By the time Amina reached home, night had swallowed the streets. The contest hall's bright lights felt like a distant dream now, replaced by the damp smell of their tiny apartment and the faint hum of mosquitoes.
She pushed open the door quietly.
Her sister, Zainab, ran to her at once, eyes shining. "Did you... did you pass?"
Amina hesitated. The words caught in her throat. To say 'yes' felt dangerous, inviting disaster. To say 'no' felt like betrayal to the fire still burning in her chest.
She smiled faintly, brushing her sister's hair back. "It went... well."
From the corner, a harsh laugh broke the moment. Her father was sprawled across the sofa, an empty bottle in hand. "Well? What nonsense is this again?" He sneered, eyes bloodshot. "Do you think prancing on a stage will feed this family?"
Zainab flinched at his tone, but Amina stepped forward, shielding her sister. "I'm trying, Baba. I'm doing what I can."
He slammed the bottle on the table, glass rattling. "You think you're better than us? Singing like some shameless street girl? Useless dreams won't pay rent."
Her mother's weak cough drifted from the bedroom. Anima's chest tightened at the sound. She rushed inside to find her mother sitting up, pale but smiling softly.
"Don't mind him," her mother whispered, voice raspy, "Dreams are never useless. I'm proud of you, Amina."
Tears pricked her eyes, but she forced them back. She sat at the bedside, taking her mother's frail hand. "Mama, I'll make it. For you. For Zainab. One day... things will be different."
Her mother's smile widened just a little. "Sing for me then. Just a little."
Amina hesitated, then began to hum the melody from her notebook. Her voice was quiet, gentle, trembling —but filled with the love she couldn't say out loud.
Her sister crept into the room, curling against her. For a moment, the broken apartment felt whole.
Outside, her father grumbled and cursed at the television, but Amina shut it out. She let the song fill the cracks of their lives.
A bitter homecoming, yes— but also a fragile reminder of why she couldn't give up..