The clock was the only thing moving in the house that night.
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Maliya sat on her bed, her journal still open beside her. The last thing she wrote stared back at her.Maybe this is how healing starts.
She closed the book, sighing. Maybe water would help her sleep.
As she walked down the hallway, faint voices drifted from the living room — her parents'. They were never up this late.
She paused halfway down the stairs, one hand on the rail.
"It's for the best, Khalil," her mother said softly. "The school said it'll help them connect more. She can't just keep coming home and locking herself up."
Her father exhaled. "I know, amma (but) you know Maliya. She'll think we're giving up on her."
Her mother's voice lowered. "We're not giving up. We're giving her a chance."
Maliya frowned. A chance?
Then she heard it — the line that made her whole body still.
"The boarding program starts next week."
The glass slipped from her hand and rolled across the floor. Her parents turned immediately.
"Maliya?"
She stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs. "Boarding school? You were going to send me away?"
Her mother's eyes softened. "Not away, baby. It's still Ridgeway. They're just starting a boarding program — all students will live on campus for the semester. We thought it might be good for you."
Maliya's throat tightened. "You think living there is going to fix me?"
Her father stepped closer, his tone gentle. "No one said you're broken, Maliya. But lately… you've been here without really being here. We just want you to breathe again."
She blinked fast. "Home is where I breathe."
Khalil shook his head lightly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Sometimes the air at home gets too still. You need new wind."
Her mother nodded, voice calm. "Kadan kadan, zaki ga sauyi (little by little, you'll see change.)"
The Hausa words wrapped around her like warmth — familiar, grounding.
"Do I have to?" she asked quietly.
"Just give it a chance," her father said. "If you hate it, we'll talk again. But try first."
Her mom smiled faintly. "You don't have to like it right away. Just… let it be something new."
For a second, the weight in Maliya's chest shifted. "You really think it'll help?"
Her mom's eyes softened. "Wallahi, I do."
They sat together for a long time after that — not arguing, not fixing anything — just talking. For the first time in a long while, it felt like family again.
When Maliya finally hugged them both, it didn't feel awkward. It felt real.
That night, her room felt lighter. The moon spilled across her wall, soft and calm.
"Maybe we all needed that talk," she whispered into the dark. "I feel… lighter. Freer."
And for the first time in months, the thought of tomorrow didn't scare her.
---
By morning, Ridgeway buzzed like a beehive. Everyone was talking at once — voices overlapping, laughter echoing through the halls.
"The boarding thing's real?" someone said. "My mom signed the form last night."
"I didn't even know we had dorms!"
Maliya squeezed through the crowd, spotting Khadija near the lockers, waving a paper like it was evidence.
"Can you believe this?" Khadija said, eyes wide. "They didn't even tell us! Parents first, as if we're the accessories."
Leo leaned against the locker beside her, grinning. "I'm not mad. No traffic, no curfews, and free breakfast? Sounds like a dream."
Amir raised a brow. "You stopped listening after 'free breakfast.'"
"Exactly."
Khadija laughed. "Boys."
Maliya smiled faintly but said nothing. The whole thing still felt surreal — like life had flipped without warning.
Khadija noticed. "Hey," she said softly, nudging her. "You okay?"
Maliya hesitated, then shrugged. "Yeah. My parents told me last night. I just… didn't expect it."
Khadija nodded. "Same. My mom was way too excited. She said, 'You'll learn independence!' Like, sis, I already do my own laundry."
That made Maliya laugh — a quiet, real laugh that surprised her.
Khadija grinned, tugging her cap lower over her loosely wrapped hijab.
"See? You're already surviving," she said, flicking a braid that escaped the side.
Maliya rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Barely."
As the bell rang, they grabbed their things. For a moment, Maliya looked around — at the chaos, the movement, the sound of it all. Everything was changing, and for once, maybe that wasn't a bad thing.
She glanced at Khadija, who was still talking, animated as ever. At least she wouldn't be doing this alone.
"Come on," Maliya said, bumping her shoulder lightly. "Let's go see what this 'new life' looks like."
Khadija laughed. "Now that's the spirit."
And as they walked down the hall together, Maliya felt it — the smallest, softest spark of something new. Not fear this time. Maybe hope.
---