.
"There is a smaller market not too far from here."
"Would you mind showing me?"
He looked at her.
Then he smiled.
"Sure."
Christiana's smile widened.
"Thank you."
They began walking.
Neither noticed the young woman approaching from the opposite direction.
Glory had come to visit a friend nearby.
She was halfway across the road when she saw them.
Abraham.
Christiana.
Again.
Her feet slowed.
This time, however, something was different.
Abraham looked up.
Their eyes met.
For one brief moment, Abraham seemed surprised.
"Glory?"
Christiana turned.
She smiled politely.
"Hi."
Glory returned the smile.
"Hello."
The three stood there.
The silence was uncomfortable.
Abraham looked between them.
"Glory, this is Christiana. Christiana, Glory."
Christiana nodded.
"It's nice to meet you properly."
Glory nodded back.
"Same here."
Neither woman looked away.
Then Christiana smiled.
"I was just asking Abraham to show me the small market around here."
Glory looked at Abraham.
He nodded.
"Yes."
There was nothing wrong with that.
Nothing at all.
Glory knew it.
Yet something inside her tightened.
She smiled.
"Okay."
She stepped aside.
"Have a good day."
Abraham watched her walk away.
"Glory."
She stopped.
He looked like he wanted to say something.
But he didn't.
She gave him another small smile.
"It's fine."
Then she continued walking.
Christiana watched her disappear around the corner.
After a moment, she looked at Abraham.
"She seems nice."
Abraham nodded.
"She is."
Christiana smiled.
There was something unreadable in her eyes.
"Good."
And together, they continued toward the market.
Behind them, Glory kept walking.
She didn't turn around.
But her mind was already asking the question she had been trying to avoid.
How long am I going to keep pretending that this doesn't bother me?
For the first time, she understood that the real battle wasn't between her and Christiana.
It was between what she felt and what she was willing to admit.
And somewhere ahead of her, Abraham was walking beside another woman, completely unaware that the distance between himself and Glory had just become more complicated than either of them realized.